Bacchus...
Saint Martin's Fine Dining Jewel

 
 

By: Louise Fayet

Bacchus found its home in Hope Estate, Saint Martin thirteen years ago. Ever since, it has built a reputation for exquisite cuisine that epitomizes "fine dining." When it comes to five-star meals, Bacchus is one of Saint Martin's jewels.

Welcome to Bacchus

On March 2nd, 2020 the restaurant underwent a total make-over, impressing their loyal customers and new Bacchus lovers like us!

The restaurant exudes a modern and fresh feel, decorated with warm wood, pops of orange and striking hanging lights.

Comfortable chairs welcome you at your table. We love the open kitchen. From our seats we had a full view of Chef Arnaud and his team, preparing their creations.

Chef Arnaud Angeli has been with Bacchus from the start. He studied in France at l’Ecole Hôtelière de Paris and worked in Switzerland, London and Megève. When he arrived in Saint Martin he worked at The Belmond La Samanna, Le Chanteclair and in 2007 he became the executive chef at Bacchus. Let me show you his delectable dishes...

Fine Dining at Bacchus

Everything on the menu is intricate and elegant. The menu begins with appetizers of duck foie gras, foie gras tasting plates, cold cuts of ham Magalitza, Marlin fish carpaccio, homemade smoked salmon, brie cheese with black truffle and...

Fresh Oysters

Choose half a dozen or one dozen freshly opened oysters. Bacchus gets their oysters from Marennes d'Oléron. They are rich with water and balanced in flavor, less fleshy than the average oyster. These delicacies are served with a refreshing garnish and sliced toasted bread.

Next, another French delicacy, your choice of half a dozen or one dozen Burgundy wild snails.

Escargots in Garlic Butter

The snails are cooked to perfection. They simply melt in your mouth. They come soaked in a pool of garlic butter, which pairs perfectly with Bacchus' bread.

If you are a lover of caviar, Bacchus has some of the finest! 50, 100 or 250 grams of caviar is served with blinis, lemony whipped cream and premium vodka Taïga Shtof.

Next from the appetizers, a dish that takes the trophy for most beautiful dish of the day....

Mozzarella Burrata et Tomates Cerises

A sphere of burrata is laid on a bed of sliced cherry tomatoes and olives, and garnished with colorful pansy petals, red onion and arugula. One slice into the burrata and a viscous river of creamy cheese spills out onto the vegetables. It is mozzarella heaven!

Now to the main courses where everything sounds so exquisite that choosing one dish is nearly impossible.

Our top contenders were: Tartar of fresh tuna or beef, sautéed duck breast with paccheri pasta and smoked duck breast, and pasta risotto with truffle ham and black truffle.

But at the end of the day we could not resist the...

Beef Fillet

Without a doubt, this is the best steak I have had in Saint Martin. This sumptuous steak is cooked to your desired temperature and put to rest in a morel sauce. The sauce leaves you speechless, made with top tier mushrooms. The juicy steak soaks up all of these flavors, making every bite magical.

Chef even garnishes the dish with morel mushrooms and a cherry tomato. The fillet comes with Bacchus' extra-fluffy homemade mashed potatoes, which goes well with the morel sauce.

I can go on and on about that dreamy steak but let's move on to this pasta!...

Shrimp Linguini with Poutargue

Al dente linguini is tossed in a cream sauce with teeny tiny shrimp and minced vegetabes. Chef finishes the pasta with shaved poutargue, a delicacy of salt-cured fish roe. Poutargue exudes a salty and strong sea flavor, but chef grates just the right amount to not overpower the dish.

Another seafood favorite...

Half-Cooked Salmon with Lobster & Sea Scallops Ravioli

This dish is the epitome of "seafood." Every ingredient comes from the sea! A hefty salmon steak is half-cooked and served with lobster, sea scallops ravioli, vegetables and shellfish. It is all bathed in a frothy lobster bisque and garnished with smoked salmon, herbs and wild salmon eggs.

Speaking of seafood, here is a seafood "special of the day"...

Dover Sole Fish Fillet

The fillet was brought out and de-boned right in front of us into two fillets. Served with creamy mashed potatoes and a juicy lemon, it was oh so refreshing.

Lastly, from the main course section...

Lamb Shoulder Confit

Super tender lamb meat falls right off the bone with the simple touch of a fork! The lamb is soaked in juices of apricot, fig and pistachio and served with Bacchus' homemade mashed potatoes.

How can this experience possibly get any better? Bacchus has a splendid dessert menu.

Sweet Endings at Bacchus

Bacchus stocks just about every flavor of ice cream and sorbet: Lemon, chocolate, apple, coconut, passion, vanilla, gingerbread, red fruits, pistacho, pineapple, rum cream and shrub. Also up for grabs is homemade ice cream and sorbet with a crispy cookie and...

Rum Baba

A small cake is left to float in aged Clement rum with diced pineapple and sichuan pepper. Topped with a scoop of ice cream and decorated with a caramelized candy, it is as sweet as it looks.

Next up...

Vanilla Creme Brûlée

This classic creme brûlée is served with their homemade bitter chocolate ice-cream and decorative caramel candy.

The star dessert that will take your breath away...

Trianon Cake

The rich chocolate mousse cake has a crunchy praline base and is topped with even more chocolate dollops. It is paired with homemade vanilla ice cream with a caramelized candy tuile. The cake independently was fantastic but add a bit of the vanilla ice cream and fireworks go off in your mouth!

I am counting down my days until I return to Bacchus for this dessert.

Last but not least, your choice of coffee or tea with an assortment of sweets.

Tea with Sweets

Mango and passionfruit custard, pistachio sorbet, delicate tarts, macarons and chocolates are served with tea or coffee.

Bacchus has some of the most unique tea flavors.

Blueberry merlot, ginger lemongrass, African solstice, china gunpowder, white ginger pear, bombay chai, lemon sorbetti and jasmine green. These are just some of the many flavors.

Bacchus also has a mini market and boutique next door. Here you can buy exotic teas, Nespresso coffee, champagnes, wines and some of the West Indies' best rums.

Huge Selection of French & International Wines

Bacchus is surely a must visit, and easily one of my favorite restaurants in Saint Martin. Perfect for any special occasion or a romantic one-on-one date, Bacchus is a jewel.

This spot holds a special place in our hearts! See you again soon, Bacchus!

Hours: Bacchus is open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm.

Tel & Email: +590 590 87 15 70 or restaurant@bacchussxm.com & info@bacchussxm.com