Grand Dining in Grand Case

For more than 200 years, Grand Case was a sleepy fishing village with two perfect plages, or beaches, and a crystal clear salt pond that turned red when the salt was ready to harvest. Nearly 30 years ago, the first gourmet restaurant opened and Grand Case inaugurated a new era and earned a new nickname: the Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean.

Today you can stroll down the Boulevard de Grand Case, past beautifully decorated dining rooms and seaside terraces and read the nightly specials on blackboards in that unique French script. The village is home to more than two dozen fine restaurants that are on a par with their best counterparts in France.

The wine tradition in the village is renowned, and each sommelier and restaurateur searches France, California and Italy for the finest wines available. In the village, you can savor hard-to-find wines from regions in France and vintage champagnes supplied by Vinissimo, Caribbean Liquors and Tobacco and Grand Vins de France. The thoughtful wine lists, along with the selection and array of wines — especially by the glass — are outstanding.

The restaurants, hotels and businesses in the village have joined together to put on a Tuesday night festival during the season known as Harmony Nights. Reminiscent of the endless summer nights in the South of France, Harmony Nights in Grand Case combine gourmet dining and wine tasting with art galleries, live music and island artisans selling their wares on the sidewalks. The main boulevard of Grand Case is turned into an open-air festival with street entertainers, and the barbeque masters at the lolo's, the barbecue shacks on the square, fill the air with tantalizing aromas.

"This is a time when Grand Case lets her hair down and changes her image," says José Manrique, secretary of ARCHA, the Association of Restaurants, Businesses, Hotels and Friends of the Village of Grand Case and owner of Le Tastevin, a gourmet French seaside restaurant on the city's main boulevard.

The atmosphere is unique as tourists, residents and locals mingle together under the star-studded sky for a special French-flavored Caribbean experience. "It's all there, every experience you can imagine," said Manrique. "You haven't truly visited the island until you experience Harmony Nights in Grand Case."

"It is an amazing sight to see people from all walks of life enjoying the music, the artwork and atmosphere, " said Dimitri Likissas, a contemporary painter who has a gallery featuring pop art. "The rhythm fills the air and the excitement is palpable. It is just the way it's supposed to be."

First time visitors to Grand Case will discover that it truly lives up to its culinary legacy. People don't just come on vacation here: Many come for a week of shameless food orgies, enjoying their gastronomic obsessions in a different setting every night. And the best part of it all? The restaurants are all within easy walking distance of each other.

Located in the heart of Grand Case, Bistrot Caraïbes offers a cozy and charming ambience in which to dine on French-Caribbean cuisine prepared by brothers Thibault and Amaury Meziere. For starters, try the house specialty of homemade smoked Norwegian salmon, the eggplant "Bavarois" with crab, crispy vegetables and basil sauce, or the hot goat cheese in a pastry crust with smoked duck breast. Afterwards, you can graduate to a number of entrees, including braised red snapper with vegetables in a creamy mussel sauce with saffron; veal scaloppini roasted and gratinéed with blue cheese; or stuffed chicken breast with mushrooms and creamy mushroom risotto. The Mezieres frequently offer specials as well, such as sautéed snails and mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce and duck risotto. The dessert selection here includes such yummy confections as homemade ice cream nougat with raspberry sauce and fresh fruit, and hot chocolate cake with hazelnut ice cream and coffee sauce. Bistrot Caraïbes also boasts a fantastic wine list.

If you and your dining partner can't agree on a particular cuisine, then head to the California restaurant on the Boulevard de Grand Case, which offers both French and Italian foods ranging from pizza and pasta to fresh seafood and a huge variety of meats. For an appetizer, start off with an artichoke topped with goat cheese gratin, the exotic lobster salad or escargots in garlic butter. California's entree choices include stewed chicken in coconut milk and curry, a mahi-mahi fillet in mango and ginger sauce, and rack of lamb topped with goat cheese gratin. There's a great wine list here, and California's dessert crepes topped with ice cream are legendary.

A Grand Case institution, Le Fish Pot is famous for its fantastic seafood and gorgeous view overlooking the beach and the nearby island of Anguilla. For an appetizer, you can choose from a lengthy list including homemade foie gras and savory fish soup. Here diners can choose their own live lobster from the tank, or order such delicacies as red snapper cooked in a citrus sauce, salmon with white rice and legumes, or a shrimp bouillabaisse. There's an ample wine list here, and for dessert, your may have a hard time choosing between the tiramisu, profiterolles or the Grand Marnier soufflé with chocolate sauce (a little bit of chocolate heaven!).

Overlooking Grand Case Bay, Il Nettuno serves up the best in Italian cuisine and seafoods on a beautiful open-air terrace. The list of hot appetizers here is tantalizing, including sautéed shrimp with polenta on a bed of radicchio, olive oil and garlic sauce; snails and mushrooms sautéed in a spicy sauce; and grilled Portobello mushrooms served over fresh spinach in a balsamic vinegar sauce. There is also a large variety of cold appetizers, salads and soups from which to choose. Once you've worked up an appetite, the entree choices range from several pastas to sautéed fresh grouper prepared with a pistachio crust, grilled Angus beef in a three peppercorn sauce and veal scallops with mushrooms and artichoke hearts. The homemade dessert list is extensive, boasting such delights as a lemon tart with meringue and strawberry sauce, white chocolate mousse with triple sec and, of course, tiramisu. There's also a great wine list featuring the best from Italy and France. Patrons here enjoy the soothing rhythms of live guitar music while dining.

Serving food with a Caribbean-French twist and a few other influences thrown in for good measure, L'Alabama has been delighting diners in Grand Case for more than 15 years. Here the chef has fine-tuned the craft of pairing sweet with sour and raw with cooked elements to create a tantalizing and unique cuisine. The Hors d'Oeuvres selection here is broad, with such delicious choices as tuna tartare with guacamole and celery chips, a prosciutto roll stuffed with ricotta cheese, cantaloupe melon and port wine caramel sauce, and sea scallops in a walnut coating with pineapple and sweet potatoes (incredible!). For a refreshing change on a hot day, try the cold tomato soup with feta cheese and avocado, or the warm goat cheese salad with honey and walnuts. L'Alabama's entrees include a lamb tenderloin grilled on a lemongrass kebab accompanied by pineapple chutney; pork tenderloin roasted with cinnamon, sweet and sour sauce of caramelized apple; and a Chilean sea bass with lobster soufflé. You may find it hard to decide between so many great desserts, but be sure and try either the apple and raspberry crumble topped with vanilla ice cream or the rice pudding with coconut milk, in crispy dark chocolate napoleon. The restaurants sommelier, Pascal, will help guide your choice from the lengthy wine list.

Located in the center of the city's restaurant row, L'Auberge Gourmande is housed in one of the island's oldest Creole homes and offers fine French cuisine. To start off, diners here can choose from a variety of soups, salads and appetizers, such as cream of asparagus soup with grilled scallops, sautéed shrimp and pineapple served in a crispy basket with mesclun salad and mango vinaigrette or duck liver from the Landes region pan sautéed with caramelized pears in a Sauternes wine sauce. Now that's a difficult choice! Entree selections include a variety of seafoods (French sea bass grilled with fennel on a bed of roasted vegetables, Cajun spiced tuna served with crab risotto and whole grilled sole in almond butter "meunier") and several meat options (tenderloin of duck breast roasted and served on a bed of flamed pineapple; roasted rack of lamb rubbed in a garlic herb paste; and pork filet mignon stuffed with walnuts and apricots, to name just a few). The house specials include a tuna and scallop tartare with grapefruit slices; beef tenderloin with a porcini and risotto with girolles; and a saddle of rabbit with fried polenta. The dessert choice here may be hard, but we recommend the puff pastry napoleon with light hazelnut cream and white chocolate sauce, or for something lighter, the vanilla crème brûlée flambéed with banana liquor. L'Auberge Gourmande also features a well-stocked wine cellar offering a wide range and depth of vintages at reasonable prices.

Boasting a spectacular view of Créole Rock, L'Escapade offers both fine French food and meticulous service. Owner Gerald Romani's staff has developed interesting and exotic ways to highlight traditional foods, such as monkfish medallions cooked with passion fruit sauce and quinoa. For starters, consider the puff pastry of shrimp and sea scallops in lobster butter sauce; sautéed foie gras, chestnuts and ginger bread; or the shrimp and mussel risotto in seafood sauce with Parmesan cheese. L'Escapade's entrees include a red snapper filet in vanilla sauce, pork filet mignon with crayfish and risotto, and a duck breast cooked in a red wine sauce with grapes. To finish off, choose either the bananas flambéed with rum accompanied with coconut biscuits or the homemade vanilla crème brûlée with red fruits. There's also a long and reasonably priced wine list.

The bright colors of the chairs and table linens and the enchanting open-air terrace make Le Cottage a perfect spot for a lazy afternoon lunch or romantic dinner. Chef Christophe's creative use of island spices puts a particular Caribbean twist on traditional French fare. Appetizer choices here include veal sweetbreads and smoked duck cooked in braised cabbage, carrots, and honey; lobster ravioli with an infusion of ginger and basil; and sautéed frog legs flavored in a light garlic and parsley sauce. There's a great selection of cold appetizers and soups as well. Le Cottage's main courses range from its famous duck plate (liver, leg, gizzard, and breast) with braised endive to Dover sole breaded with sesame and sautéed beef tenderloin with wild oyster mushrooms. There's also a separate foie gras menu and several vegetarian choices. For a real treat, consider the special four-course lobster dinner: a warm lobster velouté (soup), poached lobster raviolis, a fresh lobster from the tank and ending with an exotic fresh fruit soup and passion fruit sorbet. Some of the most interesting desserts are the crystallized eggplant, anise cream and basil sorbet and the Grand-Marnier soufflé with orange sorbet. Le Cottage boasts the largest selection of wines available by the glass in Grand Case and one of the most extensive wine lists on the island.

Housed in a brightly painted 1886 Creole house, Le Pressoir serves up a savory combination of both old and new French cuisine that's as much a delight to the eyes as it is to the taste buds. After beginning with the sliced foie gras terrine, you'll need to decide between such delectable entrees as sliced smoked salmon with rosemary and pepper, sea scallops with mango, a snapper filet cooked in vanilla sauce and roasted lamb seasoned with sweet clove and garlic. For a true taste of the chef's talents, try Le Pressoir's signature dish: a seafood stew cooked with beurre blanc. Desserts here offer two delights for chocolate lovers: An exquisite chocolate cake with a soft chocolate center and a mousse made of chocolate and passion fruit.

Known for its attentive and discreet service and gorgeous sunset views, Le Tastevin offers French cuisine seasoned with the flavors of the Caribbean. Owners Christine and José Manrique have compiled a fantastic menu offering dozens of choices, in addition to a great wine list. Le Tastevin is open for both lunch and dinner, and for a happy ending after each meal, guests are offered a complimentary "Passion Potion" liquor with a unique banana flavor.

At Le Ti Coin Creole, Chef Carl Phillips uses quality ingredients and spices — not heat — to bring out the Caribbean Creole in his exquisitely prepared dishes, such as his lobster bisque and conch and dumplings. For those who prefer a little more spice, Chef Carl makes his own hot sauce, a truly unique treat. Diners can choose from other entrees such as fresh whole snapper (roasted or grilled curry goat or shrimp scampi. The rice dishes here change according to his moods, varying from simple Caribbean rice and peas to the more exotic vanilla-infused rice. You'll find an adequate wine list here, a good variety of after dinner liqueurs and some of the coldest Beck's beer on the island. Chef Carl's colorful place is easy to find, located right on the main street of Grand Case.

For more than 24 years, the Rainbow Cafe has been delighting diners in Grand Case with its Caribbean-French fusion cuisine. Located at the end of restaurant row on the Marigot side of town, this dinner-only locale serves up a wide variety of appetizers, such as linguini with fresh tomato concassé seasoned with garlic and pesto, almond crusted shrimps with marinated "crudités" and Thai sauce and chilled garden-fresh gazpacho soup with garlic croutons. For a main course, you can choose from a variety of seafoods such as the red snapper in a Parmesan onion crust with tomato vinaigrette, West Indian bouillabaisse with shellfish and the Atlantic salmon and fresh spinach in puff pastry. The meat entrees include a crispy roast duckling, lamb chops and a veal picatta. There's an ample selection of wines from which to choose, and the choice for your grand finale will be tough here: Shall it be the Tarte Tatin (Warm apple tart topped with vanilla ice cream or fresh cream), the white chocolate Grand Marnier bread pudding with red berry coulis or the profiterolles (Pastry shells filled with vanilla ice cream, roasted almonds and chocolate sauce)?

Who says you can't have your beach and eat well too? Operated by the same owners as L'Auberge Gourmande in Grand Case and Le Montmartre at the Atlantis Casino in Cupecoy, the Sunset Café adjacent to the Grand Case Beach Club boasts a commanding view of Petite Plage, a tranquil, crescent-shaped beach that's perfect for leaving the children below while you dine on a variety of French delicacies. In fact, the ambience here is so relaxed during the day that you can literally walk off the beach in your bathing suit and savor such dishes as the lamb filet en croute (wrapped in phyllo pastry and roasted on a bed of mushroom stuffing), veal fillet with pineapple and duck breast on "brochette" with romarin. You'll never go wrong with the Chilean sea bass with almonds either, broiled and served in a rich Provencal butter sauce and accompanied by a variety of vegetables topped with creamy sauces. Appetizers here include smoked salmon and shrimp vol-au-vent (stuffed in phyllo pastry and simmered in a white sauce), fois gras with cherries, and battered and fried escargots served in a rich sauce of Roquefort dressing, sweet peppers and cream. For dessert, you can choose from such treats as hot apple and calvados flamed crème brûlèe, caprice of milk, and baked Alaska. The Sunset Café offers a more-than-ample wine list, in addition to a unique homemade rum made with passion fruit. At night, the atmosphere becomes slightly more formal with tablecloths and candles, and several spotlights are trained on the crystalline waters so guests can marvel at the tropical fish swimming below.

Just up the road and around the corner from the Sunset Café, you'll find a charming bit of Italy in Spiga, which serves the island's most cutting-edge Italian cuisine. Housed in an adorable 1914 Creole cottage, Spiga offers an exquisite respite in traditional-French-cuisine Grand Case. Now entering their third year, owners Ciro Russo and Lara Bergamasco are proud of successfully deviating from the Italian norm. "Everything with this restaurant, we've tried to do differently," Lara explains. "We wanted to escape from the traditional idea of Italian." And escaped they have. You won't find spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, but you will find spaghettini: homemade spinach spaghettini topped with whole scallops, black olives, capers and caponata and tossed with a tomato and basil sauce. Mama mia, that's Italiano! To experience one of Ciro's unique appetizers, order "Spigas Beef Carpaccio": thin slices of rare beef tenderloin seasoned with white truffle oil and topped with Arugula salad and Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings. Or if you prefer, start out with the incredible grilled shrimp and scallops wrapped in San Daniele prosciutto, which come sitting atop a salad of sun-dried tomatoes and dressed with a black olive and caper tapenade. Squisito! Spiga's menu features a number of delicious entrees, but the fillet of beef tenderloin is highly recommended here. Ciro prepares the U.S.D.A. certified cut in a Gorgonzola sauce and serves it on a bed of the most delicious porcini mushroom risotto you'll ever sink your teeth into. After all this, you may prefer to opt for a steaming cup of cappuccino and something light for desert, such as the passion fruit parfait topped with raspberry sauce. Spiga's wine list features only the best of Italy, and there's nothing better than a limonchello liqueur to cleanse the palate after dinner.

You'll just have to ditch the diet and enjoy more than three meals a day while in St. Maarten/St. Martin. Check out our Dining Guide to plan ahead and get the full details and contact information for reservations for the islands great restaurants!