Cuisine: Nouvelle Caribbean
Hours: Tues-Sun 6:30-10:30pm
Location: Atlantis Casino, Cupecoy, St. Maarten
Phone: 599/54-52254
Web site: http://www.nouveaucaribbean.com
Prices: Main courses US$25-US$37

Owner-chef Dino Jagtiani also brings us Rare at the Atlantis Casino. Chances are you'll love his inventive menu that is full of flavor and freshness. Each dish is unique such as the grilled peach salad that uses hydroponic garden greens tossed with rosemary-flavored fresh peaches, candied pecans, and blue cheese. Have you ever had a hot and cold soup in the same bowl? Composed of chilled avocado gazpacho and Cuban-style black bean soup this soup is unlike anything you have ever had! An incredible dish is the caramelized onion-crusted Atlantic salmon with eggplant fondue and Italian sausage. The chef also offers the island's best wine list and scrumptious desserts such as cheesecake featuring white chocolate ganache and toasted coconut/peanut ice cream, or a wet chocolate cobbler with macadamias and homemade pistachio ice cream.

Cuisine: Steak
Hours: Daily 6-10:30pm
Location: Atlantis Casino, Cupecoy, St. Maarten
Reservations: Reservations required
Phone: 599/54-55714
Web site: http://www.dare-to-be-rare.com
Prices: Main courses US$20-US$54

Some have claimed this is the best and most classic "chophouse" in the Caribbean. The chef selects only the choice cuts, which are aged to perfection. Rare is the only place in the Caribbean to offer certified Angus prime beef. The house specialty is a 16-ounce dry aged Angus strip steak -- hand cut, and grilled to your liking. The fork-tender veal chop, weighing 12 ounces, is incredibly delicious. Perhaps the best choice for steak lovers is the "de-constructed porterhouse," a 16-ounce dry aged strip.

Cuisine: International, Seafood
Hours: Mon-Sat 6:30-10pm
Location: Simpson Bay Yacht Club, Airport Rd, St. Maarten
Reservations: Reservations recommended
Phone: 599/54-42421
Prices: Main courses US$24-US$37

This is the most creative and cutting-edge restaurant in St. Maarten. It's a gorgeous setting, resembling a Spanish colonial structure from the outside, and lined with rich mahogany inside. The menu changes every 2 days, but there's always a low-fat selection for those of you who are looking to shed a few pounds. Yellowfin tuna might be grilled with basmati rice or wasabi-flavored butter and daikon leaves. Another dish is crispy-fried black sea bass with an Asian-style sauce of fermented black beans and scallions. Rack of venison is often featured with port sauce or some other sauce concocted by owner/chef John Jackson, who hails from Saratoga Springs, New York.

Cuisine: French, Italian
Hours: Daily 11am-9:30pm
Address: 119 Front St
Location: Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Reservations: Reservations recommended
Phone: 599/54-22964
Prices: Main courses lunch US$8-US$20, dinner US$16-US$37

In a lovely setting by the sea, Antoine's serves fine food with sophistication and style. The service is first-class and the wine list impressive. Start off with a cocktail in the bar while you peruse the menu. If it's featured, try the baked red snapper filet delicately flavored with white wine, lemon, shallots, and a butter sauce, or lobster thermidor. Although the veal and beef are shipped in frozen, they're used in some rather good dishes -- try the veal scaloppini with its smooth, perfectly balanced mushroom, lemon, and butter sauce.