TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin BIg fire at Le Pelican in Marigot

https://www.facebook.com/LePelicanj...1ZT2C1MEy0FLfsdrLDtVILBvXIuk&__xts__[0]=68.ARD9twtfTk2v_b0CKl8_yKF51DN_JuyohCi_9ukxSWFOWJPPE3M0ZHKJJZ5IB-Xr_yDY4ZMYrhsIs1uk3sfeG9imPP1dVAugGpAIVISfNllD-hp7Vur7POlu5vzteloZ0O8GhWmVNAG_mw2oAa-Ls_DOJoI7gXJzi45sHloRkmD3tqciW4awqfQvukdETfF3H5bhscLHw98Kh-oEDOX6BsZFNo_d89vsgYTcPy8F426rbP6f5WZkvixm7MAyHxxpwRlyrg

I'm not familiar with Le Pelican. Is that a restaurant?

I’m not sure what he meant. The Pelican Key is a resort in SIMPSON Bay and Le Pelican is a journal on the French side. Hopefully he will update us with better information

It appears to be a media/news company. Newspaper?

Pretty impressive fire..link given was a live Le Pelican unedited news feed of the fire in Marigot but I can't figure out what is burning but it is significant...video is 25 minutes long no
commentary in the 10 minutes that I watched

One of the comments in the margin said it was a restaurant named the Rare Bird?

If you took the time to open the link it says its the journal building.

I opened the link but Le Pelican was the website for a Journal/News Organization by that name that was hosting the video but NOT what was on fire. What was on fire was supposedly a restaurant named "l’oiseau rare" which translates to "the rare bird". As I said before, I hoped you would update us with more information when it was available and not snarkiness.

For those who may not know, L Oiseau Rare is on the left side coming back from Galisbay before you get to the market area.

Thank you for the update on the location, I have a better understanding now.

It was also posted on Facebook it was the journal building. Wasn't being snark.

Just checked the video out and confirmed it is the joint I remembered at that location. It's been closed for years, I believe, and was painted a very gaudy red and yellow. You couldn't miss it. It was sort of an "Old Saint-Martin" tongue sticking itself out at the new mall up the road. We've been to the island almost every year since 1995, on the French side, and never once heard anyone recommend the restaurant, but you couldn't help noticing it! Too bad I never photographed it; spots like that are disappearing from the island.

It was kind of "kitty corner" to the old La Vie en Rose. Had many good meals at L Oiseau Rare. For those coming for a long time, it used to be called Maison Sur La Porte

Sad to see another piece of the old St. Martin construction heritage destroyed even if the building had lost most of its former glory over recent years. It was an absolute favorite restaurant of ours back in the days we first visited the island. We had a most memorable evening there in 1983, the first year we brought both of our daughters with us and we went back for many years at a time when an evening wandering along the waterfront in Marigot after a wonderful dinner was still a pleasure to enjoy.

As with many things posted on facebook, they are no always accurate.

Since it had been abandoned for a while, I do wonder if this was arson, or perhaps a homeless person squatting there?

L'Oiseau Rare was also one of our first resto stops on our 1st visit

Not sure what we had to eat but I do remember the french butter and a lovely bottle of white burgundy. I also remember the staff and service was great - that and a rooster was running around the front of the restaurant.
Seem to think there were birds in a cage in the back? and maybe a little waterfall ..?

It was the warm welcome and food that contributed to us wanting to come back to Sxm, which we did
Sorry to see the building is gone

J&J

So is it the restaurant L'Oiseau Rare or next door to it?

Yes, I remember that restaurant. It was lovely. Good service and good food. Great decor!
Diagonal from La Vie en Rose, which for those that remember, used to be waterfront!

Oh, yes, I remember it well. And periodically they had a patisserie downstairs from La Vie en Rose. Those really were the days, my friend.......

It is the restaurant.
We were having lunch at the lolos near the market, when it started!
Quite a fire!!!

How sad! Yes I too remember it was waterfront. The only time we ate there was in the 80's after a day trip to Anguilla by ferry from Marigot. Was great. Always said each yearly visit we'd stop in again but always tried a new place.

Anyone remember the place on the way to the airport that service strange entrees like ostrich, venison etc.? That was great too. So many greta places have gone. We loved Le Bec Fin, Poisson D'Or, the old Rainbow.

I think you’re talking about La Peroquette (Sp?) where they served about the biggest prawns I’ve ever seen along with things like fresh bear steaks and breast of ostrich. They served you a glass of bubbly while you waited to be seated. It was sad when her husband passed to see her try to run it by herself. Restaurant business is tough and particularly when you’re trying to live up to an already established great reputation.