La Playa Restaurant & Bar...
Excellent Beach Eats on Saint Martin's Orient Bay

 
 

By: Louise Fayet

Orient Bay is the most popular beach on Saint Martin's French side. Lined with restaurants, bars, hotels, boutiques, and with plenty of water sports, Orient Bay is heaven for beach lovers.

(Play the video below for a full view of Orient Bay from the sky.)

At over one mile long, Orient Bay is one of Saint Martin's biggest beaches. This stretch of white sand is located on the East coast of the island. Exposed to the Caribbean's tradewinds, it always has a cooling sea breeze. Kitesurfers answer the sea's call. You can watch them all afternoon, gliding across the bay's expansive blue waters.

La Playa Restaurant & Bar is nestled on Orient Bay, amidst the action and just steps from the water...

Welcome to La Playa Restaurant & Bar

A friend of ours recommended La Playa as a top spot on Orient Bay, so we had to check it out!

Follow the stone path and you arrive to the newly renovated restaurant. Decorated with pastel blues, beiges and touches of wood, the restaurant has a tropical-luxurious-getaway vibe.

The open wooden bar overlooks the main dining room, gazing out to Orient Bay's waves. On the beach, cabana seats in the sand let you enjoy lunch with a front-row view of blue.

We settled in at a table with a full ocean view and prepared to tackle the menu!

Beach Eats

First things first? A cocktail for the afternoon. A beach classic, you can never go wrong with...

Pina Coladas

Delicious pina coladas in-hand, here's what for lunch...

La Playa's dining experience begins with their Chef who has called Saint Marin home since 1997. Originally from France, he has worked at top beach restaurants on-island like Kontiki and Cotes Plages. Chef is no stranger to Saint Martin's beach dining scene! Today, his excellent beach eats are on display at La Playa.

Chef's menu starts with appetizers including crispy chicken spring rolls, warm edamame with lemongrass sauce and...

Cod Fish Fritters

Six pieces of bite sized cod fish fritters are fried until golden brown. Served with a mini dish of créole sauce, these are a scrumptious way to whet your appetite.

Another starter that's perfect for sharing...

Shrimp Cocktail

Jumbo shrimp are elegantly served in a glass, topping a refreshing salsa salad.

Next up on the menu are salads and main dishes. Choices include tomato carpaccio, chicken caesar salad, BO-BUN salad with beef, Hawaii-style poke bowls, local Mahi-mahi tartare and a variety of sandwiches. Our pick?...

Cheeseburger & Homemade French Fries

We are always in the mood for this beach classic! A thick beef patty is cooked to your liking and sandwiched between a soft sesame seed bun. It comes with Chef's homemade french fries and a side of chipotle dipping sauce. This juicy and deluxe cheeseburger reminds me of the Krabby Patties in SpongeBob SquarePants - picture-perfect and filling!

The next section on the menu is loaded with sushi! Philadelphia, Dragon, Rainbow and Spicy Tuna rolls all make the menu. Chef's specialty rolls include: The Paradise Roll with crab meat, cucumber, mango, tamago, tobiko, smocked eel and avocado, and the...

Hungry Roll

Nine pieces of crispy shrimp tempura and kanikama are topped with panko and spicy mayonnaise, and drizzled with a sweet soy sauce. Every bite is packed with flavor. Bursts of sweet, salty and savory come through all at once!

Completely full after our meal, we had no space for dessert this time. Luckily, we can use that as an excuse to return ;-)

See You Soon at La Playa!

La Playa has a key location, excellent service and mouth-watering drinks and food. For a tasty seat right on Orient Bay's impressive beach, La Playa gets a 10/10!

Open hours: La Playa is open for breakfast and lunch 11:30am to 4:00pm

Tel & Email: +0690 88 28 88 or contact@laplayaorientbay.com