Friar’s Bay Beach Cafe

OK y’all… this is our first time here in high season and I grossly underestimated the need for reservations. We have dinner reservations for the remainder of our trip and most beach days covered now, but how do I make a reservation with FBBC (assuming they take them)? I looked for a number to what’s app or an email address and haven’t found anything. Any tips? Thanks.

https://www.st-martin.org/us/restaurant/friars-bay-beach-cafe/


FRIAR’S BAY BEACH CAFÉ
Friar's Bay
Friar's bay
97150, SAINT-MARTIN
+590 690 49 16 87
lolofbbc@gmail.com

Friars doesn't take reservations. Even if you're on their beach, you can't reserve a table for lunch.

Thank you! So I guess the best practice is just to be there ASAP in the morning.

And cash only I believe

Cash only and I’m pretty sure closed Mondays. When you get there and get your chairs you can tell the attendant what time you want lunch. A table will be saved.

Interesting! The last times we were there, we were told we couldn't reserve a table, but the guys may have asked at the bar and not asked The King of the Beach. Good to know, we've always been able to get a table, although we sometimes go up a little earlier than we might want to.

Taraavo, we generally try to get there by 9:30 for a beach day.

Pretty sure the King of the Beach stated to us that they don't reserve, noting we usually go up when we start seeing spots getting taken we have rarely not had a front row table.

FBBC is my favorite of all the beach bars on island, wish they had pads for the chairs but that is about my only wish there. Also, $10 for two chairs and an umbrella if eating lunch there.

Also, don't be intimidated by the big guy and his roughly size 18 boots! Be nice to Laurent and you will find he is a warm hearted really nice person. He took the time once after Irma to show what all they went through and what they were left with in a scrap book folder with lots of pictures. What a mess they had, a pretty much complete rebuild and it was something to see that he and his staff were there doing it. If you are rude to him, good luck.

Soon we will be back, 48 days and counting down!

Thanks everyone for the tips, this is really helpful. We went to FBBC for the first time last year and loved it, but it was not high season. After a near-miss getting chairs on Orient Sunday I’m trying to get the rest of the week figured out today so we get to see our favorite spots. We’ll plan to get to Friars early. Today at Dinghy’s has been thoroughly enjoyable. This stretch of beach was one of our favorites back when we first visited the island and it was El Z. It’s windy as all get out but absolutely beautiful today.

Todd--what is his shirt supposed to mean? Google search comes up with "certainly, indeed, forsooth"????

taraavo--Sunday is a HUGE day for locals on the French side. I'm not sure if you mean you couldn't find any chairs anywhere along Orient, but the crowds are much lighter on days other than Sunday.

We have had the same experience, so we go up early and grab a table.

The King has always been very nice.

Carol, my husband reminded me about the Sunday locals crowds this morning. Makes sense. We also got a much later start than usual but it all worked out yesterday.

taraavo--In the end, you were in SXM, so it's all good!!

We went there once with a French teacher and she would read some of the signs to us, I of course remember about none of it. Most of it was kind of funny flippant.

Todd--Yeah, it's amazing what a small amount of alcohol does to one's memory.

Carol,

Depardieu is a French surname. It's most famously affiliated with the well-known French actor, Gerard Depardieu.

On there website it states this:
Accepted payment methods
Credit cards
Cash

Canuck--I know that. But I really doubt that's why he would have a t-shirt on that says that?

What website are you looking at? I didn't think they had one, not even a FB page. I can state with as close to 100% confidence that they do not take credit cards, that is near 100%, not 100%. But I would bet on it.

Carol, my guess is because Depardieu doesn't conform. I think that is a bit of the FBBC vibe that they do their best to live. The photos I posted were frames of a video of him dancing back towards our table, just showing he does smile and has fun.

Again, my favorite beach bar. Not the least expensive place and not every meal I have had there has been fantastic but never a wasted meal or regret going there.

Todd,
Going to ‘way back when’ - the FBBC has long been our favorite beach bar and beach location. Great staff and have never had less than a very good meal there. I never knew them to accept credit cards and as of our last time there they still didn’t but things change and I guess it’s possible they’ve changed their policies, but seriously, I doubt it.
Hope all is good with you and MJ………

Pat,

Todd is 100% correct on FBBC not accepting credit cards. I just interacted with management this weekend, by email, and they confirmed that that is their policy. They even emphasized it in their email reply by capitalizing "NO CREDIT CARD". Todd is also 100% that they do not have a website or a Facebook page. The page that was referenced, in a prior post, is from st-martin.org and that page does say that they take credit cards and cash. st-martin.org is their Tourist Information Bureau and was created to promote the French side and it's businesses. FBBC did not post that information and isn't responsible for incorrect info posted on that site.

FBBC posting on st-martin.org website - link

I have posted a screen grab of the email between me and FBBC confirming the above.

Speaking of Friars! This popped up, could be 20 years ago - not sure. Before iPhone as this was taken off a computer, lost all those pictures but may have printed somewhere. My camera - yes camera took a bunch in black and white! This was one of them that I may have tried to add color to. Not sure!

Speak of the devil...we walked by today enroute to Happy Bay and the Cafe was closed.....

So a follow up question - how do you drive to that parking lot directly behind FBBC? If they’re closed we might go elsewhere so I’m not interested in the trek back and forth from the front parking lot. Thank you.

The drive from the lot to the west of FBBC is maybe a 2-3 minute walk on the beach. Only issue is the road to that lot is not the best.

We have been able to see from the side near Kali's just by walking down to the beach area, you either see chairs out or not. If you wish to go around you go up and over on the main road and at the bottom of the long hill until you get to Rue Happy Bay, take a left there and take a left at the gate that is almost always closed which is Ru De Friars. Google Maps makes it pretty clear, but note that it is a rough road.

Weird closed on a Thursday. Were the other bars open??? Wonder if they are having water issues in the bay like Grand Case. Or is it just the bad weather and waves???

If you are coming from Grand case heading to Marigot there is a road on the right, past a school basketball court. Go down it and go left. Straight If open takes you to Happy Bay. Go down and you will see a sign for FBBC.

Thanks guys.

The other beach bars were open yesterday in Friars Bay. I can’t say I’ve ever seen as many cars or people at Friars but I usually only come in the off-season. The parking lots that flank the 978 Beach Lounge and Kali’s were packed. We typically don’t got to Friars on the first day but the projected winds at Orient Bay were 24 mph + and that isn’t usually a good time. The surf was rougher than normal but very calm compared to Orient standards. The drizzle let up around 10:30 am and turned out to be a beautiful day.

Coming from Marigot, look for the sign "Paul Emmanuel School of Music" on the left. Take the second left turn after that sign. There's a LED light store right where you turn, and Cool Heure (which should be on your list for lunch) is right next to the light store. If you get to the basketball court, you missed the turn. Once you turn, take the first (and only) left. Stay left; there's another place where if you go straight you end out in a residential area. Staying left isn't even a left turn and my recollection is you have to go over a little curb. It's quite a pot-holey road, but you will end up right behind FBBC.

And . . . if you turn right and go behind Kali's and 978, there's another, smaller parking lot that is pretty close to FBBC. Not at all a long walk.