Where to eat in St. Maarten: two nations, the lolos and guavaberry
One island, Dutch and French, with a big reputation for food. The dishes to know and the kitchens to start with. Each with its own contact details.
St. Maarten is one small island split between two nations, Dutch in the south and French in the north, and it eats like it. The French side, around Grand Case, has long called itself the culinary capital of the Caribbean; the Dutch side brings the Caribbean and everything else. You can eat across both in a day.
What to order
In Grand Case, the thing to do is the lolos, the open-air grill shacks lined up along the front, cooking ribs, chicken, grilled fish and johnny cakes at plastic tables. Around them sit the French and Creole bistros. Island-wide, look for callaloo, conch, saltfish and fresh fish, and finish with guavaberry, the local liqueur made from wild berries off the hills, traditional at Christmas and sold year round.
The kitchens
Chesterfield’s Bar & Restaurant
Great Bay Marina, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
L’effet Mer
C&J’s Restaurant
The White House Pizza
Oualichi
Boardwalk, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten
Dragon Gate
La P’Tite Pause
3X4P+GC4, 97150, St Martin
Topper´s By The Sea
Topper's by the sea, Cole Bay, Sint Maarten
Blue Martini
Before you go
The lolos are casual and cash-friendly and fill up at night; the French rooms take booking. The number on each page is the business’s own.
Browse all listings in St. Maarten