The Old Gin House
Statia's most storied table, right on Oranjebaai
Why Go
Set in a lovingly restored 18th-century cotton-gin building on the Oranjestad waterfront, The Old Gin House is where Statia's tiny food scene puts on its dressiest smile — coral-stone walls, warm lamp light, and the Caribbean lapping just beyond the terrace.
The Experience
Dining here has two moods and both are lovely. Lunch on the ocean-view terrace is barefoot-Caribbean casual: fishing boats bobbing offshore, the occasional freighter rumbling toward the pier, and a menu heavy on burgers, salads, and the day's fresh catch. Dinner shifts up a notch — a shorter chef's card of Continental-meets-Caribbean plates, wine by candlelight, and the pool garden glowing behind you. It's the one restaurant on Statia where locals bring visiting family for a proper occasion, and where divers wander over in flip-flops after a sundown ascent from the reef out front.
What to Try
The fresh catch of the day (usually wahoo, mahi, or snapper landed at the pier that morning) is the safe bet — simply grilled with lime and a side of rice and peas. If Statian goat stew is on the specials board, that's the deeply local order. Finish with a rum flight from the bar; the bartender will happily walk you through the Dutch Caribbean bottles you can't easily find back home.
Insider Tip
Book a waterside table for around 6:15pm and you'll catch the sunset over Saba's silhouette on the horizon before the menu even arrives — the light show is genuinely one of the best in the Dutch Caribbean, and locals time their arrival for it. On the odd Sunday the kitchen fires up a beach barbecue on the sand out front; call the same day to check, as it's never on the printed menu.
The Practical Stuff
On Oranjebaai in Lower Town, Oranjestad — a two-minute walk from the Scubaqua dive dock and a short cab (or a steep uphill hike via the historic Bay Path) from Upper Town. Reservations strongly recommended in high season and on weekends; the dining room is small. Cards accepted but bring some USD cash as backup — this is Statia. Dress is smart-casual for dinner, whatever-you-were-diving-in for lunch.
Pair It With
- Aquarium - Dive Site Guide — The reef sits practically off the restaurant's terrace — dive it in the afternoon with Scubaqua next door, then walk straight up for sundowners still smelling faintly of neoprene.
- Alvin V Courtar Park Guide — A short stroll through Lower Town for a pre-dinner wander among the old warehouse ruins and a look at the bay from a different angle.
- A Quiet Getaway - One-Bedroom Apartment Guide — If you'd rather not drive after that rum flight, this nearby apartment puts you in easy stumbling distance of the terrace.
- Antillean Horde Car rental Guide — Grab a jeep for the day, tackle the Quill volcano rim in the morning, and reward yourself with a long lunch back at the Gin House.
