Grand Case, St. Martin: One Street, Most of the Restaurants
A French-side village where dinner is the reason to be there — lolos included.
Why Go
Grand Case is a single street along a beach on the French side, and that street holds more good restaurants than the rest of the island put together. At one end are the dining rooms with white tablecloths and wine lists; at the other are the lolos, open-sided barbecue shacks grilling ribs and chicken over half-drums for a fraction of the price. Both are the real thing and most people who know the island eat at both in the same week. The beach in front is long, calm and quiet, and there is nothing else to do here, which is exactly why people stay.
The Experience
The Boulevard de Grand Case runs parallel to the water with restaurants on both sides, most of them opening onto the sand at the back. It is a village rather than a resort: low buildings, a few small hotels, boutiques between the kitchens, and a pace that only picks up in the evening. The beach is a long shallow arc with almost no swell, which makes it one of the better swimming beaches on the island and a poor one for anyone wanting waves. Petite Plage at the northern end is the smaller, quieter cove next door. Hurricane Irma damaged this street badly in 2017 and the recovery has been gradual and uneven — most of it is back, some of it is not, and you will still see the gaps. In season the street closes to cars on certain evenings and fills with stalls and music.
What to Try
Eat, and eat twice. Bistrot Caraïbes and Le Cottage are the long-standing dining rooms, Spiga handles the Italian end in an old creole house, and Sunset Cafe and La Cantine SXM cover the informal. Then eat at the lolos: Ribs Shack Lolo #6 is the introduction, and the point is that a plate there costs a quarter of what it does fifty metres away and is not worse, just different. Tropics Beach Bar puts you on the sand for the day. In the water, Creole Rock Watersports and Love Watersports run snorkelling out to the rock offshore, which is the best easy snorkel on the French side, and Catamaran Zephyr does the day sail. Tijon Parfumerie is the odd and genuinely good one — you blend your own scent in a workshop on the boulevard. Rainbow Boutique by Rose, Simple Elegance SXM and Peace and Love SXM are the shopping between meals.
Insider Tip
Do the lolos at least once and go early — they fill from about six and the good ones run out of what they have. If you are here in season, check which evenings the boulevard is closed to traffic, because those are the nights the village is at its best and the nights parking is impossible. Book the tablecloth restaurants ahead in high season; there are not many tables on this street and everybody wants one.
The Practical Stuff
Grand Case is about twenty-five minutes from Princess Juliana airport on the Dutch side, crossing an open border with no formalities, and five minutes from the small regional airfield just outside the village. Parking is along the boulevard and in the side streets and is genuinely difficult on busy evenings — arrive early or park at the far end and walk. The street itself is entirely walkable and that is how you use it. This is the French side: the euro is the official currency although US dollars are widely accepted, French is the language with English common in restaurants, and shops keep French hours with a real lunchtime closure. Several restaurants close for part of the autumn. Hurricane season runs roughly June to November, and this coast is exposed enough that the 2017 damage is still visible in places.
Common Questions
Why is Grand Case known for food?
One street holds a concentration of serious restaurants unusual anywhere, alongside the lolos — open-air barbecue shacks grilling over half-drums. The range from tablecloths to plastic chairs within a hundred metres is the point.
What is a lolo?
An open-sided barbecue shack, grilling ribs, chicken and fish over converted drums, served with rice and peas and johnny cakes. They cluster at one end of the Grand Case boulevard and are a fraction of restaurant prices.
Is Grand Case a good place to stay?
Yes if you want a calm beach, the island's best eating on your doorstep and a quiet village. No if you want nightlife, casinos or a resort — those are on the Dutch side at Maho and Simpson Bay.
How far is Grand Case from the airport?
About twenty-five minutes from Princess Juliana on the Dutch side. The border between the two halves of the island is open with no formalities and you will barely notice crossing it.
Is the beach at Grand Case good?
It is long, shallow and calm, which makes it one of the better swimming beaches on the island and a dull one if you want surf. Petite Plage next door is smaller and quieter still.
Where do you park in Grand Case?
Along the boulevard and in the side streets, and it is difficult on busy evenings and impossible when the street closes for an event. Arrive early or park at the far end and walk in.
Pair It With
- Ribs Shack Lolo #6 Guide — The cheap half of Grand Case, and not the lesser half.
- CREOLE ROCK WATERSPORTS Guide — The snorkel offshore, before dinner.
- Tijon Parfumerie Guide — The one thing to do here that is not eating.
