BRIEF:
GO
CLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT:ONNEVANDERWAL; COURTESYTOMBEACHHOTEL; COURTESYHOTELCARLGUSTAF;
COURTESYTOMBEACHHOTEL; COURTESYEDENROCK -ST. BARTHS
CLOCKWISEFROMLEFT:
TheEden
RockHotel, in front of theTomBeach
Hotel andVictoria’sRestaurant
AWeekendin:
St.Barts
Soleil
worshipper?Youdon’t
have to jet across thepond this
winter forFrench immersion.
Instead,
HOPACARIBBEAN-
BOUNDFLIGHT
toSt. Barts in
theFrenchWest Indies.
P
ERFECTLYDESIGNEDFORa longweek-
end getaway, the 8-square-mile island
of St. Barthélemy isoff thebeatenpath
(the cruise ships don’t dock there) and refresh-
inglydevoidof large resorthotels (thanks toa law
that prohibits buildings from being taller
than two stories), only serving toadd
to theallureof this tropical island’s
intimate and pedestrian-friendly
atmosphere. “It’s totally French.
It feels like it was transplanted
froma small village inProvence,”
says Stiles Bennet, president of
WIMCOVillas,whichpublishes the
Vendome Guide to St. Barthélemy
.
Here are our picks for the best the is-
landhas tooffer.
EAT
Celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
hookedupwithEdenRockHotel’s
On theRocks
(fine dining served on a rock that juts out onto
St. Jean Bay) and
SandBar
(offering a casual
lunchmenu) in late November to redesign the
menus. No stranger toSt. Barts, thechef, born in
Alsace, France, also keeps a house on the island.
FORCONTACT INFORMATION
onalloftheplacesmentionedinthis
story,visitAA.com/americanway
For dinner at On the Rocks, St. Barts lobster is
servedwith basil, lemon and Asian coleslaw, or
folded into lobster tacos; there are plenty of
Asiannoodledishes, too, and signature cocktails
aplenty.
Victoria’sRestaurant
, tucked intoHotel
Carl Gustaf, offersanew twistonanoldconcept:
“mystery” prix fixemenus that are of the chef’s
design. And for late-night snacks,
B4 Lounge
,
inside an adorable Creole clapboard cottage in
the heart of the island’s capital city of Gustavia,
serves tapas and French-cheese plates (locals
love the to-gopizzas).
SLEEP
If you’ve got cash to burn, inquire about
EdenRockHotel
’s newVilla Rockstar,
which hosts a private recording stu-
dioandabar stockedwith40whis-
keys. Or, book a private painting
lesson with the hotel’s artist-in-
residence (the hotel also has a
full-blowncontemporary-artgal-
lery). Freshoffa2009 renovation,
the 12-room
TomBeachHotel
on St. Jean Beach also dabbles in
art with a new art gallery that show-
cases fine art against stark-white walls. Its
restaurant,
LaPlage
(French for “the beach”), is
apersonal favoriteof celebritychef ToddEnglish.
SHOP
Gustavia is home tomany high-end,
mag-
nifique
boutiques. Pickupabeach-chic tunicor a
silksundressat
LolitaJaca
, scanthe indie-designer
apparel at Toulouse,
France-based
Kristina
Popovitch
, scoop up duty-free accessories from
French luxury-fashion houses like
Hermès
and
Louis Vuitton
, or browse photography books
(somerareandsigned)at
ClicBookstore&Gallery
,
which is runbyChristianeCelle, the founderof the
CalypsoSt. Barth’s fashion label.
SPA/SPORT
HotelLeChristopher
inPointeMilou
rolledout itsbrand-newspa just in time forwinter;
15differentmassagesareon themenu, including
Lomi Lomi,AyurvedicandBalinese.Anothermust-
stop forspadevotees is the
HotelSaint-Barth Isle
deFrance
, on the island’s northwest side. Its Cit-
rusDrenchbody treatmenthelpsheal sundamage
(anunfortunatecasualtyofCaribbeanvacations),
and there’s also a gazebo for massages en plain
air (bookearly, though).While surfingconditions
are right on only some beaches, windsurfing is
king at Grand Cul de Sac beach on the island’s
eastern side.
WindWave Power
, on the beach
near St. BarthBeachHotel, rents equipment and
offers lessons. At the same beach,
7eCiel
runs
kite-surfing courses, equipment included.
28
FEBRUARY 01, 2012
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
