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I’ve been wanting to share this trip since the moment we landed back home!
We spent a week in St. Barths this June with some of our best friends celebrating both our anniversaries. Two couples, a villa, and more good food and beach time than we knew what to do with. It was one of those trips that leaves you feeling genuinely restored and I can’t stop thinking about it.
We went in June, which is technically the off season, but It might be the best way to do St. Barths. Lodging and restaurant prices drop by about half, reservations are easier to get, and the island still had plenty of energy. I’ll share more on that throughout, but first here’s how our week actually went.
Getting to St. Barths
We flew into St. Maarten (SXM). Most major airlines have direct routes, but of course coming from Richmond (RIC) we had a layover. From there, we hopped on a tiny plane with Winair for a 15-minute flight to St. Barths. It’s genuinely one of the more memorable parts of the trip: a very short runway, a tiny airport, and a landing that feels a little like a theme park ride (in the best way).
A couple of heads-up: you have to collect your luggage in St. Maarten and re-check it with Winair yourself, it won’t transfer automatically. Our friends learned this the hard way the first time they visited. And dress for heat! The plane is not air-conditioned and it gets warm, so tank top and shorts are ideal.
Another option worth knowing about: you can also fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) and connect to St. Barths via Tradewind Aviation, which runs scheduled service on a comfortable, air-conditioned Pilatus PC-12 turboprop (about a 50-minute flight). Tradewind has baggage transfer agreements with American, United, JetBlue, and British Airways, so your bags can move through. If you’re flying from the East Coast or have good access to San Juan, it’s worth pricing out as an alternative to the St. Maarten route.
Where We Stayed
We rented a 2-bedroom Eden Rock Villa located in St. Jean, and it was perfect. As villa guests, we had access to Eden Rock’s beach club, sun beds, the gym, and the full resort amenities, all within walking distance. And a 24/7 concierge who we could contact via What’s App. Our concierge was Bryan and he was the best!
The beach right in front of Eden Rock is exactly what you picture when you think St. Barths: crystal clear, perfectly blue, warm water, soft sand. Oh, and airplanes flying overhead throughout the day!
We spent most mornings and early afternoons at the beach – lounging on the sun beds or wading in the water. The Sand Bar menu is available on the beach so we would order drinks and snacks/lunch and hang there until early afternoon before heading back to the villa to get ready for dinner.
The Sand Bar food was really yummy and we loved the Eden Rock frose! We also fell in love with the labneh appetizer (need to recreate this asap), the mango avocado salad, and the green pea guacamole, which was such a fun find, it reminded me of my own green pea guacamole recipe that I use as a lighter swap at home. A great, fresh, easy vibe to kick off the week.
One splurge that was totally worth it: We did a day pass at another resort, Cheval Blanc (~€300/person), which included access to their pool and beach club, a spa massage, and a three-course lunch with champagne.
It was a really fun change of scenery and felt incredibly luxe, but was actually a decent price for what we got considering at regular massage is around ~€250 at a resort in St Barth’s.
Plus, the food was so good with lots of gluten-free options. I’m still thinking about all the desserts we had – the GF cookies were delish!
Spa Days
I also got a facial at the Eden Rock Spa with my girlfriend one afternoon, which was a really relaxing mid-trip reset. One little detail I loved at both Cheval Blanc Spa and Eden Rock Spa: they send you off with a little chocolate and a beverage at the end of each treatment. It’s a small thing, but it made everything feel extra special.
Where to Eat
St. Barths is known for it’s amazing food and it definitely lived up to the hype.
Breakfast & Lunch
We kept breakfast pretty low-key for most of the trip, and honestly it was one of my favorite parts of the routine. Every morning, fresh pastries were delivered from Eden to Go. Think croissants, pain au chocolat, the works. Since two of us are gluten-free, we supplemented with mango chia pudding, berries, yogurt, and their GF banana bread. This gave us extra protein and staying power. Such a good spread.
We also walked down to The Sand Bar every morning for coffee (usually post-workout). My go-to was the Healthy Boost — cold brew with oat milk and cinnamon. It was the perfect start before a beach day. One morning we actually stayed for breakfast as well. I ordered an omelette, which was simple and delicious.
We didn’t make it to any dedicated breakfast spots around the island, but I’m sure there are great ones. For lunch, most days we just ate on the beach at Eden Rock, ordering from the Sand Bar menu while camped out on the sun beds. It was the easiest, most relaxing way to do it. The only exceptions were the late Sunday lunch at Nikki Beach (see below) and lunch during our Cheval Blanc day pass (see above).
Full transparency: I was so exhausted from our travel day that I barely remember this dinner. But what I do remember is that the food was good. The Sand Bar is a Jean-Georges concept right on the beach at Eden Rock, and everything we ordered was fresh, well-executed, and a great first taste of the island. Honestly the perfect intro dinner even if I was barely conscious by dessert.
The vibe of this spot is so cool – lots of white and rattan – basically elevated beach vibes and the food is French Pan-American, think fresh ceviche, seafood, and really creative cocktails. Their peruvian ceviches and tiraditos are standout, and the cocktail menu is super fun. Isaac got The Rose (a Beauty and the Beast moment in a glass), and I got the Sex in the Bath, which arrived in a little bathtub glass topped with champagne foam.
Nikki Beach was probably our favorite dining and party experience of the entire trip. We did the Sunday 3:00 PM seating, and if you want the full experience, that is the seating to book. The food was excellent across the board (literally so good!!) and the vibe built slowly throughout the afternoon until around 5 PM when something just shifted. People were up dancing on tables, the music got louder, and it turned into this incredible beach club party with house music. We had the absolute best time and still talk about it. Highly, highly recommend timing your visit to the Sunday afternoon seating if your schedule allows.
After a full afternoon and evening at Nikki Beach, we weren’t quite ready for another sit-down dinner, so we ordered Black Ginger Thai takeout to have at the villa. It was amazing. Fragrant curries, fresh papaya salad, perfectly seasoned everything. A great low-key end to a very full day, and 100% worth adding to your St. Barths rotation even just for takeout.
This was another standout for us! The food is Israeli/Mediterranean-inspired, Chef Assaf Granit brings Jerusalem flavors to a beach setting and it completely delivered. Isaac was obsessed with the eggplant appetizer and I loved the tartare spread. We also got themeatballs, which come served on skewers hanging from a little rack (so fun). The music shifted into more of a DJ set as the night went on and I loved it because he played pop hits and hip-hop which got the whole place dancing. It was one of those dinners that turns into a whole night.
Chef Dinner at the Villa (Tuesday)
One night we arranged for a private chef to come cook for us at the villa, and this was honestly one of the highlights of the whole trip. He made a burrata app, mahi-mahi and steak with chimichurri that was absolutely delicious. Just the experience of having dinner at your own villa under the stars with your best friends was unbeatable. If you’re renting a villa, I’d recommend doing this at least one night.
The setting is stunning, you’re basically dining in the jungle, with trees draped overhead and soft lighting everywhere. The appetizers were the star of the show for me here – the eggplant with labneh and the roasted carrots with tahini were both delicious. Would love to recreate both! I will say, my friend and I didn’t love our cocktails and the mains were fine but not amazing! Definitely worth going for the ambiance if the vibe appeals to you, but I wouldn’t prioritize it over the others.
Eating Gluten-Free in St. Barths
If you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, St. Barths is one of the more navigable islands I’ve traveled to. The cuisine here skews naturally toward fresh fish, grilled meats, ceviche, and vegetable-forward dishes, which means fewer dishes with hidden gluten than you’d find in a lot of destinations. All of the restaurants were accommodating once we explained that two people in our group have celiac and we never once felt like we were missing out. Almost all the restaurants offered gluten-free bread with some options being better than others.
Restaurants on Our Radar for Next Time
We didn’t make it to everywhere on our list, and honestly that just means we have an excuse to go back. A few spots that are high on the list for the next trip:
La Case at Cheval Blanc, We did the day pass at Cheval Blanc and loved the vibe; their signature restaurant La Case is supposed to be exceptional for dinner and it’s on the list.
Noa Beach, A relatively new beach club and restaurant in St. Jean. Sounds like a great mix of incredible food and a fun beach-club atmosphere. High on the list for next time.
La Langouste, A legendary, super casual lobster shack on Flamands Beach. Locals swear by it and it keeps coming up in every “must-do” list we see.
Le Ti St Barth, The island’s famous late-night dinner-cabaret scene. Next time.
Practical Tips
Getting around: I definitely recommend renting a car. Most people rent an open-air Moke (the little convertible-style car you’ll see everywhere on the island), which is a fun option, just know your hair will be completely wild by the time you arrive anywhere. We went with a small SUV, which was perfect for dinners. The roads are winding and a little rough in spots, so go slow and enjoy the drive.
St. Jean vs. Gustavia: We stayed in St. Jean near Eden Rock, which is great for beach access. Gustavia is the main town, that’s where you’ll find the marina, most of the shopping, and several of the best restaurants. You’ll want a car or taxi to get there.
Money: No need to get euros. American dollars were accepted everywhere we went, and we used our credit card for most things without any issue.
Tipping: Tips aren’t expected in St. Barths, but if the service is great (and it usually is), it’s always a nice gesture.
Reservations: In June, we had no trouble getting reservations through our concierge, but In peak season (December through early January), this island is a completely different story.
Who Is This Trip For?
St. Barths is genuinely one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, but it’s not a budget trip, even in the off season, it’s a splurge. That said, June cuts lodging and dining prices roughly in half compared to peak, which makes it much more accessible.
This is a perfect destination for a couples trip (like what we did it) or a milestone celebration like a 40th birthday or anniversary. That said, we saw several of families there with young kids too.
I left St. Barths feeling like the best version of myself. We relaxed, ate well, got in a good amount of movement every day and soaked up every ounce of kid-free time together. Literally so much fun and amazing memories made with people we love.
If St. Barths (or even just a couples trip in general) has been on your list, I hope this gives you the push to actually book it.
Have questions about planning your trip? Drop them in the comments below!
Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!
