Testimonials of the Rainforest Hideaway

Fodor's Reviews:
British chef Jim Verity, whose parents own the new Discovery at Marigot Bay resort, masters and beautifully presents fusion fare at this romantic fine-dining hideaway on the north shore of Marigot Bay. It's definitely worth the 20-minute-or-so drive from Castries. A little ferry whisks you to the alfresco restaurant, perched on a dock, where you're greeted with complimentary champagne. You'll be blown away by entrées such as balsamic-glazed roast quail, five-spice roast fillet of beef, or citrus-marinated wild salmon, accompanied by rich sauces, exotic vegetables, and excellent wines -- not to mention the blanket of stars in the sky overhead and the live jazz several times a week.

Keep in mind: Reservations essential. Credit Cards: AE, D, MC, V Closed: Closed Tues. No lunch

One of our favorite dining experiences in the Caribbean!!!

We dined here during our stay in 2006. The Rainforest Hideaway was far more than we had dared hope for. From the moment we crested the hill and started descending on Marigot Bay (about 20 minutes south of Castries), we knew it was going to be something special. Marigot Bay is a small harbor with emerald water and is a prime port for catamarans and other sailing boats and small yachts. We parked the car and then hopped a water ferry across the bay to the Hideaway. This place was simply beautiful and absolutely "oozed" character! The only way you could get to the restaurant was by boat (even the evening's jazz trio arrived on the water taxi!) and the restaurant was beautifully laid out around a series of piers and up into the rain forest (I had a little tree frog for a companion in the men's room!). And what was especially nice is that the service and food more than matched the ambience. My 6 year old daughter and wife loved their duck, while my 18 year old daughter practically licked her beef tenderloin clean. My risotto with jerked shrimp and scallops was really yummy and my Thai pumpkin and coconut soup was out of this world! This was definitely a dining experience I would love to repeat and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone visiting the island. Just make sure that you make reservations as I got the distinct impression that if you didn't have reservations, you weren't dining there!

Food: 5.0 Atmosphere: 5.0 Service: 5.0 Value: 5.0 RATING: 5.0 Posted by WineTraveller from Wilmington, DE on 6/8/08

From Fodors: http://www.fodors.com/world/caribbean/st-lucia/review-175798.html

Trip Advisor Reviews:

Dec 14 2008
I have visited this restaurant many many times over the last few years and it has stayed my no.1 restaurant out of every place I, and my friends, have ever dined at. The food and the service has been consistently excellent on every visit. The ambience is enchanting from the time you disembark from the ferry, that takes you there, to the waterside seating amongst the surrounding greenery littered with twinkling lights. It has a lovely romantic setting yet comfortable for a group of friends to enjoy a pleasant evening, as was the case with my party of friends. I enjoy good food and exploring different tastes and this restaurant has never failed to deliver. The food and presentation is outstanding and my party of friends have enjoyed many a good evening here, whether it be enjoying the food or sitting in the bar/dock area sipping a cocktail whilst listening to the jazz music. I hope you find this review of some help, as it is my first one of this place, and enjoy it as much as we all did.

Dec 13, 2008
We visited the Rainforest Hideaway during our stay at Ti Kaye Village (which we loved). We went by land taxi with three other couples. When we arrived at Marigot Bay, we boarded a water taxi for a short ride across the harbor. Marigot has to be one of the most picturesque small harbors anywhere. We were already enthralled before we even sat down to our table, which was right on the water, next to a small boat enclosure lit with underwater lights.
We could tell right from the start that the service persons were experts in their craft - just the right amount of visits to our table to check on things, without being intrusive. We started by sharing the pumpkin/coconut soup, which was excellent. We received several complementary items throughout our meal - bruschetta, a palate cleansing sorbet, a spring roll - all of which we consumed through wide smiles. By the time our entrees arrived, we were casting each other knowing glances, as we realized we were enjoying a world class dining experience. I had the chili infused shrimp and scallop, which came with a ginger cream sauce. I fancy myself somewhat of a gourmet cook, but I knew with one bite that this was a sauce I couldn't recreate in a million tries. Midway through the meal, I performed the most unselfish act in our entire 20 years of marraige - I gave my wife one of my shrimp and let her sample my risotto. She was hesitant, and really had to evaluate my worth as a husband carefully, but thankfully she did decide to reciprocate and share with me a couple bites of her tenderloin, which was Angus heaven. We were in total bliss at this point, and so opted to finish with a simple local ice cream. I think we didn't want to muddle the memories of our entrees too much. When leaving, I walked by the kitchen pass through, and had a short eye contact with chef. I got the impression he could tell by my ridiculous grin how I was feeling. My wife was just staring across the harbor and humming to herself. I don't think she snapped out of this mood for quite some time. In our lives most of us are given only a small number or truly memorable, edge of the art, dining experiences. It's not always certain when or where these will occur. I can assure you that The Rainforest Hideaway is likely to be one for you. If you're within a reasonable number of nautical miles of St. Lucia, I wouldn't miss it for the world. Now I'm left wondering how quickly I can justify getting myself back there....it's only 20 hours travel time from Seattle afterall....

Nov 17, 2008

Went to St Lucia for a get a way break for a week with my boyfriend. We have been reading about Rainforest Hideaway and thought we would
try it. What a nice place it is!! The staff are lovely, food is out of this world. A good choice. They had a man playing Jazz which made it so romantic. We sat at the front and just watched the world go by. The pool they have in the centre is a really nice idea. You can see loads of fish swimming around.
Would definatley come back again :)

Dec 8, 2008

We had the chance to visit RFH twice in November 2008 on the strong
recommendation of our resort manager.
The service at RFH is excellent with the waiters being attentive and chatty whilst not over bearing. One was even a bit of an amateur photographer and took a great
picture of my wife and me!
A 2 course meal was EC$120, 3 was EC$160. When you add in the complimentary bruschetta, chef special and sorbet you're actually being treated to 5 or 6 courses though!
The Aberdeen Angus steak was so tender and the lamb ribs and prawns delicious in every way.
We met diners who came from elesewhere on St Lucia just to dine at RFH
- well worth the journey!!
Easily the best restaurant in Marigot, probably St Lucia - we didn't stay long enough to try out too many. However the fact that we went back for our last night on the island was our way of saying, "this place sums up so many good memories of St Lucia".

Oct 24, 2008
I chose this restaurant from recommendations on the forum for my fiance's 35th birthday and was so pleased I had. From the moment we stepped of the boat onto the dock and walked over the wooden bridge, we knew we had arrived at a v.special place. We had our drinks in the bar area under a ceiling of fairy lights until we were shown our table. The staff were great, professional yet friendly and couldn't do enough for you. The food was to die for, the fillet of beef mouthwatering and the creme brulee a delight, all beautifully presented. We actually ended up eating here a few nights in the end and pricewise, was v.reasonable as well. I would highly recommend this place for a great dining experience for the great food, the staff, the magical setting of being on the water's edge amongst the rainforest, surrounded by pretty fairy lights and where else would you catch a boat to dine in a restaurant:)

Jun 1, 2008
3/3 found this review helpful
No matter where you stay in St Lucia...the Rainforest Hideaway is a must. There are ferrys that run almost every 5-10minutes 24-7 once you get a taxi to the pier, or I recommend taking a water taxi from wherever you stay in St Lucia...it's usually faster, and cheaper. (most taxi rides around the island are $90-250USD roundtrip)

The open air atmosphere is amazing. You feel like you're in the middle of a rainforest, with untouched, rugged beauty, yet it's classy and clean.

Definitely get there earlier than your reservation, or plan on staying for awhile after your meal to sit on the bar deck for a drink. It's a great spot.

The service was a perfect blend of classy, prompt service with the laid back, fun attitude of the Lucians. (Ask for Steven...he's a legend)

and last, but not least, was the food. It was caribbean food with an upgraded, sophisticated flair. We ate at 10 different places throughout St Lucia, including Coal Pot (which is fantastic)...but this was the best.

We are spoiled here in NYC with our restaurants, but would go back to St Lucia...just to eat at this restaurant. Yes, it is that good.

Jul 1, 2008
Whilst staying at the Ti Kaye resort we did book a table at the Rainforest Hideaway. TK now do a regular shuttle, a couple of times a week, or will arrange individual Water Taxis at US$70 per couple. It's ten minutes by boat or 25mins by land taxi, but unless you are "extremely" susceptible to motion sickness, the boat transfers is the only way to go. The whole experience of leaving TK in the dark, seeing the resort lit up behind you, was very ethereal. The quick blast around to Marigot Bay (it's only a couple of miles as the Parrot Fish swims), gives a brief view of that part of the Island, and entering Marigot itself, with all the lights of the surrounding resorts reflecting off the water, is the very best way to start your meal, and you have not even arrived yet !!

Mine-Host, Jean Renee, an extremely obliging gentleman, who happily conversed on the TA forum with me before the visit, had arranged a table on the point for us. However, we arrived with another couple and asked if the two twos could be made into four. Now even at a large restaurant, right in the middle of service, this can be a problem. Yet with a casual wave of his hand Jean Renee conjured up a table for 4, on the point, and continued to provide a magical dinning experience for the rest of our evening.

This meal trip should be on every TK residents "Must Do" list. We eventually left at 23:30, and the return water taxi, across a black sea, under the gleaming stars, is definitely a tick in the box of one of lifetimes memorable experiences.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g671541-d781434-r20953691-Rainforest_Hideaway-Marigot_Bay_St_Lucia.html

For reservations and bookings, call +758 451 4485 or +758 286 0511

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