St. Bart’s is upscale yet unpretentious

ST. JEAN, St. Barthelemy — Wheels up at the island of St. Maarten and we skim across the waters of the French West Indies to St. Barthelemy, a tiny Caribbean jewel for Francophiles, foodies and fashionistas.

The island is a haven for the chic and the hip. Cutoffs rarely meet the dress code, unless they’re designed as such and topped off by a fabulously sexy top — for men or women.

St. Barthelemy has a couple of pet names. Americans tend to say St. Bart’s, while the Francophiles declare the nickname is St. Barth, though still prounonced “Bart.”

The capital is Gustavia, a port town resembling a Mediterranean village with stucco buildings and colorful decor. The world’s top designer boutiques, including Hermes and Roberto Cavalli, line the streets, along with myriad restaurants and cafes.

The second major community on this dot in the ocean is St. Jean, also a shopper’s paradise with elegant hotels and inns on the beach and nestled in the mountains just above the commercial area.

The language is French, the atmosphere refined and laid back and the currency is the euro on this island that’s far more European than it is Caribbean.

Typically, you fly to St. Bart’s via nearby St. Maarten, the Dutch side of an island that’s shared with the French St. Martin.

On the beach at St. Jean, topless is de rigueur, though not mandatory. No worries if you don’t have the perfect magazine-cover figure; you see all ages and shapes enjoying the sun, pure white sand and turquoise sea, sans swimsuit top.

For guests of the world-class Eden Rock hotel, ice buckets with your beverage of choice (usually Perrier and Evian) along with a petite brochette of pineapple, blueberry, watermelon and cantaloupe, are brought to you in your personal lounge chair at midday by servers who could grace any modeling runway.

St. Bart’s feels unassuming and unpretentious despite its wealth. Shoppers who shyly ask whether an item is made in China are sweetly told that such merchandise is not found on St. Bart’s.

Instead, the boutiques are filled with clothing and accessories that come mostly from France and Italy, though Portugal and Romania appear on labels from time to time.

St. Bart’s also has a cottage industry that produces fashion items that are trendy as well as practical for the island’s uneven sidewalks: Flip-flops with leather straps decorated with turquoise, amber and gold stones have rubber soles.

Accommodations include the boutique Hotel Le Village St. Jean, perched on the mountainside of the town. Just below and on the beach is the exquisite Eden Rock, with Bulgari amenities, high-tech Euro decor and imported linens.

St. Bart’s is a great place to practice your French. Most people speak English as well, but prefer French and are delighted to help visitors struggle through their explanations en francais.

Spanish also is spoken, but this really is a place for Francophiles in every sense of the word. Ethnic restaurants, whether Italian or Asian, have the distinctly French flair.

You’ll also find butcher shops with French cuts of meat, vegetable markets, pastry shops and grocery store shelves stocked with canned goods from France.

What you won’t see is a sprawling golf course. Not one.

Hotels offer packages that often include a car. With driving on the right and roads generally in good shape, tooling around St. Bart’s is an uncomplicated diversion when you’re shopped out and seeking new adventures.
> or 877-563-7105. Rates begin at $1,017, or 685 euros, from Jan. 4 to April 11.