The Sand Bar, which overlooks the beach and the clear-blue
sea in St Jean, retains an elegant atmosphere, despite patrons in swimsuits,
cover-ups, and bare feet for the lunch service. The décor of the open-air Sand
Bar features lots of white, with red pops of color from placemats, cushions,
and pillows, which contrast with the dark wood deck/floor and lighter wood of
the beams that support the roof. The restaurant offers table seating as well as
seats at tables at which one side shares the cushioned banquette. As with most
restaurants on the island of St Barths, roll-down clear plastic shades protect
from rain and cold when necessary. The restaurant features an interesting
copper pizza oven, an atypical site on the island. The hotel bar area adjacent
to the restaurant space (some of which offers indoor seating at high-top
tables) looks a bit dated with its nautical feel including lots of wood and brass-rimmed
porthole windows, but otherwise, the Eden Rock property is lovely. Restrooms
are located a bit far from the Sand Bar restaurant, out past the shops and
adjacent to the parking lot and valet stop.
Jean-Georges Vongenrichten, who comes from Alsace France, created
the menus at both The Sand Bar (and On the Rocks). The executive chef is Eric
Desbordes from Paris. Vongenrichten holds three Michelin stars in one of his
restaurants (Jean-Georges in New York City), and Desbordes holds one from his
previous restaurant. The menu at The Sand Bar features international cuisine,
with items at many price points and degrees of formality; for example, at
lunchtime, you can order a less expensive hamburger, pizza, or salad, or you can
break the bank and order the lobster or the Dover sole. (We watched guests
order menu choices from both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between.)
As we perused the menu, our server delivered three small bowls of complimentary
nuts (cashews and almonds), each coated with a different type of flavoring/herb/spice.
We also received bread and oil as we waited for our meal. We shared two menu items,
but we requested that they be delivered in two courses: first, we shared the pizza
Jambon San Danielle et Roquette (topped with prosciutto and arugula), then we
shared the Sandwich de Poisson Pays Grille and Frites (grilled local fish
sandwich with fries; the top of the sandwich bun features the initials of the
hotel ER written with black poppyseeds, which was cute!). Our food, as well as
two rounds of drinks and a large bottle of water amounted to just over $100
(service included), which is not much more than we would spend for a similar
lunch at a scenic restaurant in the United States, so we did not feel that the
prices were outrageous.
We enjoyed our leisurely lunch at The Sand Bar, and we would
visit again, or more likely, to visit On the Rocks at dinnertime.
