St. John Restaurants, April 2008
Written: Apr 17 '08 (Updated Apr 17 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fresh seafood!
Cons: "ISLAND TIME" means slow service
EXPENSIVE
The Bottom Line: Beautiful scenery, relaxing...EXPENSIVE
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| mrsbobbinsews's Full Review: St. John |
I just returned from a trip to St. John...my first trip...and thought I'd give my thoughts on some of the restaurants we visited while there. My husband and I, along with his parents and sister made up our group.
We stayed in a villa at the Westin and were very happy with the accomodations, although we felt there was a considerable lack of housekeeping, mainly trash collection. It was taken care of quickly if requested, but for a week's stay, I think more than one "tidy" should have been scheduled.
The Westin's Beach Cafe had some surprisingly good daily sandwich specials and yummy sweet potato fries. The service was friendly but slow.
We also ate at the Westin's high-end CHLOE AND BERNARD. While it was very nice, and relaxing, it was not my favorite pick during our stay. The food was nicely presented, but for the price, I think it could have been a little better. The banana "spring rolls" were a terrific dessert.
The much hyped ASOLARE...my in-laws had been here on previous trips and always raved about the wonderful view. Wanting us to experience the same thing, they made reservations well in advance for seating on the patio, at a time when we would witness a beautiful St. John's sunset. When we arrived, we were seated INSIDE with very partial view of the patio. The host could not have cared less when we asked why we weren't seated outside as requested. He offered only that we should have made our reservation for an earlier time...he said everyone wants to sit outside and the only way to get it for sure is to get there at say, 5:30. No one mentioned that when my father in law made the reservation though. WHAT IS THE POINT OF A RESERVATION THEN? He shrugged us off without another thought, much to the disappointment of my inlaws, who knew what a spectacular sight we were missing. The host then did the same thing to the next party that arrived...it's a small place, we couldn't help but overhear. The service was SLOW SLOW SLOW, even considering "island time" which is laid back. BUT THE FOOD WAS FABULOUS if overly expensive. Crispy calimari with a light aioli dipping sauce, a wonderful fish special in a citrus pernod sauce and the best chocolate mousse and creme brulee ever! Honestly though, I prefer to be treated with more consideration and would probably not go back.
ZSO ZSO'S...lovely for sunset dining, friendly service...amazing food! Highly recommended.
PARADISO...our server was fun and friendly...in fact, she was so friendly we thought she was going to sit down and join us a few times...we were one of only 3 tables in the whole place at the time, so maybe she was just bored. The food was delicious...try the lobster ravioli and the for an entree, the stuffed pork loin was wonderful. I had the butter poached lobster which was like a whole lobster tail, sliced and reformed in a sea of bisque like sauce over toasted orzo and roasted haricots verts...mmmmmmm! Get the amazing chocolate chip bread pudding for dessert.
RHUMBLINES...fun, casual, FANTASTIC food and good service...not as slow as some of the other places we went. Arugula based salads were fresh and lightly dressed to perfection. The sesame tuna was SPICY (my husband loved it) and my citrus glazed mahi was terrific. The chocolate layer cake was amazing...half mousse, half cake...all delicious!
THE EQUATOR at Caneel Bay...beautiful and romantic, this upscale restaurant provided decent service and delicious food. The tuna ceviche was fresh and lightly seasoned on a bed of arugula with mango salsa on the side. Several of us ordered the coconut tiger prawn entree and each and every plate was practically licked clean. My husband tried the mango glazed chicken and pronounced it terrific. Desserts sounded better than they were...not that they were bad, but for $12 each, they could have been a little more "special" in my opinion.
MISS LUCY'S...we went there for lunch and had some of their famous crispy fish...a grouper reuben sandwich was my choice and it was sooooooooooo good! Sit outside along the edge of the sea and among the roaming chickens and goats for the true St. John experience. One waitress ran her legs off serving all the tables...but it was worth the wait.
SHIPWRECK LANDING...another terrific lunch spot along the road to the beaches with fresh fish specials all seasoned perfectly and nice friendly service! Cute little sugar birds nestled in the coconut shell feeders in the foliage next to our table!
SKINNY LEGS...BEST blue cheese burger I've ever had. Great little shops to meander through while you wait for your food to be served!
WATERFRONT BISTRO...service could have been more attentive but the view was great and the food was tasty and nicely presented. The white crab gazpacho was garlicky and delicous. Try the dijon potato salad and the sweet potato fries!
THE FISH TRAP...BEWARE...it's being sold and the staff got almost no warning...they aren't happy and the service reflects it. We went here thinking to try a more local, casual place and because we'd heard good things about it. I wouldn't go back. My sister-in-law's mussels were big and chewy (and later resulted in an all night bathroom session for her). We ordered and waited...and waited...and waited...and after an hour a server other than our own came to tell us they were out of the seafood kebabs...my mother-in-law sadly chose something else. We were told our meals would be out in 10 minutes. A half hour later, and several passes by our waiter assuring us the meals were on the way, our dinner's came. Someone's seafood pasta must have been ready as soon as the order was placed because it was dry and clumpy...the crab cakes were almost burnt. My husband and I had the soy and wasabi glazed ahi tuna which was delicious...but by that time none of us really enjoyed our meal and we left very disappointed.
SUNDOG CAFE...Mongoose Junction...fabulous lunch...try the spicy pulled pork sandwich!
BAKED IN THE SUN...The Marketplace, 3rd floor...GREAT coffee, patries and breakfast sandwiches...we never made it back there for lunch but it would probably have been just as good as the breakfast! Sit outside in the courtyard. Nice staff too!
I hope this helps you make some choices about where to eat when you visit St. John!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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Epinions.com ID:
mrsbobbinsews
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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