Our first visit and will be on return list”

5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 30, 2015 NEW

Have visited SXM for over 15 weeks through the years and seem to always go back to
the same favorites year after year. We are trying to try new restaurants this year and
L'Auberge did not disappoint. A small beautiful Creole house converted into about a 45 seat dinning mecca. Service was attentive, friendly and gentle. The usual complimentary champagne was offered, followed by an appetizer of a duo of special scallops baked with goat cheese with in house made lobster raviolis with a lobster
reduction sauce. A very generous portion of foie gras was complimented with a nice
pour of sauterne. Timing between courses was perfect, relaxed but not too long. Entrees included a special of pork filet stuffed with spinach and goat cheese and a combination of scallops and shrimp with a delicious array of assorted vegetables each in smaller portions. A shared dessert of a fondant of chocolate mousse, warm chocolate cake and soft frozen white chocolate nougat was a nice ending with the usual complimentary house infused rum cordials. With a glass of Borgone pinot noir, and a additional 20% gratuity total bill was $155. Will note that the check was delivered in a small folder that mentioned service not included. Always thought that it is always included with menu pricing. Whichever a very nice dinning experience.

Auberge was our favorite for years, but we haven't been there for a long time, for whatever reason. The food sounds divine, so we need to get back there, it seems..

However, tipping is certainly up to you, but we never leave 20% on the French side..

One of our favorite for the past 22 years. Has remained good after change of hands. Like Carol we haven't been there for a few years but plan to go next trip 2016.

Your meal sounded delicious; perhaps we'll duplicate it.

Are you talking about L'Auberge Gourmande or another restaurant? If another, where is it?

Thank you for the report. We would love more reviews like yours because we are not familiar with many of the restaurants in Grande Case. It gave us a feel for the place as well as a description of the food and the price.

L'auberge Gourmande was a favorite of ours for many years, until we were also presented with the check rubber-stamped "service not included". You can bet that's not given to French clients. The service is included with the menu price unless the menu specifically states otherwise, and if you find out when the check is delivered, that's just wrong.

I know the whole subject of tipping on the French side comes up from time-to-time and I have been going to SXM for years and yours is the best explanation I've seen, thank you! Having traveled a bit in Europe I know that most countries require servers to be paid a living wage and can understand why the "tip" might be referred to as a service charge....but stamping the check, as you mentioned, is unacceptable and basically taking advantage of Americans who are used to generously tipping servers to make up for their pay levels.

Georgia,

I haven't eaten there and have no dog in the fight. But I was interested after the review by the OP and looked up their site. It seems to be a bit dated as they state 15%.

Where's what is clearly stated on their website in the Dinner Menu page. The two "nots" are confusing.


The menu and prices are subject to change.
The traditional 15% service charge is [color:"red"]not[/color] included in these prices and will [color:"red"]not[/color] be added to your bill. Prices are in Euros.
Pasta and vegetarian dishes are available.

Surprised the statement doesn't appear on the menu.

Two negatives make a positive in the English language. It just means they have not shown it on your bill, but it has been included in the actual price according to French law. They are suggesting if you want to leave something extra,please feel free to do so. Never leave your usual tipping amount unless you have money you want to get rid of as that is DOUBLE tipping and they are DOUBLE dipping!Lots of people get tricked into tipping this way because they purposely try to confuse you!

There never was a traditional 15% service charge on the French side. By law all charges are built into the menu price. It would be the same as if a restaurant put an extra 15% charge for dishes and silverware. Those charges are built into the menu prices just as the tips are.

I simply reported what their website currently has. Check it out:

http://www.laubergegourmande.com/menu.html

I may have misinterpreted it, but if the rubber stamp thing comes at the end, I could see why if what they state is actually true.

I see your point. Can someone who is VERY familiar with this issue comment on the legality of this or the if this is just unethical?

Sounds more unethical than anything else. I am sure the staff loves getting the uninformed traveler that is used to leaving an additional 15 to 20 percent above and beyond what they are already getting in the original price. ANY restaurant on the French side that tries to change the norm are out for themselves...and won't last long when the word gets out. Looking at the ''short'' picture instead of the ''long'' will destroy them sooner than later. Especially in the age of social media.

I can't comment on the legality of it, but it's certainly unethical. And having it on their website doesn't help restaurant guests who haven't looked it up ahead of time.

Why doesn't someone go there grab a menu and ask the owner what the absence of the 15% service means?

First of all, it's not 15% service. It's just that in France, the service is included in the price of the food. Period. And Grand Case is in France. The only exception to that is if it's clearly stated on the menu that service is not included. To tell me that my meal will cost $25, then when the check arrives to say that it's going to cost a percentage more than that, is unethical. And believe me, they don't do that to their French clientele.

Okay then you can ask him why did he bother to put the statement there in the first place if not to confuse people and get them to pay more than they should.

I'm not going to ask him anything. I just don't go there any more. This practice isn't unusual on the French side of the island. Sadly, most American tourists are ignorant of tipping practices abroad, and some restaurants are happy to take advantage of that ignorance.

Kaye:
I'm sorry if you thought my original post was aimed at you. It was aimed at a person who was interested in getting the owner's reason for putting it there and if it seemed bogus, putting him on the spot. If no one wants to fine, but I thought it would put the whole subject to rest as it pertains to those who are curious. As for me my only interest is my innate general curiousness. I have never been there and if I ever do, I will ask him myself.

We had a similar rubber stamp experience at the former Le Frigate in Oyster Pond. There were even hand-drawn exclamation points after it. A young French couple who overheard us questioning it (even though there was a 15% "service" charge also added) told us that the owner only did this to US visitors. Yes, it is unethical and can ruin an otherwise nice dining experience. We never return to places that engage in this practice. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Mad.gif" alt="" />

No apology necessary, January.

Last year at Le Main a la Pate at the Marina Royal, the host said the tip was not included. I questioned him and he said- "oh no, not included". I THOUGHT he was our friend since we were regular customers for the last several years. We usually leave 5-10% on the French side. I guess he wanted more from us Americans. Didn't happen. I don't like being lied too.

Ok now it's all coming back to me now why we hadn't gone there in some time. I believe it started with that pesky 15% then when I "shopped" around using several items found on their menu and those of other restaurants I found L'Auberge to be higher. I thought maybe it was the service but I guess it isn't so I guess I'll NOT be going there next visit to SXM.

What I want to know is if the scallops and shrimp we incorporated in the stuffing of the pork filet of if it was a side dish. Spinach with goat cheese stuffing sounds wonderful - wife wants to try it - does she add the scallops and shrimp to it or not?

And now we get into the difference in terminology between "tip" and "service". The tip in France is a small amount, not 20% as in the US. The word tip translates to pourboire, which means, "for a drink". It's a dollar or two, depending on the amount of the check. We usually leave an additional $5 in cash if the service was great. Your server wasn't lying to you; the "tip" is not included, but the "service" is.

Here we go again

Ok as I understand it, we should think of the service charge at a French side restaurant as what we think is tip in USA then if our waiter is exceptional we leave a little extra "pourboire" to commend his/her service beyond the norm i.e. $1 to $5.

This extra goes right to the server where as the service amount is split among ALL at the restaurant.

You are exactly correct, Ro. Servers in France are paid a living wage, unlike in the US, where servers are paid well below minimum wage and rely on tips to survive.

but what about the scallops and shrimp?

$15an hour in Seattle for servers and they still give you a check with the suggested tip percentages at the bottom. The tip credit states are getting less and less. But seriously, how were the shrimp.

Sorry for the confusion, the shrimp & scallops were not in the pork, but a separate entrée.

With regard to pork tenderloin, I took that section of this thread out and put it in the recipe forum. Hopefully we can breathe some new life there, as it's been dead lately.