Tag Archives: st. maarten dining

Activities, Divi Little Bay, St. Maarten, To Do

Savor the St. Maarten Beach Lunch

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There’s nothing quite like eating lunch on the beaches of St. Maarten. Imagine a juicy, perfectly cooked hamburger and a cold beer or cocktail enjoyed while gazing across the turquoise waters of Little Bay, a fine dusting of sand like powdered sugar still between your toes.  The bright blue lounge chairs and beach umbrellas spread out in front of you as you feel a warm breeze begin to pick up. Gizmo’s Bar & Grill at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort on St. Maarten can give you the beach lunch of your dreams.

Caribbean, Resorts, To Do

Romance Is in the Air at Divi

From all of us at Divi Resorts, we’d like to wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day. If you happen to be celebrating on one of our islands, don’t forget to reserve a table at pureocean Aruba, Windows on Aruba, Mulligan’s Golf Cafe, Bar & Restaurant, pureocean Barbados, pureocean Bonaire or pureocean St. Maarten. All of these restaurants are offering special one-night-only menus in honor of Valentine’s Day. Ask your Front Desk to make a reservation.

If you’re still searching for that truly unforgettable gift, consider a five-night or seven-night romance package at one of our resorts. You’ll receive accommodations in a one-bedroom suite with a great view, daily breakfast for two, a romantic candlelit dinner for two at one of our premium restaurants and welcome turn-down service that typically includes a petal-strewn bed, flickering white bedside candles, a chilled bottle of champagne in a keepsake souvenir wine cooler bag, two souvenir champagne flutes and chocolate or tropical fruits. Romance packages are available on Aruba, Barbados and St. Maarten—take your pick for a week of uncompromising romance. Call 1-800-367-3484 to reserve your dates.

Regardless of where you find yourself this Valentine’s Day, we hope you enjoy your plans! Pasa un bon dia!

Activities, Divi Little Bay, St. Maarten, To Do

A Culinary Road Trip Across St. Maarten

You might visit Antoine Restaurant in downtown Philipsburg, St. Maarten as part of your culinary adventure.

Gourmands often call St. Maarten “the culinary capital of the Caribbean.” French and Dutch influences merge with Caribbean flavor to create a cuisine unlike any other. Chefs and foodies flock to the small island to taste the amazing variety to be had within its 34 square miles.

We sent Kara Phelps, the communications specialist for Divi Resorts, to Divi Little Bay Beach Resort to report back on St. Maarten’s unique food culture. Here’s what she found:

Hi there! St. Maarten is world-famous for its consistently high level of cuisine. Visiting the island without eating your way around it would be a grave mistake, if you ask me. If you have just a few hours to burn—or if you’re looking to add some excitement to a leisurely vacation—I recommend taking a culinary tour with Flavors of St. Martin Food Tours. They’re one of the best ways to experience the full range of what St. Maarten has to offer, since their signature 4.5-hour tour takes you through the French side as well as the Dutch side of the island.

Amsterdam Cheese & Liquor Store

We began our journey at the Amsterdam Cheese & Liquor Store in Philipsburg, a short taxi ride away from Divi Little Bay on the other side of Great Bay. The owners of the shop, two brothers from the Netherlands, treated our small group of five to a tasting of some of their finest cheeses. We sampled Gouda at various ages and paired it with a range of jellies and jams.

Ankie, a tour guide with Flavors of St. Martin Food Tours

Then we piled into an air-conditioned bus with our tour guide, Ankie, an outgoing local with an encyclopedic knowledge of the island and its food. She narrated our entire experience with warmth and a wry sense of humor.

In Philipsburg, we stopped at Antoine Restaurant—notable for being a French restaurant on the Dutch side of the island—and sampled classic French fare like escargots and vichyssoise. Then we walked a short distance to Ma Doudou Rum Shop and tasted St. Maarten’s famous guavaberry liqueur, an island staple. It’s the perfect addition to a sweet cocktail.

The view from Sky’s the Limit in Grand Case, St. Martin. If you look closely, you can see the neighboring island Anguilla.

Soon it was time to get back in the bus and head to the French side of the island. Ankie kept us entertained until we reached Grand Case, a beautiful town on the north shore. (One of the typical stops on the tour, the creperie Paradise View, was closed for the day.) We stopped near the famous “lolos” of Grand Case, a section of small beachfront shacks serving out-of-this-world food. We tasted island barbecue from a lolo called Sky’s the Limit, eating at picnic tables with the smell of smoked meat wafting through the air. For someone like myself with a great love for barbecue, it was a complete delight.

Inside the Carousel Gelateria

Another highlight of the tour was the Carousel Gelateria near Simpson Bay, back on the Dutch side of the island and finishing off the tour. The gelateria offers dozens of flavors of gelato from plain to exotic—including guavaberry. It also has, yes, a fully operational carousel. The owner of the gelateria, Diego from Italy, switched it on and we sat astride the colorful circus horses as we finished our gelato.

If you’re interested in booking this foodie adventure for yourself, it’s easy. Reserve a spot in the next tour online at www.stmartinfoodtours.com or call 855-543-9849 (international callers, dial +52-55-4170-7517). They serve enough food during the tour to make you comfortably full, so it’s not necessary to eat a meal beforehand. They can also accommodate many dietary restrictions with advanced notice. Bon appetit!

Divi Little Bay, St. Maarten, To Do

St. Maarten’s Unique Treasure: the Guavaberry

As travelers like to say everywhere…when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, in St. Maarten, enjoy a hint of guavaberry in your meal, or a splash of guavaberry liqueur in your cocktail. Chances are you won’t taste guavaberry anywhere else in the world. These little wild berries—no relation at all to guava—grow high in the hills in the center of the island. Although they can be found elsewhere in the Caribbean, locals speculate St. Maarten is the only place the guavaberry truly thrives. It’s a central part of local folklore and traditional cuisine. Guavaberry jam and guavaberry liqueur can be found all over the island.

At the Seabreeze Restaurant and Gizmo’s Bar & Grill at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, the bartenders love mixing up cocktails that feature guavaberry liqueur. We recommend the Guavaberry Martini.

Not far from Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, you will find the Sint Maarten Guavaberry Company on Front Street in Philipsburg. Here you can learn everything you’d ever want to know about guavaberry but didn’t know to ask. Guavaberries are rare, have decades of history and are a rather unique species in the plant kingdom. The juice of these precious berries are mixed with rum and sugar and then aged to create the liqueur. In addition to offering a wealth of information on guavaberries, the company also operates a shop, so you can buy a bottle of the liqueur, which means…that when you arrive home, you can still do as the Sint Maarteners do.

Activities, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Caribbean, St. Maarten, To Do

The Best Caribbean Islands for Foodies

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The view from Antoine Restaurant in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, a short distance from Divi Little Bay Beach Resort. Photo credit Kara Phelps.

Culinary travelers, take note! The Caribbean is brimming with stellar cuisine for every palate, but as a foodie destination, it’s too often underrated. This list from the Caribbean Journal names 13 islands that are well worth a place on the international culinary scene. Four of those 13 islands are home to Divi Resorts.

Congratulations to St. Maarten, Barbados, Bonaire and Aruba for their placement on this list! From innovative, upscale dining to casual, authentic street food, we can vouch that you’re never far away from a truly fantastic meal on these islands.

Check out the full list here, courtesy of the Caribbean Journal. (If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, a couple of these islands are an easy day trip away from the first pick on the list, St. Maarten. Bonus!)

Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, St. Maarten, To Do

pureocean Restaurants Open at Two New Destinations

Filet Migon

We have some very appetizing news – our signature brand of restaurants, pureocean beachside dining, has expanded to Bonaire and St. Maarten! We are happy to introduce new pureocean restaurants at Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino and Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, both offering fresh, delicious cuisine in a stunning beachfront setting.

pureocean at Divi Flamingo opened in June, serving buffet-style cuisine under an airy pavilion for breakfast each day and themed dinners three nights per week. Set along the ocean in the former location of the resort’s Calabas restaurant, pureocean has become a fast favorite among guests at Divi Flamingo. Dinner themes include Caribbean BBQ Night, Latin Night and Italian Night, and additional themed nights will be added to the restaurant’s offering in the coming months.

Divi Little Bay’s new pureocean will open its doors on September 26, replacing the former Toucan’s restaurant. The restaurant offers breakfast daily and dinner seven nights per week, with indoor and outdoor seating available for each. The nightly dinner menu features Executive Chef Iwan Hokahin’s famous Italian cuisine with a Caribbean twist, with signature dishes like Lobster Fettucini, Chicken Parmigiana and fresh caught Grilled Mahi Mahi. The dining experience is further enhanced by the restaurant’s romantic setting, with flickering candlelight and stunning ocean views. Like Divi’s other pureocean restaurants, this pureocean also offers themed dinners on select evenings throughout the week, including Lobster Thermidor Night, Caribbean BBQ Night and Prime Rib Night.

We invite you to savor the experience of our signature pureocean restaurants! Visit us on Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire or St. Maarten to enjoy beachside dining at its best.