For years, those in search of a chic hangout on the dual-nation island of St. Martin/St. Maarten were best advised to head for the French side. But all that changed in 2008, when Karakter quite literally rolled up on Simpson Bay Beach.
The scene at Karakter revolves around an old school bus converted into a restaurant and bar by husband-and-wife team Jorrit Heekelaar and Marleen Gerritsen. It sits beneath casuarina trees on a formerly neglected strip of sand next to Princess Juliana International Airport. Heekelaar and Gerritsen, who hail from the Netherlands, spent a couple of years working at restaurants and bars around the island before hatching their plan for this stretch of beach. Zoning rules wouldn’t permit them to build a permanent structure, says Heekelaar, so “when we found the school bus, we said, ‘Aha! That’s it!’”
More atmospheric lounge than bona fide beach bar, Karakter sports comfy beanbag chairs and soft sofas in the sand at water’s edge. There’s a rope swing employed by kids and adults alike. A stool at a table on the deck makes a great place for a seriously entertaining survey of the locals-heavy crowd, younger and trendier than at other Simpson Bay watering holes, which typically cater to yachties. The bar is chill, with a lush sound system and live jazz in the evenings. Says Heekelaar, “We wanted this to be like a living room on the beach.”
Yes, there is the frequent roar of planes coming and going at the busy airport, but the din is made palatable by the comfort of a full menu of specialty cocktails. Plenty of good food includes fresh fruit shakes, healthful salads and sandwiches, and a tapas menu featuring bacon-wrapped dates and goat cheese, plus a splendid tuna tapenade. It’s a little fancier than you’d expect from an old school bus on a forgotten stretch of sand, but St. Maarten is full of surprises.
Karakter, Simpson Bay Road 121, Simpson Bay, St. Maarten, 599-523-9983; karakterbeach.com
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