St Barths was everything it was cracked up to be...and more.

 

After years of fantasizing about the most famous Leeward island in the French West Indies, suffice to say, expectations were sky high. It's no secret that it's a top pick among the celebrity, jetsetting, yacht-loving crowd, and the Christmas and New Year holiday frenzy is infamous (we're talking island-wide gridlock and tripled prices across the board). And we have plenty of trusted friends who continue to rave about it year after year.

 

After five blissful days on this slice of paradise, it was clear the island's popularity IS well-deserved, with its unparalleled wealth of stunning beaches, delicious food from beach shacks to Michelin stars, world-class shopping, and that certain stylish sensibility that the French have perfected to a T. 

 

As anyone will tell you, getting there is part of the fun. You'll breathe a sigh of relief after your 6-seater plane threads a saddle, dives down over a traffic circle, and screeches to a stop just feet from the St Jean beach. But once you've had a drink to celebrate your survival/arrival, you'll want to save your appetite for some of the best food the Caribbean has to offer.

 

Find out what to eat and where on beautiful St Barths.