Be it the posh billionaire fetes, or the 2 AM yacht hopping, New Year's Eve defines true high season in St. Barths. However, for those flocking to the island a week prior, the Christmas stretch in St. Barths delivers the same chic beach respite, however not nearly as crowded, and free of the packed restaurants and overfilled harbors that define the first weeks of January. Fortunately, for those without a boat or house on the hill, several hotels are strutting sensational renovations including the fully rebranded Isle de France by LVMH's Cheval Blanc that marries stylish hillside pool villas and updated interiors with an alluring Guerlian spa and revamped La Case de L'Isle eatery. At the quieter Le Toiny Brit designer Lady Bee Osburn arranges a romantically chic narrative inside the property's 14 freshly outfitted villas and new Toiny Beach Club that does beachfront dining and a sultry apres-beach cocktail scene.
Each year brings with it a guessing game of what's new among the island's top dining spots. This year, a bit of the South of France arrives with La Guerite which brings a follow-up to its well-known eatery just outside of Cannes. Located at the far end of the port, a stylish open-air dining room offers Mediterranean cuisine with nodes of Greek gastronomy by chef Yannis Kioroglou. L' Espirit remains one of the island's top gastronomic eateries by chef Jean-Claude Dufour who serves dishes like roast pigeon in Salines while Jean-Georges Vongerichten remains the top culinary name at Eden Rock with casual daytime and formal dining options. Perhaps the dark horse of the season, however, is Hotel Taiwana in Flamands who doubled-down on its recent renovation with a stellar new dining room. Following a guest stint by 3-star Paris chef David Toutain, expect dishes like grilled fish, lobster and entrecote in a dramatic waterfront dining room.
The final weeks of December bring with them the opening parties of places like Le Ti and Le Yacht Club that expand to nightly operation. At the beach, look for La Plage and Nikki Beach to lure daytime revelers as well as New Year's Eve overflow of those that weren't invited to the starrier, more private soirees across the island. And for something even more exclusive, stop by the new Le White Bar at Isle de France or The First for a Christmas toast that requires neither an advanced reservation, nor a strategy for navigating your way to the bar in a high-season St. Barths.
