Posts Tagged ‘La Cantina’

Why does the staff at St. Barth Properties keep going to St. Barth twice a year?

Tuesday, June 4th, 2019

It’s that time of year. High Season is over, and St. Barth is quieter which means it’s the period when our staff makes one of their bi-annual inspection trips to St Barth. (They will go again in November). They do this because they love to take in the vibe again and to be able to give you the best advice on where to stay when you go. I could call it taking another course in continuing ed.

Today’s Guest Blog in written by bilingual Villa and Hotel Specialist, Anne-Cécile Bedford who has been a member of the St. Barth Properties team since 1999!

Anne-Cécile’s St. Barth May 2019 Trip Report

Traveling to St Barth during the month of May is my favorite time of year. The rush of the high season is over, the weather is beautiful and just right, and the island’s pace slows down a bit, which allows me to visit many properties that are on my radar. As always, flying to Puerto Rico from Boston is an easy 4 hour flight with a smooth connection on Tradewind directly to St Barth from San Juan.

I arrived on St Barth on a late Saturday afternoon and settled down at the 5-star Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, just in time to catch the end of a beautiful sunny day. This elegant and sophisticated hotel sits directly on the beach at Grand Cul de Sac, facing the blue colors of the lagoon. My room, Le Barth Ocean was located on the second level of the hotel, facing both the infinity pool and the ocean with a wonderful terrace to enjoy the view and relax. The room is in perfect harmony with the ocean theme and the decor is stylish and inviting. I enjoyed the complimentary Hermes products and their small welcome gift.

The view from my Le Barth Ocean room at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa was stunning.

Here is the view from my Le Barth Ocean room at night.

On Sunday, I woke up and experienced a fantastic breakfast buffet at the hotel restaurant before relaxing by the pool and taking a dip in the lagoon. Their new beach restaurant Aux Amis Plage, feet in the sand, is a wonderful place to enjoy a tasty lunch while watching a fashion show. I had the Tuna Takaki salad with a detox cocktail for the glow. Their unique new rooftop bar called “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” awaits you with a large list of delicious cocktails. They have a DJ playing from Monday to Sunday starting at 5pm.

Here I am sitting in the “Bird Cage” swing at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa.

I enjoyed the Tuna Takaki salad for lunch at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa.

As a guest of St Barth Properties staying in one of our private villas, you can take advantage of our 5-star perks and privileges at Le Barthélemy hotel when booking a breakfast or lunch. Once you are on the island, contact our local concierge, Aurélie Janvier who will set you up for a unique experience.

On Monday, I said goodbye to Le Barthélemy and moved to a romantic little 1 bedroom, hillside in Colombier called Léana. The views from the villa looking down to Flamands beach are spectacular! The villa has kept the original St Barth architecture and is made up of 3 independent cottages. The first main cottage has a modern kitchen and living room that opens to a terrace facing the view and pool. The bedroom that was just refurbished in a second cottage by the pool opens up to its own private terrace where you can enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning gazing at the pretty view. The third cottage houses a separate bathroom that has a shower with a view! Villa Léana is only a 3 minute drive to the Colombier bakery for morning pastries and coffee. The beaches and shopping are within a 10 minute drive. This is a great spot for honeymooners and for cat lovers. For those looking for a good exercise experience and exploring the island by foot, you can walk from Léana to the Colombier observation point and admire the breathtaking views of the ocean and nearby island. From there, follow the direction to get to Colombier beach and hike down. It is quite steep and challenging on the way back up, so be prepared and bring some water with you. (The other path to Colombier begins after Flamands beach and is less challenging, but still a nice 20 minute hike. You can also go from Gustavia by catamaran, which we can arrange for you.

I loved the view overlooking Flamands Beach from Villa Léana.

My week on St Barth went by pretty quickly as I had many new villas to discover. Some of my favorite were the following:

Villa Del Sogni, a 6 bedroom villa, located directly on the beach of Lorient will sweep you away from the technical world as soon as you enter this property. The name translates to “of dream” and one can really live the dream staying in this private gem, feet in the sand and surrounded by lush tropical foliage. Each bedroom is named after the island beaches and surrounds the pretty pool. There is ample living space and a gazebo and BBQ by the beach. A heated jacuzzi and outdoor showers in the sand are a plus at this bohemian-style villa.

Picture yourself relaxing in the shade, with a cocktail in hand, at Villa Dei Sogni.

Villa Edunia, located hillside in Lurin, is a 4 bedroom villa fully air conditioned, offering splendid views and sunset. It is decorated in a chic, modern style and the heated infinity pool is delightful. This is the perfect place for couples or a family wanting to be close to Gustavia harbor and Gouverneur beach. The villa gets its name from the Brazilian artist Eduardo Kac who had the genius idea to create a flower genetically modified by incorporating his gene to the plant. The Edunia flower shows the artist DNA in the red veins of the flower.

Villa Acai is a fantastic 3 bedroom (2.5 bath) property overlooking the bay of Flamand and its beach. For those looking for proximity to the beach, it is a 5 minute walk down to one of the most beautiful beach on the island (my favorite) and the famous 5-Star Cheval Blanc hotel. The villa is built on 3 levels and is fully air conditioned. The lovely heated pool sits on the lowest level, while the bedrooms are on the middle level and the main living area is on the top level. This property can be rented in combination with villa Camalie next door to make 6 bedrooms total. This is the perfect set up for families or friends traveling together.

Villa Acai – What a view!

Villa Esprit de Roche in Colombier is perfect for those looking for privacy and quietness. The villa is composed of 3 bedrooms housed in separate pavilions with view of the ocean from every room. The pretty pool sits on a lower level with 43 steps from the main level of the villa. Sunset lovers will enjoy this completely renovated property. It is an easy access from the main road and there is ample parking.

Amongst the villas I already knew, but that I needed to see because of renovation or changes, I enjoyed touring Villa Arc en Ciel in Anse des Lézards, Villa K in Anse des Cayes, Villa Kuban in Colombier and, Villa Moulin on St Jean beach.

I loved looking out the living room window at Villa Arc en Ciel.

The path to Anse de Cayes beach and the 5-star Hotel Manapany is just beyond the pool at Villa K.

Villa Lili, located high up in St Jean, was my coup de coeur. You enter the villa thru a wooden door to find yourself by a delightful infinity pool and a gorgeous view! This is the perfect romantic spot for honeymooners. I like the gazebo on the side of the villa to have dinner and the small fitness room below. Villa Bonbonnière in Pt Milou is another sweet honeymoon villa that I highly recommend.

St Barth is also a culinary experience! Amongst the places I ate, I recommend the Pearl Beach hotel’s beach front restaurant; very Romantic for a candlelight dinner by the ocean. Dinners chez Eddy’s are always fantastic, especially when Eddy comes around with a smile and sits with you at the end of dinner for a shot of Rhum.

Eddy’s Ghetto is always a favorite dinner spot; it has such a warm and welcoming ambience.

For a casual night on the harbor, if you are keen on Tapas, the new La Cantina is a fun and loud spot to try small plates of cold cuts. Cheeses and pâtés. This is where I spent an evening with my local team. It was a fun time and good to catch up on our lives outside the office.

I had a fun evening at La Cantina with Lilian, Anne-Laure, Laura and 2 friends of theirs.

Restaurant Bagatelle is always the place to experience a tasteful dinner. They are running a special gastronomic dinner every Tuesday (5 new courses) with wine pairing for 89 euros. A true culinary experience! If you feel like chilling at your villa one night and order pizza, Les Bananiers in Colombier is the place to order. The Italian Pizzaiolo makes the best pizzas on island. I also enjoy casual places for lunch such as JoJo burger, Le Bouchon, La Crêperie and L’Isoletta.

I was fortunate to be on St. Barth when one of my very favorite longtime clients was staying in Villa Nirvana. Here we are dining at Les Bananiers.

It is still time to book your next dream villa on St Barth for the summer. Check our special offers on our web site at https://www.stbarth.com/villas/rental-villas-current-specials-packages. I look forward to helping you find the perfect place.

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Happy New Year! Bonne Année! From Sunny St. Barth!

Friday, January 4th, 2019

Wherever you are, I hope that you enjoyed the holidays. What a difference a year makes. I am happy to report that St Barth is back to its former self! The mega-yachts are back, and our villas are full. The boutiques are full of shoppers and the restaurants are doing so well that they must turn people without reservations away. We had to allow more time to get into Gustavia for dinner because finding a parking space was a real challenge. We did eventually find one every night and happily walked along the harbor to get to the restaurant we had chosen for that particular evening. Smart vacationers used our concierge services to book taxis for them – a very relaxing way to enjoy the evening.

Before the rush, I inspected some of our new villa listings and even stayed in two of them. We decided to try staying in Gustavia. I loved it! I could walk to my offices in 6 minutes flat. We strolled to one of Gustavia’s restaurants almost every night and walked around the harbor for exercise. Suite Paradis is a wonderful 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment located on the inner harbor above La Cantina. It is fully air-conditioned and well-equipped. The master bedroom, on the main floor, has a king bed and large en suite bath. Two more bedrooms are up a flight of stairs and share a bath. We loved sitting on the balcony people-watching, gazing at the boats and enjoying the sunset. It is a great choice for those who like to be “in town.”

View from the balcony at Suite Paradis

We have many requests from people who want to come to St. Barth and insist that they must stay on the beach. Ninety percent of them have never been to St. Barth before, so they need to be educated as to why it is not important to do so. I always sing the praises of exploring the beaches and describe Gouverneur, Saline and Colombier beaches as being unspoiled and beautiful. Staying in the hillsides on this tiny island is the norm and, once they come here, they understand what I meant.

Don’t get me wrong, we do have some lovely villas that are on the beach, or walking distance to the beach, or on the water. We just listed the three Sable d’Or Residences that are situated in a gated area on the Baie de St. Jean and located on the other side of the runway. They are walking distance to St. Jean Beach.

So, here we are staying on the water at Villa Sable d’Or III, where guests can literally jump in for a swim or use the complimentary paddle boards from the front yard! I can see all the way across the Baie as well as the expansive beach from here. Guests can walk along the private road behind the villas and access a private area on St. Beach that is set up with lounge chairs. There is also a private tennis court (rackets and balls are provided) that is lit at night and a walking/jogging trail for guests to use, so, there is no excuse not to use them to stay in shape after dining at all of the fabulous St. Barth restaurants.

Villa Sable d’Or III is located on the Baie de St. Jean

We can listen to the sound of the surf, sit on the terrace and dine outdoors, or sit on the chaise lounges. Other chaises with an umbrella are in our front yard. We can also sit on the lounge chairs on the private balcony off our en suite bedroom that is located upstairs. There is a guest bath on the main level. Villa Sable d’Or I is identical to this one. Villa Sable d’Or II is the same, but there is a second bedroom with en suite bath off the living area.

This year, we decided to skip the New Year’s Eve celebration in Gustavia and opted to dine at the Santa Fe restaurant instead. It was a beautiful evening and the place was full. David had his regular menu available which is very refreshing as most places have a Prix Fixe menu starting at well over 250 euros per person. And, get this, if you wanted to go to Nikki Beach, the prices STARTED at 5000 euros per person! Well, it did include a show with Mariah Carey.

David took this selfie at the Santa Fe New Year’s Eve.

David also had a special holiday menu that included, among other things, dishes with Foie Gras. I always wanted to try the Langouste Thermidor, but I have a small appetite. David chose the smallest one for me and now I am hooked on it. Steve opted for their signature Dover Sole Meunière one of my very favorites. We finished before midnight and headed home. I was surprised and delighted to see a display of fireworks right off our front yard!

The Langouste Thermidor at the Santa Fe was outstanding.

Here is the view of the fireworks from our front yard at Sable d’Or III.

I hope to see you on St. Barth very soon. You will love it.

Sunny regards,

Peg
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Hurricane Irma Update 4

Wednesday, October 25th, 2017

The latest news plus, how do you see photos of St. Barth in real time?

We know many people are confused by some information that has been reported in the media. It is true we were hit by a very powerful storm. Some media have lumped St. Barth together with other islands that had certainly suffered greatly and are not as fortunate to possess the resources for such a rapid recovery like St. Barth. Our hearts go out to our neighbors and we wish them the best in their efforts towards recovery. We know they will all rise up again.

Gustavia 10-12-17

Irma before and after 10-13-17

Below you can see the current list of updated business and restaurant openings as well as airport/ferry information. All of this can be found on our Hurricane Irma update page on which we have posted nearly every day. We invite you take a moment to read this page. Be sure to start from the bottom of the page to see all updates. We think you’ll be impressed with the progress.

Business/Restaurant/Airport/Ferry Info

  • Private Villas:
    • We have assessed all of our properties and are pleased to report that many are ready for their November or December arrivals and most ready for high season. A few may take a bit longer but with 250 beautiful homes in our inventory we have plenty of great choices to offer you.

Villa Royal Palm in Vitet received its first guests October 23, 2017. They are thrilled! Photo taken 10-22 17.

  • Shops & Businesses:
    • The majority of shops in Gustavia and St. Jean are open now or will be re-opening as originally scheduled in October & November.
  • Restaurants:
    • Open now or by the end of November: Bakeries island wide, Le Select, Bar de L’Oubli, Galawa (former Pipiri), 25 Quarter, Le Jardin, Le Vietnam, Island Flavors, Au Regal, Bistro Josephine, Le Bouchon, Les Bananiers, Modjo, Yo Sushi Mania, L’Esprit de Saline, La Langouste, La Cantina, Le Piment, Papas Pizza delivery, Le Rendez-Vous, Eddy’s, Le Tamarin, Black Ginger, François Plantation, L’Isola, L’Isoletta, Orega, Chez Rolande, L’Entracte, Spice of St. Barth, Jo-Jo Burger, Mayas to Go.
    • Opening in December: Mayas, Le Ti St. Barth, La Bagatelle, La Plage, Shellona (former Dð Brazil), La Guérite (former Wall House), Kiki é Mo, Baz-Bar.
  • Airports/Airlines/Ferries:
    • St. Barth Airport: OPEN Re-opened in September and is fully functional.
    • St. Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport: OPEN Re-opened Oct 10 to commercial flights.
    • San Juan Airport: OPEN Tradewind Aviation is currently flying daily flights between St. Barth and San Juan and will maintain a full schedule for the high season.
    • Antigua Airport: OPEN Tradewind Aviation will resume its flights between Antigua and St. Barth and expects to add additional flights for the high season.
    • St. Thomas Airport: OPEN Tradewind Aviation will resume its flights between St. Thomas and St. Barth for the high season.
    • St. Kitts/Nevis Airport: OPEN Tradewind Aviation will resume its flights between St. Kitts/Nevis and St. Barth for the high season.
    • Great Bay Express: Ferry service between St. Martin and St. Barth resumed October 13.
    • Voyager Ferry Service: Ferry service between St. Martin and St. Barth resumed October 13.

The residents of St. Barth have worked hard so that they can welcome you back this season. If you are considering a St. Barth vacation and support our beloved island, everyone there will be happy to see you! I would be delighted to assist you in securing the right accommodations. Some who know St. Barth are saying this could be the perfect year to visit as it may be a bit quieter than recent years, a nice reminder of the St. Barth in simpler times. I look forward to assisting you. Contact me pegwalsh@stbarth.com or our St. Barth Specialists at reservations@stbarth.com, 1-800-421-3396.

Many of you have asked for photos of the island. Everyday it gets greener and greener. For a live update 24/7, check http://www.st-barth.com/livecam5.html. You can follow along to see the improvement right up until your day of travel.

The greening of St. Barth continues…10-22-2017

Post Irma, only 7 weeks later, the palm trees that looked like Q-tips as described by Tom Smyth 2 weeks ago are now coming back with gusto 10-22-2017

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Hurry! It’s the Fourth Annual St. Barth Summer Sessions August 04-15, 2012

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS OUTSTANDING MUSICAL EVENT

If you have not yet been able to attend the St. Barth Summer Sessions (SBSS) there is still time to plan your summer vacation on St. Barts so that you can go to this year’s event. It promises to be sensational. Artists from different places around the globe will be performing at various venues all over the island. Be sure to attend the big concert on the quai Saturday night August 11- It’s Party Time!!

VIEW SCHEDULE

St. Barth Summer Sessions

St. Barth Summer Sessions

Berlin’s JAZZANOVA is the special invited guest this year. Their music is unique, funky and very entertaining. Last year, Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance had us all asking for more as we kept beat to their sound and the Adam Lasher Band was superb. Aberto Pra Balanço is a young artist from Sao Paulo who is certain to get us boogying. Emily Elbert, Eitch, Josh Logan, Ryan Fardy as well as Peter Barbee, a 24 year old Nashville based artist and the very talented DJ Alex Merrell will all be performing for us.

You will be able to enjoy the music at La Plage, The Christopher, Le Sereno, Bonito restaurant, Taïwana Hotel, L’Esprit, the restaurant of Jean-Claude Dufour, Hotel St Barth Isle de France, Hotel Le Village de St Jean, La Cantina, Voyageur Lounge, the Hotel Carl Gustaf, Eddy’s Restaurant and La Route des Boucaniers.
St. Barth RocksThierry de Badereau is the founder of the nonprofit organization St. Barth Rocks that organizes the St. Barth Summer Sessions. Celebrating its fourth anniversary, SBSS was also created by Thierry, the owner of Le Tom Beach Hotel and La Plage restaurant.

St. Barth Properties team and the owner of Villa Enfin are proud and pleased to have been able to donate a villa stay for some of the musicians. They are thrilled to be able to stay at this wonderful villa where they can enjoy a little R&R; they can take a dip in the pool and enjoy the panoramic views and be revitalized to entertain us each evening.

Contact reservations@stbarth.com or call 1-800-421-3396. Mention that you read about the event on Peg’s Blog. If you make a new reservation with dates that fall between August 4 and 15, 2012, we will make it tax free by personally paying the accommodation tax for you! That is a 5% savings.

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Countdown to New Year’s Eve in St. Barts 2011

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

The festivities continued throughout the week. Many shops hosted wonderful cocktail parties throughout Gustavia. After hosting our weekly cocktail party at Bonito restaurant on Tuesday, we continued on to a cocktail reception at the elegant jewelry store, Chopard because I had received a very nice invitation to attend. So many people were there – the Champagne was flowing and yummy hors d’oeuvres were being passed.

Chopard

Chopard

After that we strolled along the harbor and decided to stop in to say Bonsoir to Brice. He used to work at the Tom Beach hotel’s Pink Parrot Bar that is situated in the sand by its La Plage restaurant. Brice recently purchased La Cantina and I wanted to check it out. (That’s part of my job so I can update my “Helpful Hints” which many people refer to as their “bible”). La Cantina is very a popular spot with reasonably priced drinks and tapas. It has a view of the harbor and is a great place if you are into people-watching.

Brice-welcomes-us-at-La-Cantina

Brice welcomes us at La Cantina

The next evening we were invited to attend the Grand Opening of Natalie Clifford’s new contemporary art gallery, Space SBH, which is located in the Carré D’Or shopping area. It was packed and once again the Champagne was flowing. Flute in hand, I walked around and marveled at featured artist Dominique Rousserie’s work.

Peg-with-Natalie-Clifford-at-Space-SBH-art-gallery-(The-map-of-St-Barth-is-behind-us)

Peg with Natalie Clifford at Space SBH art gallery (The map of St Barth is behind us)

Some of his work that is on display through January 14, 2012 features paintings of St Barth which would complement anyone’s décor. I particularly love the one that shows the map of St. Barth.

New Year's Eve 2011 cocktail reception at the Wall House

New Year's Eve 2011 cocktail reception at the Wall House

With New Year’s Eve fast approaching, the island continued to bulge as more people were arriving by plane, ferry or yacht. People just love to be in St. Barth at this time of year. Traditionally Steve and I always go to the Wall House for the evening. Julien Tatin and his father Bernard are such wonderful hosts. We gathered in front of the Wall House Museum for cocktail hour that featured an open bar and a wonderful array of passed hors d’oeuvres. Yachts were berthed in front of us; the atmosphere was perfect. A delicious dinner in the restaurant followed. Courses including foie gras, fish and veal were served. We finished just in time to see the midnight fireworks. Everyone began kissing each other and while shouting Bonne Année! The sky was full of bursts of color and the yachts sounded their horns in approval.

New Year’s Eve in St. Barts at Midnight December 31, 2011

Happy New Year Everyone. I hope to see in St. Barts. When you are ready to make your plans, email reservations@stbarth.com or call 1-800-421-3396.

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