News

In St Barth, Savoring Latin America

By: Caribbean Journal Staff - January 24, 2013

Above: Bonito in St Barth

By Alexander Britell

TINY ST BARTH is a sandy slice of mainland France, an outpost of the Cote D’Azur in the Caribbean.

But on Rue Lubin Brin in Gustavia, perched on a hillside, Chef Laurent Cantineaux leads an even smaller sateillite of Latin America.

Cantineaux’s Bonito, owned by Jonas and Alexandra Millan (who also own Juvia in Miami Beach), brings together the traditional French fare for which the island is known with a decidedly Latin flair — featuring fresh fish, mostly served as ceviche.

“We had a restaurant called Cafe Antibes for eight years in Caracas, and we were looking for something outside,” he says. “My partner and I knew to check about St Barth, and went there, and opened in November 2009.”

The concept of Bonito is built around a beach house.

“It’s not luxury, it’s not pretentious,” he says. “It’s very cozy, very warm, family style, like a house.”

Cantineaux describes the food as French-South American cuisine, although his pedigree is traditional French: including working five years with world-renowned chef Daniel Boulud.

“My background is very French — but I spent 10 years in Venezuela,” he says.

That time in South America took him across the region, sampling ingredients like chile, fresh cilantro, mango and, of course, ceviche — the latter inspired, he says, by the city of Lima.

It creates a unique juxtaposition: on one plate, there is Tiradito de Wahoo; on another, a Duck Magret with cranberry sauce, sweet potato and broccoli rabe.

“I’m not trying to copy or switch to a traditional Caribbean menu,” he says. “I’m combining French with that kind of cuisine — except for the ceviche, where it’s the opposite — I take a genuine technique and I put my French touch on it.”

The emphasis, in true Caribbean style, is on fresh fish — wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna — combining the quality high-end patrons expect, with a light, simple delivery.

“I try to get the best quality I can — all the people that are used to doing the rest of the year in high-end restaurants like Daniel or Jean-Georges in London and Paris,” he says. “But when they go to St Barth, they are on vacation and want to relax — they don’t want very sophisticated food.”

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 nobu los cabos

Frontier Is Adding a New Nonstop Flight to 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, […]


This Former Caribbean Rockefeller Resort Is for Sale

caribbean rockefeller resort

In 1986, Laurance Rockefeller, the founder of Rock Resorts, developed 27 acres of prime beachfront land into what was for decades one of the sought after places to stay in the Caribbean. Now, the four-star, 150-room resort is for sale, […]


Vote for the 2024 Caribbean Green Awards, from Green Energy to Sustainable Hotels

caribbean green

Hotels serving organic food grown by local farmers. Airports powered by large solar fields. Pristine coastlines protected by marine parks. Real estate developments fueled by clean energy. It’s an exciting time for the Green movement in the Caribbean, a region […]


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