Le Petitbonum

Le Petitbonum Review

Billed as an artisan restaurant, it's a marriage of French island funkiness and Miami's South Beach. It's a one-of-a-kind in Martinique (if you don't count its sister restaurant in Fort-de-France). So is charismatic owner Guy Ferdinand, a tall Martinican with curly, blond-streaked hair who has made this a destination restaurant in the north coast's tiny town of Carbet. Smack on the beach, it's an ideal stopover if you're visiting nearby St-Pierre. Remember to wear your swimsuit. Kick off your shoes and order a perfect mojito. You can lounge on coral rubber chaises, shaded by umbrellas, and be sprayed intermittently with a gentle, cool mist. (Guy first experienced this in South Beach.) The appetizers—escargots, foie gras with a pear-and-banana chutney—are decadently rich for a feet-in-the-sand restaurant. For mains there is fresh tuna with a soy-sesame sauce; the signature dish is jumbo crayfish in a vanilla cream sauce flambeed with rhum vieux. Desserts such as the pineapple crumble, tiramisu, or chocolate cake are special. Guy will quote you a special price if you want a three-course prix-fixe. Local bands play on Saturday night, and DJs spin for the Sunday afternoon beach party.