Our pandemic trip to St. Lucia in February 2021 landed us at the all-inclusive resort Anse Chastenet, with a fabulous view of the famous St. Lucia Pitons.  One of the best things about our stay at Anse Chastenet was that it is a sister hotel to Jade Mountain Resort, consistently rated as one of the best resorts in the Caribbean, so we were able to eat dinner at the Jade Mountain Club for a $40 surcharge per person.  Even though the food at Anse Chastenet was amazing, the experience at Jade Mountain was exceptional, and one of the most incredible dining experiences I’ve had in the Caribbean. 

When you arrive at the top of the mountain at the resort, someone is there to greet you to take you to the “Celestial Terrace” above the restaurant for cocktails, and an amazing sunset view over the Pitons.  After you’ve had the chance to enjoy your drink and the views, you are escorted back down to the restaurant, which has the signature open fourth wall two-thirds of the way around the place.  The decor is minimal, sleek.  The view is pretty much gone, though, because it gets dark at 6pm when you are that much closer to the equator.

The service here is beyond compare.  They know your names before you even sit down, even if you are not staying at Jade Mountain proper.  The servers are easygoing, funny, and not stuffy. They have a formal vibe, mixed with Caribbean chill. The pacing of the meal was perfect.  The bread service, which is unheard of in the Caribbean, is stellar.  We tried at least four different types of breads ranging from focaccia to an onion roll.  They were served with several different kinds of butters and dips ranging from mild to very spicy.  The bread was consistently good, never stale and never old.  The most memorable part of this meal was probably the bread service because it’s just so unusual to have great bread in the Caribbean or Central America.  

There is a fixed three course menu, where you choose one option from each section.  Honestly, we devoured the food so quickly, I didn’t have time or the thought to take many photos (this was in my pre-blogging days!), nor can I remember what we ate, apart from the fact that it was all expertly prepared and extremely delicious.  This was three-star Michelin dining in the middle of the Caribbean.  It was our anniversary on the day we went to dinner, so they prepared a special dessert for us which was rich and chocolaty and plated artfully. All of the chocolate that they use is produced at their own “Emerald Farm”.  We even got a couple of complimentary chocolate bars to take with us after the meal!

After dinner, we went back to our room with full bellies and smiles on our faces from the supremely elevated experience at the top of the hill.  We decided that we would go back for our final meal in St. Lucia, and we did.  The $40 surcharge was meaningless compared to the level of service and cuisine you will experience there.  The rooms at Jade Mountain are totally unaffordable, but the experience at the Jade Mountain Club is worth every extra penny.