t has been another eventful year on the island’s gastronomic circuit. More awards brought home from the Taste of the Caribbean contest in Miami, heated competition in the Taste of St Maarten and numerous prestigious awards and accolades earned by our chefs from the world renowned food critics, GaultMillau.

Though St Maarten/St Martin has long merited its accolade as ‘Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean’, it has become even more apparent that our island chefs and restaurateurs see no limits in continuing to raise the bar in creativity, innovation, quality, choice and service. There has been an immense surge of activity and a growing sense of community amongst our chefs this past year with the recent establishment of the Friendly Island Chefs’ Association and seemingly endless culinary events throughout the year.

Together, St Maarten/St Martin’s culinary stars continue to bring you an unrivalled gastronomic experience. Best Gastronomy is proud to be able to help introduce you to our world-class restaurants and chefs. Inside, you’ll find stories about our gastronomic successes, meet the people who make it happen…and discover some recipes that will inspire you to take the taste of St Maarten/St Martin home with you.

The featured menus will give you a head start on choosing your table – very useful with around 400 restaurants on the island! Some restaurants have chosen to feature a shortened version of their menu or just their specials, so for the complete menu and regular updates on daily specials and upcoming culinary events please visit our website www.bestgastronomy.com.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported Best Gastronomy 2008. Our restaurants, advertisers, the SHTA and GaultMillau, and look forward to another year of delicious dining.