Dining Out: Treetop Restaurant St. Lucia

As soon as we decided on St. Lucia as the destination for our girls trip, we got to work researching the best possible outings and experiences. Our resort, Sugar Beach, was just outside the port city of Soufriere and when you search TripAdvisor for the top restaurants in that area, Treetop comes up every time.

The reviews were glowing and the photos looked incredible, so we all agreed it was worthy of one of our off-premise evenings. 

The night of our reservation, we were delighted to learn we'd have the same taxi driver who took us to Hotel Chocolat. He had a great sense of humor and shared our taste in music (though he only seemed to have the explicit versions of every song!). 

The drive took about 30 minutes. We descended the hill of Sugar Beach and drove through the city of Soufriere. On the other side of the city center, we made our way up the steepest hill we had encountered yet. I know I said this when I talked about our resort experience, but St. Lucia is not a place for people who get motion sickness or are afraid of heights. This drive was very intense. 

The final 10 minutes of the ride are on a very narrow, very bumpy dirt road. If we didn't already know and adore our taxi driver, I would have been very scared. In my Notes app on my phone, I wrote "death drive to the top." 

When we pulled up in front of the restaurant, at first I was relieved to be out of the car, and that relief quickly turned to regret when I saw the entrance. There are three or four stone steps up to the landing, followed by a steep ramp, and a rickety set of stairs to reach the host stand. I was immediately kicking myself for wearing a very tall platform shoe. I wished I had a magic wand to wave to switch me into flats. 

We checked in with the host / bartender, Hamilton, and he walked us up two more flights of stairs to the top deck of the restaurant. I teetered my way up, praying my shoes wouldn't betray me. 

As we emerged onto the roof deck, we were practically at eye level with the top of the Piton mountains. The view was incredible. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

We were up there with another group of gals on a girls trip and we took turns taking pictures for each other. These are some of my favorite photos from the entire trip, especially the candid shots they got of all of us laughing. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

It's hard to tell, but I am clutching the railing behind us. Though I am not normally nervous about heights, I felt very scared on this part of the deck and quickly retreated to the other side. They have Adirondack chairs and coffee tables so you can sit down, relax, and continue to take in the view. 

While we were on the top deck, a server brought us a round of welcome drinks. It was a punch with a very pretty peach hue. The drink was sweet, just how I like my cocktails. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

Each drink was served in a funky glass with gold detailing. I couldn't help but think how fun these would be for one of my future awards show parties. 

After about 20 minutes, the same server returned to let us know our table was ready. The dining area is on the second level and is decorated in bright orange, pink and purple hues.

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

Each of us had a different way to describe it. One friend said, "It feels like we're at Moulin Rouge!" Another added, "This feels like Aladdin!" And a third chimed in, "It's like we're inside a genie bottle!" 

Treetop Restaurant St LuciaTreetop Restaurant St Lucia

The tables on the back side of the restaurant had Piton views from their seats. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

Our table had a bold patterned table cloth and each place setting included a napkin in the shape of a rose. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

As we settled in, Hamilton re-emerged with a cocktail for each of us. After having met us at the host stand for about 30 seconds, he designed a different drink for each of us based on what he could gather from our personalities. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

This was some kind of sorcery because every single drink was perfection. We were in complete shock. To make sure we weren't going insane, we passed our drinks around the table so everyone could sip each libation and all it did was reinforce that this was magic!

He got all of our personal preferences exactly right. You should consider a night at Treetop just to have this part of the experience! 

The food menu at Treetop is preset, so they don't bring you a paper menu. They describe the kitchen's style as "Indian fusion."

When you make your reservation, you alert them to any dietary restrictions. We informed them we had two vegetarians in our party. 

For the first course, we were delivered an appetizer sampler. The vegetarian plate included (from left to right): a mini naan pizza, a sweet potato stuffed with onion jam, and a slice of bruschetta. The omnivores in the group also got to try a piece of fried fish and a chicken skewer. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

We were pleasantly surprised by the starters, gobbling them up quickly. The naan pizza was savory and the tomato sauce had a bit of a kick. The sweet potato and onion combo was sweet (in a great way). The bruschetta was very generous with the goodies on top and everything tasted fresh. 

Next, a plate arrived with a modern twist on Mexican street corn. The Treetop version coats the outside in Indian spices. This was a brilliant mash up and one of our favorite dishes of the whole night. This is the kind of thing you crave. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

The main course is served family-style. Anchored by a huge portion of basmati rice, we were also given five bowls of toppings. They included: butter chicken, lamb saagwala, chickpeas, lentils, and red beans. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

Among the meat eaters, the butter chicken was the stand out. They both described it as "very tender." Conversely, the lamb was "a bit tough." 

I thought all three veggie sides were super delicious. The chickpeas were swimming in a very herbaceous sauce. The lentils were cooked expertly. I think my top dish was the red beans. Red beans are very popular and St. Lucia and have almost a sweet taste to them. 

We also enjoyed a basket of deep fried naan bread. This was ridiculously addicting! If you're a fried dough fan, you'll be obsessed with this. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

No matter how many people you bring with you, this will be too much food. We decided to tap out because we knew there was dessert on the horizon. 

At this point, we were ready for a second round of drinks. Hamilton wowed us again with new creations, each a perfect match once again. This man has a gift. 

To close out the evening, our server placed a duo of mini desserts in front of each girl. There was a teeny tiny mousse (with a teeny tiny spoon) and a baby slice of berry cheesecake. I think the Treetop team knows that after those first two rounds (plus drinks!) there's no one who can eat a full-size dessert. 

Treetop Restaurant St Lucia

Both of these sweet treats were excellent and I made them disappear in under two minutes. It is well-documented here on the blog that I am a huge chocolate person, but these items were so yummy that I didn't even care there wasn't a fleck of chocolate in sight. 

The experience of dining at Treetop is definitely a special one. The views are spectacular, the decor is fun and sets an instant party mood, the food is unique and tasty, and the cocktail situation is next level. 

That said, be prepared for a very precarious drive and I beg you, don't make the same mistake I did, and wear flat shoes! It will make your time there so much more enjoyable. 

*Group photo by a very kind stranger. All other photography by Molly Galler. 

 

Molly Galler

Welcome to Pop.Bop.Shop. My name is Molly. I’m a foodie, fashionista, pop culture addict and serious travel junkie. I’m a lifelong Bostonian obsessed with frozen confections, outdoor patios, Mindy Kaling, reality television, awards shows, tropical vacations, snail mail and my birthday.

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