Bars: Sublime to Outrageous
Since it's a resort island with more than 400 restaurants and beaches dotting
its entire coast, you'd expect SXM would have a lot of bars -- and you'd be
entirely correct.
They go from the sublime -- the bars at the ultra luxury French Side resort
La Samanna are tops in that category -- to the outrageous.
One outrageous bar is
Sunset Bar & Grill (formerly
Sunset Beach Bar), off Maho beach near the end of the runway at Princess
Juliana International Airport. There, folks walk just a few feet so they're
directly under the glide path of arriving jetliners. How close are jets
overhead? Really, really close:
take a look.
As if that isn't enough, Sunset also gives free drinks to ladies who, uh,
remove their tops; consider yourself warned.
Too tame? Then try the
Soggy Dollar Bar. Originally a yacht crew bar under a tree behind the Palapa
marina on Simpson Bay, Dutch Side, SDB has developed into a real party spot. Why
"soggy"? Well, go one night and park yourself somewhere under one of the
decorative shower-heads. You'll eventually find that they're not just
decorative; they shower people, including (sometimes) strippers and others
visiting after hours from nearby clubs who quickly get rid of their soggy
duds....
Bars: The Nightclub / Party Scene
If you'd rather keep your clothes on, check out one of many bars with lots of
music and dancing.
Bliss at the Caravanserai resort (next to Sunset Bar & Grill) is one of the
most popular;
Tantra, in the Maho area on the Dutch Side, is another popular spot.
Bars: Fun Ones at Restaurants
We'll mention five for now, and we'll add more later:
-
Cheri's Cafe in the Maho area, Dutch Side, does shows nightly
which every SXM tourist should see at least once. We'll leave it at that.
The food is pretty good, too, though not quite gourmet. Fun atmosphere.
- (Note: This regards a bar at the island's most popular naturist
resort...)
Papagayo at
Club Orient has good food and no dress code, which is perfectly
all right since it's at a naturist (clothing optional) resort. Most folks
there wear a bit less than the modest woman below, at right. Good burgers,
lots of other sandwiches. Southern end of Orient Beach, French Side.
- Andy & Cheryl's (formerly "Baywatch") restaurant, on
Orient Beach near Club Orient, serves breakfast and lunch -- heaping
portions of delicious food at very reasonable prices. Highly recommended --
and there's no dress code there either, though almost everyone is dressed.
Jersey
Shore beach bar style; Andy and Cheryl are from the NY/NJ area. No website
yet, but they should have one soon.
- The bar at
Peg Leg Pub and Steakhouse, Princess Port de Plaisance next to
the Casino (off the Union Road between Cole Bay, Dutch Side, and Marigot,
the French Side capital) attracts a young megayacht crew crowd, while the
restaurant -- with great steaks, seafood, and salads at night, and delicious
sandwiches at lunch -- attracts a varied crowd. (The salads -- particularly
the mango and lobster salad -- are big enough for entrees.) Entertainment
some nights. TV so you can catch sports. One of our favorite places.
- Can't list bars without referring to another from our Beach Bars page,
the award-winning
Mr. Busby's Beach Bar at Dawn Beach next to Oyster Bay Beach
Resort. Incredibly scenic spot overlooking the beach at the island of St.
Barths in the distance. Full breakfasts and lunches. Morphs into Daniel's By
the Sea at night, for outstanding authentic Italian fare. Lobster pool for
the freshest Caribbean Lobster.
We'll be adding more bars over time....
Tags:
St. Maarten and St. Martin Bars
