Dining at The Terrace St John... a review
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 5:14 pm
My husband and I enjoyed our dinner at The Terrace St John in Cruz Bay on November 13, 2012.
http://theterracestjohn.com/
This lovely stone building stands alone, beach side, across the street from the Beach Bar.
I had called for reservations at six and asked for a table with a view of the water. We had not eaten at any of the previous restaurants in this location. Our past dining experiences in Cruz Bay have not included what I think to be "fine dining" experiences... Caneel, La Tapa, Zozo's, or Asolare, so I can not compare The Terrace with any of these.
We were warmly greeted by owner, Robin Miner, as we topped the stairs. A few people were seated at the nearby bar. Our table was in the front balcony corner and afforded both of us the awesome views of boats bobbing in Cruz Bay. There is an inner room in the center of the restaurant that is very open to the balcony; it had a very light yet refined feeling and would be a pleasant dining space.
Linens and printed materials were first class and the chairs comfortable. A small oil lamp added a glow to the twilight.
Our waitress for the evening was Jodi and she was attentive yet non-intrusive, with a friendly smile and manner. Two or three other servers were working... all dressed in black with long white bistro chef aprons. I like that look! Dish wares are white and simple. Nice!
I do not recall any kind of music in the restaurant. The Beach Bar and Motu (on the other side) were quiet; we heard the ferries, occasional vehicles, and voices from the street, but none were intrusive. By the time we finished, 15 to 20 people were seated around us, but the tables are well spaced for a desired comfort level.
I must admit that we did not even glance at the wine list (someone else will cover this, I hope). Our first serving was bread and butter... a whole wheat roll with three small balls of flavored butter. Personal preference would have been for a small piece of baguette, but these were good.
We ordered salads... mine was the organic greens and roasted beets. Delicious! The bacon lardons were an excellent addition to this salad.
My date chose the chicory and spiced walnuts and he deemed it very tasty!
Our entrees were the sauteed mahi mahi for him...
and the filet mignon au poivre for me...
Shared dessert was a decadent chocolate terrine which was heavenly.
Our evening and food was upscale by our measures... in my opinion, the Miners are doing a very good job of presenting fine food in a relaxed atmosphere with just the right touch of charm and ambiance. If back on the island, we are certain to return to The Terrace!
Prices did not seem unreasonable for the quality of food, service, and location.
My only complaint would be that several times we were addressed as "Guys". I know. It is such a common form of address, but I still don't like it anywhere.
(The iPhone without flash resulted in rather dark photos. I hope that you can see how rich the presentation is!)
http://theterracestjohn.com/
This lovely stone building stands alone, beach side, across the street from the Beach Bar.
I had called for reservations at six and asked for a table with a view of the water. We had not eaten at any of the previous restaurants in this location. Our past dining experiences in Cruz Bay have not included what I think to be "fine dining" experiences... Caneel, La Tapa, Zozo's, or Asolare, so I can not compare The Terrace with any of these.
We were warmly greeted by owner, Robin Miner, as we topped the stairs. A few people were seated at the nearby bar. Our table was in the front balcony corner and afforded both of us the awesome views of boats bobbing in Cruz Bay. There is an inner room in the center of the restaurant that is very open to the balcony; it had a very light yet refined feeling and would be a pleasant dining space.
Linens and printed materials were first class and the chairs comfortable. A small oil lamp added a glow to the twilight.
Our waitress for the evening was Jodi and she was attentive yet non-intrusive, with a friendly smile and manner. Two or three other servers were working... all dressed in black with long white bistro chef aprons. I like that look! Dish wares are white and simple. Nice!
I do not recall any kind of music in the restaurant. The Beach Bar and Motu (on the other side) were quiet; we heard the ferries, occasional vehicles, and voices from the street, but none were intrusive. By the time we finished, 15 to 20 people were seated around us, but the tables are well spaced for a desired comfort level.
I must admit that we did not even glance at the wine list (someone else will cover this, I hope). Our first serving was bread and butter... a whole wheat roll with three small balls of flavored butter. Personal preference would have been for a small piece of baguette, but these were good.
We ordered salads... mine was the organic greens and roasted beets. Delicious! The bacon lardons were an excellent addition to this salad.
My date chose the chicory and spiced walnuts and he deemed it very tasty!
Our entrees were the sauteed mahi mahi for him...
and the filet mignon au poivre for me...
Shared dessert was a decadent chocolate terrine which was heavenly.
Our evening and food was upscale by our measures... in my opinion, the Miners are doing a very good job of presenting fine food in a relaxed atmosphere with just the right touch of charm and ambiance. If back on the island, we are certain to return to The Terrace!
Prices did not seem unreasonable for the quality of food, service, and location.
My only complaint would be that several times we were addressed as "Guys". I know. It is such a common form of address, but I still don't like it anywhere.
(The iPhone without flash resulted in rather dark photos. I hope that you can see how rich the presentation is!)
