One thing I’m doing on a trip is EAT! With a recent trip to St. Maarten with no set itinerary, I found myself eating my way around the island. There were lots of options to choose from, so we went with options that appealed to us in that moment. From the restaurants visited, here are my top 3 recommendations on where to eat when travelling to St. Maarten.
1/ Nowhere Special Rum Bar & Waterfront Restaurant
Location: Welfare Road, Simpson Bay – St. Maarten
Instagram: Nowhere Special SXM
This was one of our first stops during the trip. We passed it on the way to the villa and noticed they were having Happy Hour, and who doesn’t love a special? Not only were the drinks half off, but also the appetizers!
On our plates:
- Fried Calamari
- Coconut Shrimp
- Nowhere Special Burger (add cheese and bacon)
We enjoyed the calamari so much, we returned on our final day for another plate. I’m usually not a fan of coconut shrimp, due to the flakes. However, these weren’t bad and the shrimp was JUICY. Paired with the dipping sauce, yum. Wanted something else a little more filling, so I also got the Nowhere Special Burger. Let’s just say it did what it needed to! The fries also reminded me of a restaurant back in Antigua, which I also enjoy. This restaurant is a solid pick for grabbing a bite during happy hour and chilling. P.S. sit at the rear of the restaurant for a better view! We also saw the restaurant come alive later in the night with a live band.
2/ Skip Jack’s Seafood Grill, Bar & Fish Market
Location: Welfare Road, Simpson Bay – St. Maarten
Website
Almost skipped out (haha) on this one because I thought it was a tourist trap. Let’s just say I’m happy we didn’t. During a rum tour, we met some people who were going to dinner here afterwards. Somehow we ended up dining together. I suppose that’s the beauty of travelling, meeting people.
Skip Jack’s is famous on social media where you have the chance to pick out your own lobster. Watching people get excited to do this and also hold their catch for a picture is truly the selling point. What makes it even better, is the food living up to the hype.
On our plates:
- Beer Battered Shrimp
- Shrimp Pasta
- Grilled Salmon
At first I wanted lobster, but I felt it was a bit pricey. The price is based on weight and I couldn’t estimate what an appropriate size would be. Therefore, I had the grilled salmon which came with salad, seasoned rice and two sauces. By now you can also tell I LOVE shrimp. Of course, we tried a shrimp dish for the appetizer. I can’t say the batter had in a heavy amount of beer, but it was still enjoyable. For my main, the sauce for the fish was chef’s kiss. Especially the pineapple salsa. The portion sizes were also good. If you’re not a fan of seafood or allergic, they also have other options available!
3/ Rainbow Cafe
Location: Grand Case, Saint Martin
Instagram: Rainbow Cafe SXM
Now we’re on the French side of the island. This spot was definitely the highlight of our trip where we wish we found it sooner. From the time we entered, I could tell we’re in for a treat. Rainbow Cafe is advertised as a beach club, which sits right on Grand Case beach. If it wasn’t for already checking out of the villa, I would have went for a swim. The beach looked perfect! You can also see Anguilla in the distance.
On our plates:
- Truffle Fries
- Truffle Pizza
- Booba-Gump Sushi Roll (Shrimp and shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, spicy yellowfin tuna, spicy mayonnaise, tenkasu and tobiko)
The star of the show? The pizza! My mouth is watering right now thinking about it. Also considering my previous sushi experience on the island, this was by far the better option. The only thing we didn’t finish were the fries. The food plus the aesthetic made this place 10/10 for me and I’d definitely return for another experience. FYI this was also the pricier option of everywhere we visited and the prices are in Euros).
Other Places We Ate:
- Captain’s Rib Shack (dinner, popular for ribs but didn’t enjoy)
- Sandbar (near maho beach, cute spot, lots of option but wasn’t a fave)
- Reveil Matin (breakfast, pretty standard)
- Chez Fernand (French bakery, lots of treats)
- Captain Frenchy (beach bar, nice chill vibe)
This is barely a tip on the iceberg of food options St. Maarten offers! We also visited these restaurants on a whim so no reservations were made prior. Thankfully, they had availability (I don’t think this was a peak tourist period). However, it’s something to consider while travelling. If you’ve visited, what are some of your favourite spots?
As Told by Ali 
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