Le Carre is located in the passageway/arcade of the Carre
d’Or Plaza (which hosts stores like Cartier, Hermes, Roberto Cavalli, Ralph
Lauren, and Calypso) just off the main street (Quai de la Republique) that runs
next to the harbor. The restaurant is
completely open air; however, it offers an awning for protection from the sun.
In the shade, with the breeze blowing off the nearby harbor, the temperature
was comfortable, and the view was nice (although we had to look over the tops
of the cars in the public parking lot to see the boats and the water). Le Carre
has a bar, table seating, and lounge (couch) seating. Tables are available in
several shapes, sizes, and configurations to suit every group. The kitchen is located
among the shops toward the back of the plaza, and a tiny bathroom is located around
the corner. (Ask an employee for the key to what is a very small but spotlessly
clean unisex facility.)
The lunch menu at Le Carre features pasta, sushi,
sandwiches, and salads. In the evening, meat and seafood entrees are also available.
The restaurant hosts a DJ at night, when the outdoor restaurant takes on more
of a club/lounge feel. The restaurant also offers take-away food. We saw a few
locals eating here (or at least we thought that they were local businesspeople
or shop owners/workers, because they were sitting one to a table and were
dressed more formally than the tourists), which is generally a sign of a decent
restaurant; in fact, the locals each seemed to have ordered the chef’s daily
special (plat du jour), which was a good offer price-wise. As with every
restaurant on the island, Le Carre offered us complimentary bread; however, we
did not eat it because it was delivered without any butter, spread, or dipping
oil. (Maybe they just forgot? We suppose that we should have asked.) We ordered
two bottled waters, two rounds of drinks, a Nicoise salad (which had a lovely presentation
of a pyramidal stack of greens, tomatoes, capers, crispy onions, and of course
tuna slices), and a club sandwich (two halves cut at an angle and then
grilled/pressed like a panini and served with well-executed French fries piled
in a small fry basket), and our bill totaled just over $50 Euros, which was our
most reasonable (yet filling, delicious, and nicely presented) meal on St
Barths.
Le Carre is a
great find in Gustavia while you are shopping or exploring the harbor!
