$$$$Price: Very Expensive • Italian • St. John
Chatting with a long time St. John visitor on the beach, I asked what his favorite restaurant was on the island. Without hesitation, he said “Zozo’s”. I quickly made a reservation for later that week and we were not disappointed. The setting — in the ruins of what used to be the posh Caneel Bay resort — is stunning. As the sun is starting to dip low in the western sky, Adirondack chairs right on the beach welcome you for a pre-dinner cocktail (and the cocktail menu is great). Once at your table for dinner, the service is friendly, professional and relaxed. As they emphasize, the table is yours for the night, so there’s no rushing through your meal here. We even got up in between courses and went for a short stroll. And the relaxed pace is great, because the food is outstanding and worth savoring. Everything we had was delicious — from the charcuterie to the entrees to the dessert, honestly no bad choices. Also a very nice wine list. The owner was on site welcoming guests, and he clearly knows how to run a top-notch restaurant. If you’re looking for a really awesome fine dining experience on St. John, you need to try Zozo’s. It’s worth the taxi/drive from Cruz Bay.
