At Saint Martin’s Ocean 82, The Art of Seaside Dining
A wonderful eatery in Grand Case
By Alexander Britell
SAINT MARTIN — It’s hard to find a bad meal on Grand Case Boulevard.
In fact, it’s just about impossible.
The question, then, is where to eat, whether at the waterfront Creole “lolos” or one of a number of high-level French Caribbean, haute-cuisine eateries.
That brings us to Ocean 82, a crisp, modern restaurant perched above the beach.
It’s got the kind of menu you’ve come to expect on this street: playful, creative dishes married with longstanding French classics.
The standout appetizer was fresh mozzarella wrapped in eggplant on a baked crust, joined by “eggplant caviar,” a kind of puree, and garlic-accented tomatoes.
It was followed by an excellent magret de canard.
It’s all accented by inspired plating, including the vertical insertion of parsley that adds a different kind of dimensionality to the food.
This isn’t just food — it is art.
And this is a must-visit restaurant in St Martin.
— CJ