St. Maarten groceries/must do's
Jan 8th, 2007, 07:30 PM
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St. Maarten groceries/must do's
Hey all,
Well, it is almost time for our trip to St. Maarten. We are so excited!! We will be arriving on January 20th and have rented a house with some friends (on the dutch side). We have a car and have seen some recommendations on beaches to go to and day trips to St. Barth's and Anguilla. Are there any other "most do's" while we are there?
Since we have a house we will be cooking for ourselves. Can anyone recommend a grociery store or butcher shop or seafood shack where we can get good quality food? A friend recommended Le Gran Marche in Philipsburg. Is that the place others would recommend?
Also, is deep fishing good in St. Maarten? Does anyone have a recommendation for a charter? Thanks for the help!
T
Well, it is almost time for our trip to St. Maarten. We are so excited!! We will be arriving on January 20th and have rented a house with some friends (on the dutch side). We have a car and have seen some recommendations on beaches to go to and day trips to St. Barth's and Anguilla. Are there any other "most do's" while we are there?
Since we have a house we will be cooking for ourselves. Can anyone recommend a grociery store or butcher shop or seafood shack where we can get good quality food? A friend recommended Le Gran Marche in Philipsburg. Is that the place others would recommend?
Also, is deep fishing good in St. Maarten? Does anyone have a recommendation for a charter? Thanks for the help!
T
Jan 9th, 2007, 03:42 AM
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yes, Le Grand Marche just outisde Philipsburg is by far the best stocked super market.
If you want really fresh fish you will have to go to the Marigot open air market early in the morning.
for deep sea fishing I would recommend Lee's charter Fishing. his first mate Chi Chi is an excellent fisherman.
http://www.leesfish.com/
Have fun!
If you want really fresh fish you will have to go to the Marigot open air market early in the morning.
for deep sea fishing I would recommend Lee's charter Fishing. his first mate Chi Chi is an excellent fisherman.
http://www.leesfish.com/
Have fun!
Jan 9th, 2007, 05:22 AM
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You can also get some good quailty meats and seafood at Cost-U-Less caddy corner across the street from Le Grand Marche.
Cost-U-Less is St. Maarten's version of Sam's or Costco, but not everything is sold in bulk and you don't have to have a membership or minimum to buy.
I can't recommend a specific charter for fishing, but I do know that Lee's Roadside Grill in Simpson Bay does charters and then cooks your catch at the restaurant for you.
Enjoy your trip, and be sure to be at Sunset Beach Bar at Maho Bay between 2 and 4 p.m. one day to watch the jets land mere yards from you. A rather unique experience.
Cost-U-Less is St. Maarten's version of Sam's or Costco, but not everything is sold in bulk and you don't have to have a membership or minimum to buy.
I can't recommend a specific charter for fishing, but I do know that Lee's Roadside Grill in Simpson Bay does charters and then cooks your catch at the restaurant for you.
Enjoy your trip, and be sure to be at Sunset Beach Bar at Maho Bay between 2 and 4 p.m. one day to watch the jets land mere yards from you. A rather unique experience.
Jan 10th, 2007, 03:17 AM
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the open air market in Marigot sells a variety of Caribbean provisions. they sell fresh fish and also fresh Caribbean vegatables and fruit.
There also are other vendors that sell arts and crafts. Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the biggest days with the largest number of vendors there at that time..
Around the upper part of the market there are various local restaurants. My favorite there is Enoch's...They mostly do lunch.. only a couple of them are open at night.
it is a fun experience... definitely worth a visit.
and right across the street from the lower part is my favorite French bakery, Le Sucriere.
There also are other vendors that sell arts and crafts. Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the biggest days with the largest number of vendors there at that time..
Around the upper part of the market there are various local restaurants. My favorite there is Enoch's...They mostly do lunch.. only a couple of them are open at night.
it is a fun experience... definitely worth a visit.
and right across the street from the lower part is my favorite French bakery, Le Sucriere.
Jan 10th, 2007, 06:10 PM
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Sounds perfect!! What hours do they operate. We arrive on a Saturday and leave on a Saturday. So do they operate other days as well or is Wednesday pretty much our only opportunity for seafood there? If so I know what we are doing Wednesday morning.
T
T
Jan 11th, 2007, 04:26 AM
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you can get fresh fish there every day, but go early... they open from about 7 AM.
Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the biggest days for the arts and crafts vendors but the fish sellers and the fruit and vegetable sellers are there every day.. except Sunday of course.
If you go for fish , I would suggest between 7 and 8... otherwise there is not much left.
the other vendors are there all morning until maybe 12 or 1 PM
Wednesday and Saturday mornings are the biggest days for the arts and crafts vendors but the fish sellers and the fruit and vegetable sellers are there every day.. except Sunday of course.
If you go for fish , I would suggest between 7 and 8... otherwise there is not much left.
the other vendors are there all morning until maybe 12 or 1 PM
Jan 16th, 2007, 08:59 AM
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There's a new Le Grande Marche on Simpson Bay, next to Princess Casino. It's new, it's big, it's well stocked and depending on where you're staying it might be more convenient. Nice fish and meat selection. We're also great fans of US Imports by the bridge in Sandy Grounds - although on the french side and priced in euros, very much worth it if you're looking for amazing pates and cheeses (take advantage of the opportunity to taste lait cru cheeses that you won't find at home)
Musts: Etna ice-cream found in supermarkets, Uncle Harry's lobster dock (next to the airport / don't be mislead by the looks from outside / make reservations if possible, if not I'm sure they'll try to accomodate you), ribs and especially french fries at Rosie's on Mullet bay beach, Talk of the Town or Sky's the Limit lolos in Grand Case (or any classier restaurant there for that matter), sunset watching in Marigot and a pastry at La Sucriere (not cheap but worth it). I think La Sucriere opened another store in Simpson Bay but I missed it when we went - as we stayed on the french side this time, we just drove by SB once or twice at night.
Musts: Etna ice-cream found in supermarkets, Uncle Harry's lobster dock (next to the airport / don't be mislead by the looks from outside / make reservations if possible, if not I'm sure they'll try to accomodate you), ribs and especially french fries at Rosie's on Mullet bay beach, Talk of the Town or Sky's the Limit lolos in Grand Case (or any classier restaurant there for that matter), sunset watching in Marigot and a pastry at La Sucriere (not cheap but worth it). I think La Sucriere opened another store in Simpson Bay but I missed it when we went - as we stayed on the french side this time, we just drove by SB once or twice at night.
