By Alexander Britell
GRAND CASE – There’s always something new to discover on Grand Case Boulevard, a corner unseen, a tiny alley overlooked.
It’s a street that has lived many lives — including this latest one, a renaissance in the wake of unwanted visitors.
The newest addition to Grand Case, though, is exceptionally special.
It’s called La Part des Anges, or the Angel’s Share, so named for the portion of a spirit that evaporates during the aging process — claimed, the legend says, by the angels themselves.
And it’s a fitting name, because this is just about heaven.
The bar, which just opened its doors last week, is the brainchild of the group behind St Martin’s legendary Sol e Luna restaurant (which now owns the iconic Le Pressoir restaurant, which is part of the same building).
And the concept is simple: exquisite rums and cigars.
There are nearly 130 rums here, including a wonderful selection of rums from Martinique and Guadeloupe, along with a handful of tables and leather chairs, a small bar and an outside terrace.
It bills itself as a “tasting” club, and that’s an apt description: the menu includes two and four-ounce options, meaning you can sample a host of rums or stick with the ones you immediately fall in love with.
It’s open every day from 5 PM to 2 AM, the perfect place for before or after a dinner at one of this street’s array of world-class restaurants.
Yes, it’s a cigar lounge, too.
And the big hitters are here: the Flibuste, the Depaz Cuvee Prestige and, interestingly, a broad selection of the increasingly admired Longueteau from Guadeloupe, including terrific trio of Concerto, Prelude and Symphony.
It’s a welcome — and much needed addition to Grand Case, a sanctuary of luxury that adds new energy to this venerable street — and a new beacon for rum in French St Martin.
Because, sitting in a candlelit rum temple, enjoying a Habano, taking an agricole-fueled journey across the French West Indies, you certainly feel like you’re encountering the divine.
— CJ
