Ascony & Bart's: Gustavia's Cabinet of Curiosities
Cuban cigars, bespoke polos, aviation antiques and Rothschild champagne under one Harbourfront roof.
Why Go
Half luxury boutique, half champagne bar, half aviation-antique wunderkammer — the math doesn't add up, and that's exactly the point. Ascony & Bart's has been the island's most eccentric address since 2012, tucked into a flagship space on Gustavia's Rue du Bord de Mer where serious collectors and idle browsers get treated with the same disarming warmth.
The Experience
Push open the door on Gustavia's harbour road and you're not really shopping — you're wandering someone's exquisitely obsessive attic. Bespoke polo shirts hang beside vintage propeller blades; hand-stitched Italian loafers share a shelf with backgammon boards inlaid in exotic wood. A walk-in humidor whispers of Cohibas and Montecristos. In the corner sits Ascobar, the island's only spot pouring Barons de Rothschild champagne by the glass — a coup Ascony holds exclusively on Saint Barth. The staff talk to first-timers the way they talk to twenty-year regulars, which is to say: like old friends who've been waiting for you to drop by. Come mid-morning for the calm curation, or return after 4pm when the champagne starts flowing and the store shifts into salon mode.
What to Try
Ask to see the aviation memorabilia — the whimsical antiques (think restored altimeters, propeller art, model seaplanes) are the shop's not-so-secret obsession and its most photographed corner. Order a glass of Barons de Rothschild Blanc de Blancs at Ascobar; it's genuinely not available anywhere else on the island. If you want something to take home that isn't a cigar, commission one of the bespoke polos — cut, colour and monogram to order.
Insider Tip
The shop closes for the classic French midday break (1pm–4pm), so plan around it. The best hour is 5pm: harbour light hits the windows, the champagne bar opens up, and you'll often catch owners or long-time staff pouring tastings for browsers who never intended to buy a bottle and leave with two.
The Practical Stuff
Open daily 10am–1pm and 4pm–8pm. Located on Rue du Bord de Mer, right on Gustavia harbour — walkable from anywhere in town, five minutes on foot from the yacht quay. Phone: +590 590 87 86 20. Prices span from small collectible gifts to five-figure antiques; the champagne bar is a low-commitment way in. Credit cards accepted. Online shop at ascony.net if you fall in love with something after you've flown home.
Pair It With
- Abyss Restaurant Guide — A short walk along the harbour — ideal for a long lunch before the shop reopens at 4pm.
- Absolute Hot Yoga Guide — Burn off the champagne with a morning class in Gustavia, then reward yourself at Ascobar in the late afternoon.
- 6e SENS Massage Wellness Beauty Saint Barth Guide — Pair a treatment with a Rue du Bord de Mer shopping loop for a slow, indulgent Gustavia afternoon.
