DECEMBER 2017
CARIBBEAN GOURMAND
KITCHEN
ISLANDS
Where do the Caribbean’s top chefs like to eat?
Chris Madigan asks four of the best to share their favorite
foodie establishments for fine (and casual) diningTHE CHEF
Alex Simone was born
near Lake Maggiore in
Italy and worked at
Zafferano and the Arts
Club in London before
becoming executive chef
of Il Baretto in Marylebone.
In January 2016, he took
over the restaurant at
Le Sereno in St Barths
to create a refined
Italian menu.THE LOCATION For me, Grand Cul-de-Sac is one of
the best spots on St Barths. I get to stick my head
out of the kitchen door and see this beautiful bay —
sandy beaches, palm trees and the brightly colored
sails. The dining room, like the rest of the hotel, is
designed by Christian Liaigre and really takes
advantage of this setting next to the beach and
pool. It offers panoramic views across the bay.
THE CUISINE Everything, including our pasta and
burgers, is made from scratch. I have Italian classics
on the menu, such as vitello tonnato and linguine
with fresh spiny lobster from the lagoon, or risotto
with red Sicilian prawns scattered over it.
THE CHALLENGE This is a very small volcanic island
and there is no significant farming here, so sourcing
ingredients is different to a big city restaurant.
Everything comes by air to St Martin, then by
ship to here. There’s a good relationship between
restaurants, and chefs help each other out; I gave
someone avocados this morning and they have
helped me when I was short of burrata.
THE OTHER ITALIANS My team and I sometimes go
after service to Isoletta in Gustavia, where they
serve pizza by the meter to share, with a few
different toppings along its length.
THE CREATIVE CHEF For me, Jean-Claude Dufour
is the island’s most creative chef. His restaurant,
called L’Esprit, gives traditional French cuisine
a lighter, tropical touch with pan-Asian and
Caribbean influences.
THE DINNER PARTY Bagatelle is great fun. You might
be dancing to Kanye West between courses, the
waitresses could be dressed up like Marie
Antoinette for a Versailles theme night and your
champagne might be delivered by a “flying”
Superman, but the food is actually very good
international cuisine.
CREOLE FLAVOR A favorite locals’ spot is Au Regal in
the village of Corossol, north of Gustavia. They do
the real St Barths specialties, such as squash stuffed
with boudin, and accra – deep-fried beignets with
fish or crab – accompanied by a dipping sauce.
lesereno.comWATER WORLD
Above left: Le Sereno sits on
the edge of Grand Cul-de-Sac
bay. Above: its tuna carpaccio162