Chateau Bordeaux

Sign says ‘Not a viewing deck. But if you want to join us for a mixed drink or food please come in.’ Understandable. I purchase a $ 10 dirty monkey (not very good) and tip the bartender well. I ask to go to the viewing deck, they refuse and say it’s for food only. There is one table of two people, not busy, I ask politely to take a quick 10 sec look and mention the sign, they keep refusing. Super lame. Either change the sign or change the policy.

This is a great lunch spot. Had a wonderful Mahi Mahi sandwich with sweet potato fries and the famous dirty monkey (no bananas were harmed in the making of this drink). The view is, as everyone says, absolutely amazing. Pricing is what one would expect on St John, $ 20 entrée, $ 10 drinks. Lorelei, the owner, gave great information on the islands of the BVI, seen in the distance. Timothy gave pleasant and good humored service. All in all we were very happy with our visit. Other reviewers have mentioned the chain across the door. Really it’s no big deal, just say «two for lunch» and you’ll be seated at the best available table. The chain is there to prevent aggressive tourists from disturbing diners.

Don’t always do this review thing but the experience we just had didn’t match the Unilocal star rating so I had to say something. Food was amazing, we ate breakfast and everything from our children’s pancakes to my mothers stuffed french-​toast was excellent. The service was great, friendly and considerate. Not only did he do a great job serving but also explaining the gorgeous views and all the islands we could see.
It was one of my favorite experiences so far this trip. Price was not bad and matched a typical New England non dinner brunch.

What a great way to finish up a morning at Trunk Bay. I had last been here 15 years ago with fond memories, and walked away today with even more, and more importantly my kids now have them too.
The staff was excellent and very attentive even as the place got busy and even moved chairs for us to take some excellent family pictures. With the restaurant full, they gave us a run down of the view which was quite nice.
Drinks were good, food was better. We had burgers and I have to say that The St. John burger with a slice of pineapple was surprisingly good.
After we left to look at the shop next door, we went back to the restaurant (which was now closed) and they unlocked the door for my son to use the bathroom… That alone negates some of the bad reviews I have read here.
Thanks for the memories!

Awesome views. Best coconut shrimp I’ve ever had. The family that owns this place is so nice. My husband and u also had the run punch and dirty monkey. Both so good. Would return here in a heartbeat. Go!!!

I’m not one to give a place a bad review, but sometimes it is what it is. The food at Château Bordeaux isn’t all that bad. It’s average food with an incredible view. If this restaurant was back home would I go to it… no. In this environment it’s a chance to grab a bite to eat while taking in the expansive views of Coral Bay. Prices are a little high, but that’s expected at a place like this where they don’t deal in volume. That’s where the sunshine story ends. Château Bordeaux seems to have a bit of an inflated ego. From the moment you attempt to step into the restaurant you are greeted by a chain blocking your entrance to the dining area. Nothing says welcome like a cold steel chain blocking your path. The staff seems to be warm and friendly, and proactively gives you some background on the islands off in the distance. Planning on splitting a lunch… think again. No matter what you order there is a 50% up charge. So your $ 15 hamburger is now $ 23. The chain… the 50% up charge on split meals… is all a reflection of them protecting the «pot of gold» they have with that view. I understand they don’t want throngs of people swinging by just to take pictures and then take off without ordering. Instead of creatively finding a way to deal with this, they create odd rules and processes that alienate actual customers. They are seeking a short term gain, but only end up with a long term loss. My family will not be returning, nor will we bring others. The view from Château Bordeaux is beautiful, but so is the rest of St John. Something has changed with this place over the years. Reality check Château Bordeaux… drop the defensiveness and change your attitude/​policies. Your businesses strict rules don’t reflect the spirit of St John!

Awesome view and a friendly staff. Food is pretty good (for the island) but avoid the burger at all costs. Fish, salads and wraps were all great.
I would go again. There outdoor seating just can’t be beat.

Please don’t support this restaurant. They built a fence blocking the beautiful view of the ocean (a dick move really) there are so many other wonderful restaurants on the island that have respect for the locals.

Good view, terrible food. My omelet was brown on both sides and had basically nothing inside it. $ 16 Had an extremely awesome secret hot sauce though!
Server was nice. You pay for the view.
The owner was walking around like a drill Sargent on patrol for anyone trying to sneak a view that wasn’t eating food. She looked evil and unhappy. Def didn’t send out good island vibes at all. There was even a chain on the entrance/​exit that they had to remove for you to get in or out.
This is not the old Château Bordeaux– THINGS HAVE CHANGED. Beware
Will not return.

Will never go here!!! Grew bamboo first to block view now built a fence. Selfish greedy people!

I’ve been coming to this restaurant /​patio bar since I was a young teen, and I have to say that this is the only time I’ve walked away extremely disappointed. The establishment boasts what is easily one of the most beautiful views on the island, but apparently the current owner doesn’t see this as a selling point, and restricts access to their deck view to customers who wish to sit and eat a meal. My party was very polite and ordered eighteen dollars worth of drinks, but were still told in no uncertain terms that we could not even take one step closer to the excellent view. Worse, I was with my mother, who has an extremely sentimental attachment to this particular vantage point, and despite her polite request to be allowed to take less than a minute to take a look at Coral Bay and a far-​off view of the house she has been vacationing at for over a decade, she was bluntly refused. The rationale, «People are eating lunch,» didn’t really hold much water due to the fact that the four other patrons on the patio didn’t look as though they’d be disturbed at all by one other person taking a momentary view, and when I asked if there was any time that might be more convenient to take a look at the view (in return for the purchase of over-​priced island drinks), the answer was «never.» I couldn’t help but notice that the establishment had deliberately grown trees to block the view from the road, something I would understand if they would at least charge for a better look at the bay, but this appears to be a case of an owner cutting off their own nose to spite their face. I can’t imagine this business lasting if it is going to appeal to tourists and long time property owners on the island. Being greeted by a smile and a welcome rather than a terse sign and a rude bartender would encourage repeat business in my opinion. I believe there is a saying about catching flies with honey rather than vinegar. .. It’s an apt one in this case. Be on the lookout for a change in management, but don’t order if you won’t be let past the restaurant door if you’re not willing to shell out fifty bucks for a light lunch and drinks. As an addendum, the «Original Dirty Monkey» I ordered was mostly icy water in a cheap plastic cup, a far cry from the ones I’ve had for years. Go elsewhere on the island for a quality drink.

Found this place while hiking today. Needed to use the restroom, so we ordered a smoothie. Employee who took our order said we could only use the restroom if we ordered an alcoholic drink! He was beyond rude. Manager walked by and let us use the facilities. I would never come back for a meal.

Although the view is lovely — our food was terrible and the service even worse. The restaurant was not even full and it took forever to get our drinks. But the worst was when we got our burgers… and they were definitely not made of beef. We didn’t even complain but when the owner asked rather indignantly if we liked it, one in out party who only ate ¼ of his lunch said, «I really didn’t — this doesn’t taste like beef!» And she was FURIOUS!!! Told us her food was excellent and that it was angus beef.
Definitely was not beef…

OMG! The rudest owner ever! Angry, she seems to hate tourists. I wouldn’t spend a dime in her restaurant… she put on this plastic self righteous smile and said have a nice day!

After a day at the beach, we were ready for some cocktails and apps. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and then stopped at the door. We were asked are you eating food? We said, maybe but we knew we wanted a few cocktails. So we were told we had to go back outside and sit at isolated tiny corner bar, since we were only here for cocktails. Then after they heard us picking out appetizers, we were allowed to come back through the restaurant to sit on the practically empty outside deck, it was 2:30 on a Tuesday. We could have done without that attitude when we walked through the door. This is the reason why I did not give them 5 stars.) But the view of coral bay is nice! The appetizers were fantastic, we had mac and cheese, fritters and coconut shrimp. Just wish they were open a little later for more time to chill and not so weird about our intentions as we had just walked in and hadn’t even seen a menu yet. I could see if they were packed and did not have many open tables, but there were plenty of open tables. It was a little strange, but we still liked the food and the view.

Took the drive up country to the château. The first thing we noticed was at least a 10 degree drop in temperature from Cruz Bay. The view of Coral Bay, the east end of St John, and the British Virgins was supreme.
The staff were all very friendly and jolly. The service spot on.
There were a few of us, so we all had a different lunch — I had the Mahi Mahi fish and chips. The Mahi was lightly breaded in a corn meal. Not greasy at all. You had a choice of regular or sweet potato chips all on a bed of greens and tomato. Another had the cheeseburger, which was very large and seasoned deliciously. Another had the spicy shrimp pasta. Lots of shrimp in a spicy curry style sauce. Another had the Mahi Mahi salad, which had a generous portion of fish and a nice dressing. The final order was for the Caribbean fish lunch plate. Generous portion of fish covered with a rich coconut milk sauce rice, and plantains.
We all shared the fried banana cheesecake smothered in several kinds of liqueur and topped with whipped cream.
Can’t forget the bar drinks. Very strong and generous pours.
Do make your way up to the château for delicious food, cool temperatures, and great views.

We visited Château Bordeaux during our last visit to St. John about 10 years ago and enjoyed our dinner there so much that we decided to go again this week during our trip back to the island, this time for lunch.
We had just finished a hike down and back up reef bay trail and we were all very hungry and thirsty. We were seated very quickly in a nice spot on the deck and our server brought us a round of drinks in a hurry. The place is very colorful, you could even say charming, and the deck view is fantastic. We were having lunch a bit late and shared the restaurant with just a few other tables during our time there. Our service throughout the meal was very good and we had a nice conversation with the server when things were slow.
But ultimately you go to a restaurant for the food and in this area I would say it was just ok. I had the Spicy Shrimp Pasta. The shrimp were a tad overcooked but the main issue was the pasta sauce. It wasn’t overly spicy but just too much of it. More like a bowl of sauce with noodles and shrimp and the sauce wasn’t that good to have so much of it.
My wife got the conch fritters and coconut shrimp and they were both «ok» but not as good as she had at Woodys, Miss Lucy’s, etc. Our friend got the Mahi sandwich and she said it was the worst of the 4 or 5 that she’s had during our visit. The kids had the fried Mac and cheese balls which sounded amazing but didn’t live up to the potential. They looked great and appeared to have plenty of cheese but somehow they were almost flavorless. We all loved the house made hot sauce and we it helped pick up the flavor in every dish we tried it with.
Several of us got a Dirty Monkey, the house specialty adult beverage. They really talk it up on the menu and within the restaurant but they don’t really tell you what it is. In fact, on the menu it just says «only our owner knows what’s in it». I would guess its includes crème de cocoa, rum, chocolate sauce, and a lot of whipped cream and may also have some ice cream or baileys in it as well. It packs a big punch but I would consider it a dessert drink more than a refreshing drink. Since we just wrapped up a long hike, it didn’t really hit the spot for any if us. It would be good if they would include at least some basic description on the menu so you can avoid it if it’s obviously not what you’re looking for.
We didn’t have a bad time and I would even go back again after a hike down reef bay trail but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get there. There are plenty of places with just as good of a view and service with better food around Cruz Bay or Coral Bay.

Great lunch spot! Fantastic view, good drinks (beware the Dirty Monkey if you have afternoon plans, it packs a punch) and good food. I had the St. John Burger with grilled pineapple (delicious) and my wife had the Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Sauce, also great. Lunch was accompanied by a handy geography lessons from the staff on the local islands.

My husband and I went last during the low season and were pleased to find the restaurant still operating on a limited basis for lunch. We were the only ones there (I guess the mountain gets little play off season due to its proximity to town?) and sat by the glass window which gave us a stellar view of the vast emerald forests on the island.
I got a Dirty Monkey, mostly because I wanted that sweet tourist button, and it was thick, sugar sweet, alochol-​rich, and chocolately. It’s kind of like a thick, frozen white russian but is a proprietary recipe as per the restaurant. Definitely needed two to finish it. We hung out for a while and ordered from the owner (manager?) who was there overseeing some small renovations to the new deck. She suggested the West Indian beef curry stew (may have been another meat) so I go that, and it was delish. The stew was fantastic, obviously cooked low and slow for a long time, and was served with carrots, some rice, and a corn cob dipped in batter and fried lightly. Really a nice, hearty lunch. The spices in the stew were out of this world, and it made me feel great :-)
I definitely recommend this place and would like to return during tourist season to enjoy what I’ve heard is a very lovely, upscale West Indies dinner service.

We discovered this place just after we had finished hiking the Reef Bay Trail on St. John and were looking for a cold drink. We were so impressed we made reservations to come back for dinner a few days later.
This brightly-​painted elegant little restaurant, with an adjoining café, gift shop and ice cream shop, is perched right on the top of Bordeaux Mountain (elevation about 1,150 feet) and has the most spectacular views of Coral Bay and the British Virgin Islands. It has apparently changed ownership after closing down for a while in 2009 due to the bad economy. The new owner, Lorelei, specializes in West Indian family recipes from her 94-​year-​old mother, who also owned a restaurant.
We both had the lobster bisque to start out, which was very rich and creamy. Our entrees were the conch, served in a traditional herb butter sauce with local funghi, and the West Indian lobster chowder, which were both excellent. The wine list is moderate, but selective. We were too full for dessert, but enjoyed some Patrón XO Café (a mixture of premium tequila and coffee) for an after-​dinner drink.
The specialty drink of the house, by the way, is called a Dirty Monkey. Lorelei is very secretive about the ingredients (not even her employees know — she pre-​mixes it herself every morning), but it tasted like bananas, coconut, malted milk, and of course rum.
Service from Lorelei and our waiter, Darrell, was gracious and friendly. Luckily, we happened to be there on a Wednesday, which is the day the restaurant features live music at dinner, which was calypso steel drum music from an older gentleman in traditional West Indian garb.
The restaurant is open for dinner on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only, so dinner reservations are required. Make sure you arrive before sundown in order to see and enjoy the view (although the night view is just as pretty in its own way). The restaurant is also open for lunch on the outdoor patio every day except Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Casual dress is fine for lunch, but since the dining room is on the elegant side, you’ll want to wear your best dress top over your shorts for dinner.
A great find!