Le Gaïac

Le Gaïac Review

Chef Stéphane Mazières is the only person in the Caribbean to share the Grand Chef designation of the Relais & Châteaux organization with the likes of Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller. The new management of Hôtel Le Toiny (which includes Francophile Lance Armstrong) has fine-tuned the dramatic, tasteful, cliff-side dining porch to showcase his gastronomic art, and this is one dinner that you won't want to miss. Less stuffy than you might remember from seasons past, the food is notable for its innovation and extraordinary presentation, and the warm but consummately professional service, overseen by maître d' Philippe Casadumont, sets a glorious standard. Rare ingredients and unique preparations delight, gossamer sheets of beet encase tuna tartare "cannelloni"; veal is spiked with truffles and salt-roasted with purple artichokes; date fritters garnish rosy slices of lamb from the Pyrenees. A greenhouse has even been installed on this former pineapple field to grow organic produce for the restaurant. The menu changes frequently, evolving and refining ideas. On Tuesday's special Fish Market Night, you choose your own fish to be grilled; there's a €43 buffet brunch on Sunday. This is one restaurant that is a true hedonistic experience, but you're on vacation, after all.