About
The Bistro is a terrific lunch spot on St. Croix in Christiansted. It’s been open just over ten years. The new owner, Trey Gunning, has owned it for about the last three years, and he just had it fully remodeled in February of 2022. Interestingly, Trey is an American ex-pat, having moved from Georgia about a year before he purchased The Bistro. In Georgia, he had worked as a chef and in catering. He relocated to St. Croix after visiting several times previously and falling in love with the island and the lifestyle. He moved to St. Croix for opportunity, the beautiful island atmosphere, and a desire for a change of pace. I think that The Bistro combines the best of American lunch cafes with the best of island foods. It’s obvious that Trey has put a lot of thought into both the decor and the menu, and the result is a cool and unique spot to come for breakfast, lunch, coffee and smoothies. It’s kid-friendly, unreserved and casual chic all rolled into one.
Location & Environment
The Bistro is open from 7 AM to 3 PM, six days a week. They’re closed on Sundays. If you’re coming from your St. Croix vacation rental, The Bistro is likely just a hop, skip and a jump away. It’s around the corner from No Bones Cafe and just about a block away from Gallows Bay. If that’s not enough to go on, it’s right across the street from the post office. The proximity to the boat dock is probably one big reason why so many of The Bistro’s orders come from people who are out for the day on their boats. Sadly, I was not one of them. I arrived on bicycle, riding down Port Street and turning right onto Anchor Way, where The Bistro is located.
Finding myself without a bike lock, the owners kindly let me temporarily park my bicycle just inside the front door while I ordered. This goes to show you what the staff are like here; very friendly and a lot of smiles. Just what you need first thing in the morning when you’ve yet to have your first cup of coffee. The other thing you need is fast service, and The Bistro comes up five stars in that department. I was sitting down on the shady, covered outside patio with my pastry and iced mocha latte in under a minute. The only thing missing was my book. I quickly realized that this would be the ideal spot to come back and spend an hour getting lost in a good read or catching up on emails with friends back home. No one was going to give me the side eye, looking for me to vacate my cozy spot.
Good Eats at the Bistro
At The Bistro, you can dine in or get takeaway. A dedicated to-go window is also being added soon. The owner told me that nearly half the orders are for pick-ups and charter boat food, so they are working on streamlining a process for this soon. They also offer custom catering for things like weddings, office lunches, charter boat parties, dinner parties and similar affairs. Since it’s custom, there’s no special catering menu. You and your Bistro rep will get together to talk about what you need for your group.
For lunch, I recommend the entire left-hand side of the menu. Seriously, it’s impossible to choose just one thing. I mean, there’s a chicken pesto press, which is basically a chicken pesto panini. You can’t go wrong with that. Then there’s the Corleone, definitely a heart attack-inducing giant meat sandwich with salami, roast beef, ham, cheese and the fixings on a bread of your choice. All the lunch dishes come with a choice of sides, too. I challenge you to come up with one thing that’s not mouth-wateringly delicious.
Coffee & Beverages
The Bistro has all your favorite coffee and other beverages, including Tazo tea, chai tea, macchiato, and lattes. They have a range of flavor shots to add to any beverage, like peppermint, Irish cream, coconut, cinnamon, hazelnut, amaretto and more. I saw someone get one of their signature frappes and it was to die for. A giant milkshake concoction topped with a huge dollop of whipped cream. I vowed to make one mine next time.
Fresh Pastries
I think I gained two pounds from just walking into The Bistro and eyeing their pastries. Granted, eating one (or two!) probably had a lot to do with it. I had their Guava Cheese Questito, a giant puff pastry concoction filled with guava fruit and cream cheese, covered with a sugary glaze and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Kind of like a dessert burrito. I ate that inside and then I couldn’t resist getting a tomato, Provolone and Parmesan croissant to go, figuring that would satisfy my vegetable and protein quota for lunch. Both pastries were scrumptious. They also have other kinds of sweet pastries, like Apple Danish, Banana Nut Muffins, Pistachio cupcakes, Cheddar croissants and more. They’re kind of known for their cheese-filled pastries, so I would recommend anything with cheese, especially.