3 Best Restaurants in Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique

Although "le zandoli" is the Creole term for the lowly gecko, there's nothing humble about the culinary presentation or the wildly colorful dining room here, which are as slick as anything you might encounter in Paris. Both the lunch and dinner chefs have worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France. At the start of the meal, an amuse-bouche or two will whet your appetite. The three-course, prix-fixe menu is continually evolving, affected by seasonal market finds and influenced by five continents. Lunch is served from Thursday to Sunday. At night a gourmet tasting menu is available with a supplement for wine pairings. Desserts are exotic.

One can opt for just two courses for a lower price.

You may want to arrive for your dinner reservation early so that you can sit at the bar, which looks like an avant-garde movie set, and have a fanciful, fresh juice cocktail with tiny accoutrements. And in any given month there may be a reception and art exhibition, fashion show, or a gala party.

This award-winning hotel restaurant is not only good but affordable. The menu changes nightly, but many items do find their way back regularly. The most economical choice is usually the menu du jour, a modestly priced prix-fixe of three courses. Among the main courses, housemade prawn ravioli with lemongrass infused vegetable medley never disappoints. Lobster is always available—as a grilled half lobster with an assortment of sauces. Relatively small, but open-air and overlooking the dramatically lit pool, it is best for outside guests to reserve.

You may not expect a golf course to house a great restaurant, but once you're at this terraced, alfresco location, you will find yourself wowed as you look out on acres of rolling greens and the turquoise blue of the Caribbean beyond. The real accomplishment, however, is on the plates. This chef can elevate a torchon de foie gras or red snapper fillet to fine art. And the food is usually light enough to allow room for one of the rich and satisfying desserts. Theme nights, concerts, and musical entertainment are worth experiencing. Frederic Vasson, the main entertainer here, has opened L’Annex in Marin at the new port.