St. Maarten Cruise Port Things to Do For Foodies
(picture courtesy of Gizmo’s Bar & Gril)
St. Maarten allegedly holds the world record of restaurants per square mile. As culinary capital of the Caribbean, experiencing a sumptuous lunch is one of the best things to do in St. Maarten Cruise Port. As with the islands beaches, all St. Maarten restaurants are within reach within half an hour. Depending on your preferred cuisine, here are some tips for food lovers to make the most of your stay in this Caribbean food paradise.
Try the local Caribbean tastes
Ital Shack provides a deep dive into the Rastafarian Ital kitchen. No menu is announced up front; you need to indulge and experience to find out todays special. Make sure to make a reservation in advance. Monumental Emilios serves high end, Caribbean inspired menus in a historic plantation house below the zipline. St. Maartens largest Rum distillery Toppers provides tours and insights in the history and composition of this most famous of Caribbean beverages.
Craft Beer Central for Cruises
With three breweries, St. Maarten might also hold not just the record of restaurants, but also breweries per square mile. Craft beer fans can not just taste delicious local hop produce all over island, but also enjoy guided tours to their sources. SXM Beer and Pelikaan Brewery have their breweries in the Cole Bay area. Caribbean Brewery has its brewery in the Pointe Blanche areas. All offer organized tours to visit and learn from the craft beer brewing process. And clearly, experience some St. Maarten tastes while doing so. Cole Bay can be reached with the Philipsburg to Marigot Bus or with an $18 taxi fare per person ($8 with three to five people).
A Taste of Asia in the Caribbean
With large and diverse minorities of Asian descent, eastern ethnic cuisines hold an important position in the Caribbean. Aziana in the Philipsburg marina offers an Asian fusion cuisine built on Indonesian and Japanese delicacies. The Simpson Bay area has an Indian cuisine specialist with Jai’s Restaurant, as does Maho with Spices of India. Mr Chow next door is inspired by Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean culinary art.
Mediterranean Dishes on a Caribbean cruise
Quality samplings of Mediterranean cuisines are also on offer on St. Maarten. Maho’s Roma offers Italian tastes. Beirut and Al Pasha provide menus inspired by Lebanese cuisine and other Mediterranean culinary havens.
European Cuisines
Clearly, the French cuisine is well represented on St. Maarten / St. Martin. Ocean Lounge by Holland House offers an eclectic European menu with both a touch of Dutch and a feel of France. For those in for a surprising Austrian treat, try Philipsburgs Schnitzelhouse on Front street. French side Grand Case is also a famous foodie district. Holland House and Schnitzelhouse are in walking distance of the cruise port; a taxi to Grand Case would cost approximately $30.
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