TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Cugini's

Had our 21st Anniversary dinner at Cugini's last night! Great food as usual! Also very good entertainment. We are ready to go back again before we leave.

Glad you enjoyed it. We went there last Thursday night and were not too impressed. Service was awful, food was just ok and they had various items on the menu that were not available because they just reopened. Very disappointed since I had heard good things about it. Not sure if we will try it in April when we are back.

We went last February & we not impressed. The service was terrible unless you were friends of the owner. The food mediocre. With so many other good Italian restaurants we won't be back.

Totally agree. We sat at a table that was sticky and could ruin an appetite. Couldn't figure out what the fuss was about….

That is unfortunate. we have eaten there several times without any of the problems people have stated?????? That is the good thing about this board,we can share our own experiences good and bad.

Toronto..I totally agree with you. Have eaten there several times as well, with great service and great food. Just left the island a few days before their reopening. Is Gloria still waitressing there ?

The Cuginis restaurant, when in Marigot, was much smaller. Sam could work in the kitchen and still be the charismatic person to all that came in. He could definitely dictate what you ordered, and say don't pay for it if you don't like it. Finally moved over to the dutch side in a much bigger restaurant, and of course he had larger groups of people coming in to see him, and that dictates a lot of time and effort to service those big groups. He is a perfectionist, was still working in the kitchen and showing people the wine collection, and didn't like the lack of service some tables had due to that. Sam is in Canada getting medical attention, I hope he comes back, literally, to the full life he had here. I am glad the restaurant reopened, I am sure it will have some glitches, working with some newer staff. I will add that we were there as a table for two, have known Sam for many years, but also just threw a friendly "hello" and would have ordered our food when those big groups are present, but it's not the same as the charismatic person at your table. Also in Marigot he was opened for lunch, we would do a big lunch group about 1:30 and that's how we got to know Sam and we had some fantastic times there. Now they are only opened evenings on the Dutch side. That makes a difference too in that people that come to see him were only able to do the dinner reservations.

Yes, with Sam not there, Not sure the restaurant will be the same... He has been ill, and needs to stay in Canada for who knows how long... Nothing like having the boss run a restaurant to oversee all... Hope he can return, but who knows if he can endure that lifestyle again... Time will tell