Zee Best Breakfast! Voted best breakfast on the island. Authentic, fresh-baked French pastries, light-as-air crepes and scrumptious lunches. Open daily in two locations; Simpson Bay and Marina Port-de-Plaisance with a lovely view of the marina.
An Island Treasure
Located at the foothills of Paradise Pic (Pic Paradis) is a magical place called the Lotterie Farm. Between 1721 and 1848, it was known as Lotterie Plantation and was renowned for its sugar. Today, original slave walls still surround the property that once housed 300 slaves. BJ Welsh took over the place after Hurricane Luis devastated the island in 1995. "I took a look at the place and took it as a sign that I had to change my life and this was it," says Welsh. "I didn't know the name of a plant or a tree, but I knew I had to learn." Today, you can quiz Welsh on every plant, tree and rock and he knows the name.
These days, Lotterie Farm is a private nature retreat that has trails leading to the top of Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island. It serves superb lunches on the covered terrace overlooking the gardens with towering mango trees. By evening, diners flock to try its outstanding menu, which has led to it being recognized around the world as one of the most exciting places to dine in the Caribbean.
Julie Purkis (of Kanga Café fame from 1992-2000) now lends her talents as the chef at Lotterie Farm. A self-taught chef, Purkis' repertoire is astounding. "It's a joy to work in such a wonderful atmosphere and I just look at the view and I get inspired," she says. Among the standout dishes to try here are the shrimp spring roll, baked brie in puff pastry on a fresh garden salad adorned with mango chutney, avocados stuffed with tuna and capers, accras (saltfish fritters), beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce and Purkis' signature dish: curry spinach chicken. Lotterie Farm is an island treasure for the location, food and ambience, with yoga classes on Saturday mornings.
You'll just have to ditch the diet and enjoy more than three meals a day while in St. Maarten/St. Martin. Check out our Dining Guide to plan ahead and get the full details and contact information for reservations for the islands great restaurants!
Race aboard Dennis Conner's famous Stars & Stripes, Canada II or True North. Special programs can be designed for regattas and incentive groups. No sailing experience necessary - just bring the urge to have fun!
Over 40 dive sites!
Scuba divers will find a wealth of dive sites to explore around the island with unique underwater landscapes including rocky mazes that shelter spadefish, octopi,
parrotfish, barracuda and turtles. There are also several shipwrecks that provide interesting reefs where all manner of sea life congregate. Certified divers can take advanced courses with dive masters from Dive Adventures/Aqua Mania, while novice divers can get certified with a few hours of instruction.
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Zee Best Breakfast! Voted best breakfast on the island. Authentic, fresh-baked French pastries, light-as-air crepes and scrumptious lunches. Open daily in two locations; Simpson Bay and Marina Port-de-Plaisance with a lovely view of the marina. 
Race aboard Dennis Conner's famous Stars & Stripes, Canada II or True North. Special programs can be designed for regattas and incentive groups. No sailing experience necessary - just bring the urge to have fun! 
Scuba divers will find a wealth of dive sites to explore around the island with unique underwater landscapes including rocky mazes that shelter spadefish, octopi,
parrotfish, barracuda and turtles. There are also several shipwrecks that provide interesting reefs where all manner of sea life congregate. Certified divers can take advanced courses with dive masters from Dive Adventures/Aqua Mania, while novice divers can get certified with a few hours of instruction. 
