Experience

The Best Hotel (And the Best Table) in Saba

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - August 13, 2015

Exploring the Queen’s Gardens

By Alexander Britell

SABA — I don’t eat lobster very often. Sure, I like it. But when I go to a restaurant that seems good, I always feel that the way to see what the restaurant does best is to order something else.

The lamb, the glazed mahi, the duck. Things that require creativity.

With few exceptions, lobster always tastes good, but it also always tastes the same.

That was, until I was sitting in a treehouse called the Bird’s Nest above the Queen’s Gardens resort in Saba.

birds

I had passed the “Saban lobsters” in the tank on the climb up to what is inarguably the best table in Saba, with a stunning view of the valley below, and been intrigued.

I could not, after all, leave this tiny island without trying a Saban lobster.

Maybe Saban lobsters are different, I thought.

And then, after an appetizer of smoked duck breast with papaya cream, I tried it. And it was something entirely different.

It was cooked perfectly – not in the trite way — it was actually perfect — that point when the meat is tender and light and elegant, almost like a scallop.

qlob

And then covered in champagne butter.

It was one of, if not the best lobster meals I had ever had, in the most unlikely place.

More unlikely because in tiny Saba, supplies typically come once a week. It is not easy to get things to Saba.

For a chef, that makes things even more difficult. You need to make wonders with what you have to work with.

queen

And here at the Queens Garden, under the leadership of Chef Kevin Hollans, they do.

This is a hidden hotel, obscured from most of an island that is itself kept secret in the Caribbean.

It is a great little hotel, where the staff is small but understands exactly how to run a hotel, how to make a guest feel that he should be relieved because he is there.

qspa

Above: the spa at the Queen’s Gardens (right)

It is a great little hotel where every room has its own open-air jacuzzi facing a remarkable valley below, the kind of views people pay five times the price for in Saint Lucia.

qjacu

And it is home to this great little restaurant. (That’s without mentioning a tiny rum bar with an unexpectedly wide selection of rhums agricole from both Martinique and Guadeloupe).

bar

There are just twelve suites, but it feels larger. It is not the youngest hotel, more than two decades old, but it feels newer.

tub

There are all kinds of small hotels in the Caribbean. But this is the kind that makes you feel special.

qview1

It’s like the lobster.

You think you’ve tasted lobster; but then you try it in the hills of Saba, up in a treehouse and its something different.

Something worth savoring.

Popular Posts w punta cana

A New All-Inclusive W Hotel Is Opening This Year in Punta Cana 

The first-ever all-inclusive W Hotel in the Caribbean is opening this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Caribbean Journal has learned.  The hotel, part of a broad expansion for parent company Marriott International, is on the list of expected 2024 […]


Why Grenada Is a New Caribbean Luxury Hotspot

beach house silversands

From its world-renowned chocolate to its pristine beaches to a region-leading focus on sustainability, Grenada is as fascinating and unique as destination as you’ll find in the Caribbean.  But in the last few years, the lush Eastern Caribberan island has […]


5 Adults-Only Resorts to Visit Right Now in the Caribbean 

galley bay

Sometimes you just want that extra degree of serenity, of privacy, of seclusion. There is a reason, after all, that adults-only resorts are booming in popularity, particularly in the Caribbean: travelers want to know that when they arrive, they know […]


Related Posts ti fey villa with green treees

In Dominica, A New Kind of Luxury Family Vacation 

It’s always been one of the most romantic resorts: the renowned Secret Bay resort in Dominica, a luxe villa resort tucked away in the rainforest.  But thanks to a collection of new rooms, Secret Bay is making itself accessible to […]


From the US Virgin Islands to Aruba, Caribbean Travel Is Booming

aruba usvi beach

First there was the breakout after restrictions were lifted. Then there was all that pent-up travel demand. Through each phase of the post-pandemic period, travelers have continued flocking to the Caribbean.  It’s the sign of a resilient global destination, and […]


Frontier Is Adding a New Nonstop Flight to Los Cabos 

nobu los cabos

It’s one of the most popular hotel destinations in Mexico: Los Cabos, which has seen a broad boom in recent years with the entry to market of brands like Nobu, Thompson, Marriott and Waldorf Astoria, among others.  That has led, […]


SUBSCRIBE!

Sign up for Caribbean Journal's free newsletter for a daily dose of beaches, hotels, rum and the best Caribbean travel information on the net.


No. Thank You