Sarafina’s: Going to France for Lunch
With everyone speaking English on our side of the island, it’s easy to forget that we are in “Europe.” But once every while, it’s nice to be able to cross the border to France for breakfast, have some fine French pastries and coffee while surrounding yourself with French people around you, come back with a freshly-made baguette for later, and still make it in time for class. I’m talking about Sarafina’s, my absolute favorite French bakery on the island.
For lunch, I really like their hot-pressed paninis, cold sandwiches, and quiches. Their gelatos are also really good… soft, creamy, and made from fresh ingredients. It’s a good way to end lunch. Their tarts, puff pastries, eclairs and cakes are all beautifully crafted and I’m sure taste as good as they look. In the states, I don’t often go to a bakery to buy bread, but seeing many French people come here to buy all different types of fresh-baked loaves of bread to take back home, I decided to give it a try. Their bread is surprisingly inexpensive. I bought a large loaf of basil bread for only 1.2 euros, and it was absolutely amazing… soft in the center, chewy, and rich in basil taste. Their croissants are also really good.
Atmosphere:
The setting is casual and a great place to go and bond with friends. I especially like dining on their sofa chairs.
Service:
The people there have always been very nice in my experience. They often start speaking to you in French, but are happy to switch to English when you give them a blank look.
Food:
Always fresh and always a pleasure to look at.
Sarafina’s is located in Marigot, the capital of French Saint Martin. It’s nice to get away from campus once every while and experience a little bit of French charm just a short drive away. Here are directions on how to get there:
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Benji – Thanks for the great site. I found you while looking for a few grocery stores to visit on my cruise next week. Then I noticed you went to Wash U, where my best friend is currently studying for her PhD ever so far from her Californian roots. Best of luck and hope you keep on blogging!
Thanks! I hope you have a great time on your cruise next week!
My partner and I recently visited Sarafina’s while on a cruise. It was the most amazing place I have ever been to. The food was heavenly. We shared a sandwich and a chocolate croissant and an apple tart. It cost us less than $13.00 for all of this. I wish they would ship their goodies to me in the states. Cant wait to go back there very soon.
Thanks for visiting Terry! I definitely agree… Sarafina’s is one of my favorite places to eat on the island and now that I’m off-island, I really miss it too! I’m glad you had a great time on your cruise! 🙂
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your blog is absolutely amazing and so well put together. I will be visiting St. Maarten in 2 weeks. I have compiled a list of so many things to do, just from browsing your blog. It’s so informative, from the details and hyperlinks. To pictures and other important information. A job well done, please never stop blogging. Words can’t really express how well put together your entire site is.