La Favela — Restaurant in Saint Martin (France)

TERRIBLE AND RACIST!!! I visited this restaurant to enjoy dinner my first night in Orient Bay Village and my experience was disappointing to say the least. I was not greeted and I was generally disregarded throughout the night. Once seated, NO ONE who worked for the restaurant came over to show me the menu or take my order for drinks and this was for at least 20 minutes before I had to call the restaurant from my table to get the attention of a worker. Unfortunately, I had the displeasure of racist treatment from the workers in this restaurant whom I expected to be professional and courteous towards patrons. There is a blatant bias towards people of color that is apparent at this particular restaurant. I was the only woman of color at the restaurant and it was not busy when I arrived, yet the workers here pretended not to hear me when I asked for service or see me at all. My experience at La Favela left a bad taste in my mouth as I am sure the service towards people of color here will not improve immediately.

It is 2021! The racism I experienced here is cemented. The bad vibes here are not worth anyone's time, money, or energy.

Management- DO BETTER and it will serve this...

From the moment you step in, La Favela is a total experience. From the very helpful and friendly staff to the beautifully designed decor, you get the feeling the food will be exceptional and it does not disappoint. You have to start with the cod fritters. The flavors from the first bite to the last make you wonder why you have never heard of them before. Then we had the grilled crayfish and the king prawn in curry dishes which were culinary brilliance. We finished off the evening with the pineapple Flambé and the cappuccino. We loved it so much we returned the next night. Try the paella for two. It’s is a MUST and the Cookies and Cream dessert. You don’t think you can finish it, but somehow each bite leaves you scraping the bottom of the dish. Finally, the shots of rum with fresh passion fruit is the exclamation point on what is already a perfect experience. Thank you La Favela and everyone who helped us. We can’t wait to see...

Overall disappointing food. The service and ambiance were ok, the food was well below expectation. We were 4 people had 4 mains and 3 appetizers and the only one that was somewhat decent was the camembert appetizer and the coconut shrimp.. The shrimp fajitas looked and tasted more like a shrimp stew, lobster taco small and didn't have much taste, tortilla was rubbery. The octopus was average at best but wouldn't order again. The servers were polite and made up a bit for the disappointing food quality. I hope they improve the quality because I know it's not easy having a restaurant but Quite honestly There are many good options on the island and for the price you can get much better...