Grand Case, the Culinary Capital

The seaside village of Grand Case, on the French side of the island, is celebrated as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, an extraordinary concentration of dining packed along a single beachfront street. Here, elegant gourmet restaurants serving refined French and Creole cuisine sit alongside the beloved lolos, open-air barbecue shacks grilling fresh fish, ribs, chicken and lobster over open flame at friendly prices. The result is a food-lover's paradise where haute cuisine and casual grilled fare coexist on one lively street, all beside a lovely beach, embodying the island's blend of French finesse and Caribbean soul.

What you actually see

• The gourmet restaurants - the fine French-Creole dining.
• The lolos - the open-air barbecue shacks grilling fresh food.
• The beachfront street - the lively dining strip by the sea.
• The French-Creole cuisine - the blend of finesse and island soul.

When to go

December to April, the peak season, when the village is liveliest and most restaurants are open, though it dines well year-round; evenings are the time, when the street comes alive with diners. The Tuesday-evening Harmony Nights street festival in season adds music and market stalls to the culinary scene.

Honest expectations

Grand Case is a small village whose appeal is entirely its dining rather than sights, and its gourmet restaurants are pricey, reflecting the village's location on the French side of the island, though the lolos offer excellent value and casual fun; the village rebuilt after 2017's Hurricane Irma and its restaurant scene has long been back in full swing. As the culinary capital of the Caribbean, though, where fine French-Creole restaurants and beloved barbecue lolos line one lively beachfront street, Grand Case is a genuine and delicious highlight for any food lover.

Nearby

Marigot, the French-side beaches and Pic Paradis are close by.