Saint Barthélemy: Pipiri Palace

“Laughter is sunshine, it chases winter from the human face.”
-Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

Perhaps even better than laughter for chasing winter from the face is laughter + St. Barts with old friends.  The combination is positively summery!

We decided to meet up at Pipiri Palace.  Might I suggest that when you are feeling that St. Barts has maybe changed too much (or feel left out because you just discovered the island and hear all these great stories of days of yore) that you pay a visit to Pipiri.   Wander in for some traditional creole food or a salad or burger in a simple yet charming dining room right in the heart of Gustavia.  Pipiri is the perfect place to sit back, relax and laugh with a glass of wine while enjoying a light lunch.  The service is warm and welcoming.  During the day the place is filled with locals many of whom make Pipiri their regular stopping off place for some midday nourishment.

Our midday nourishment on the day we visited was on the simpler side.  Our friends enjoyed the cheeseburger and frites and the Caesar salad.  “Would you like bacon or chicken with the Caesar?”  Or?  “Both please!”

We went the fish (shocking!) route.  The shrimp creole salad was a slightly more “exotic” version of what we had a La Gloriette a few days earlier.  Grilled shrimp, mango, tomatoes, carrots, peppers and chives were tossed with romaine and finished with a zesty creole vinaigrette.

The mahi mahi tartare was studded with tomatoes and cucumbers and was bright with citrus.  The balsamic glaze that decorated the plates and the salads was (perhaps unintentionally?) retro but is that not the point?

After lunch we headed to the church in Loriet to watch a rehearsal by the extremely talented musicians who were on the island for the annual Music Festival.  We were treated to a wonderful (albeit brief) performance from Les Misérables!  Winter had been officially chased from our faces!