As the happy few can acknowledge, life is good on St. Barths. Well, it just got a little better thanks to a collaborative effort of seasoned French hospitality groups Annie Famose, founded by the eponymous world and Olympic slalom champion, and Blackcode, an enterprise with a penchant for contemporary and sophisticated Japanese cuisine. The two entities have recently opened the doors of Nao Beach, a beach club and restaurant at a scenic spot alongside Baie de Saint-Jean. Situated smack on the beach, flanked by palm trees and with unobstructed sweeping views of the Atlantic, the venue is laid-back yet sophisticated—after all, this is St. Barths. The terrace setting, expertly put together by Lelièvre and Elitis, sees elegant custom-made furniture covered in artisanal palm leaf weavings, and obviously comes with ample shading provided by a reed-covered pergola. Mind you, the design has been created with the environment in mind, resulting in the use of recycled fluted wood and tables crafted from certified wood.
Adding to the Mediterranean vibe are a series of ceramics crafted by Milan-based designer Chiara Andreatti for Botteganove which are enshrined in delicate panels dressed in exotic leaves. The eye for detail and quality also extends to the table setting which features handmade chopstick stands shaped as seashells by Marion Graux, a ceramicist based in Paris, and soy dishes are made from olive tree wood. Helmed by seasoned chefs Alexandre Delage and Akihisa Kawai, respectively linked to the two aforementioned hospitality groups, the menu at Nao Beach expertly blends Japanese gastronomy with Mediterranean flavours. Unique and sophisticated, the fare also include plenty of local produce, resulting in dishes such as wahoo carpaccio seasoned with citrus and fennel, yuzukosho lobster sauce vierge. Exceptional products are also available, and Toro tataki smoked aubergine and stracciatella with Golden Imperial caviar.
Nao Beach
Baie de Saint-Jean
97133 Saint-Barthélémy
Telephone: +590 590 774748
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
