Last checked: 3 November 2026
Every November, St Barth opens its winter season with a week of very good eating. The Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival brings starred chefs from mainland France and South America to cook alongside the island’s own kitchens. The 2026 edition, the 13th, runs from 9 to 15 November, with 14 guest chefs in 12 restaurants, from Gustavia to Saline. It is the biggest line-up in years, and the organisers have added a free-to-enter Gastronomic Village, so you don’t need a villa budget to get a taste.
See past Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival editions & chefs →
Key facts
| Dates | 9–15 November 2026 (guest-chef lunches and dinners 11–14 November) |
|---|---|
| Edition | 13th (first held in 2013) |
| Location | Saint-Barthélemy, French West Indies: 12 restaurants around the island, plus Espace Rockefeller and the Gastronomic Village (venue to be confirmed) |
| Organiser | Comité Territorial du Tourisme de Saint-Barthélemy (CTTSB), the island’s tourism board |
| Tickets / entry | Prices not published. Festival tables are bookable directly with each restaurant; check the official site |
| Official pages | saintbarthgourmetfestival.com · St Barth Tourism on Facebook · saintbarth-tourisme.com |
What happens at the 2026 festival
The CTTSB has published the 2026 schedule on the festival website. Here is the shape of the week as announced:
- Monday 9 November – Culinary show: the opening at Espace Rockefeller, with a bartender contest, a café waiters’ race and a spotlight on the island’s fishing.
- Tuesday 10 November – Gastronomic Village (new): open to the public, with tastings and small bites from the guest chefs plus local producers, artisans and private chefs.
- Wednesday 11 to Saturday 14 November – Festival tables: lunches and dinners at the 12 partner restaurants, where each guest chef cooks with the resident chef and team.
- Saturday – Petites Toques: the children’s cooking contest, a favourite with island families.
- Wine: Cave du Port Franc runs a wine festival, with winemakers at the Village and tastings at Wall House in the following days.
- Masterclasses: a separate masterclass programme is listed on the official schedule page. Times and venues are to be confirmed there.
The 2026 chefs and where to find them
- David Toutain (two Michelin stars, Paris) at Cheval Blanc St-Barth
- Jean-Philippe Blondet (Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, London, three stars) at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa
- Nicolas Masse (La Grand’Vigne, two stars) at L’Esprit, Saline
- Amaury Bouhours (Le Meurice Alain Ducasse, Paris, two stars) at Nikki Beach
- Claire Heitzler, Gault&Millau Pastry Chef of the Year, at Christopher St-Barth
- Cyril Lignac at Bar des Prés
- Thibault Sombardier (Anne, Paris; Top Chef finalist) at Le Manapany
- Esteban Salazar (Finka, Paris) at Fouquet’s St-Barth
- Tabata and Ludovic Mey (Ombellule, Lyon) at Le Fish Corner
- Álvaro Clavijo (El Chato, Bogotá, a World’s 50 Best restaurant) at Le Grain de Sel, Saline
- Yoni Saada at La Cantina, Gustavia
- Pierre and Cristina Chomet (Ambos and Tina) at Bagatelle St Barth
Le Grain de Sel, Le Fish Corner and La Cantina are new festival venues this year.
History and what makes it special
The festival started in 2013 as a tribute to French gastronomy and a way to launch St Barth’s high season. Its format has stayed simple: invite chefs from top kitchens, pair each with an island restaurant, and let them cook together for a few days. Since 2022 the guest chefs have also committed to using local produce, so there is usually a dish built around island fish or Caribbean ingredients on each menu.
Past line-ups have included Gérald Passédat, Christopher Coutanceau, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Cédric Grolet (2022), and three-star chefs Christophe Bacquié, Dimitri Droisneau and Fabien Ferré (2024). The 2025 edition was smaller, with five guest chefs, and the tourism board has called 2026 “one of the most ambitious editions in its history”. For year-by-year line-ups, see our Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival history page.
Watch: past editions
Tips for going
- Book tables early. Festival lunches and dinners are open to the public but restaurants fill fast, so reserve directly with the venue as soon as you know your dates.
- Start with the Village. The new Gastronomic Village on 10 November is the easiest way to taste several chefs in one evening.
- Plan your evenings around the last flight. St Barth’s airport closes at dusk, so if you are day-tripping from St Maarten, take the ferry or stay the night.
- Dress smart-casual. Island style is relaxed, but the festival dinners are a special occasion.
- Follow the tourism board’s Facebook page for last-minute additions and masterclass times.
Where to stay and getting around
Most visitors reach St Barth via neighbouring St Maarten / Saint-Martin. Short flights of about 12 to 15 minutes link Princess Juliana Airport (SXM) with St Barth’s small Gustaf III airport in St-Jean, and Tradewind Aviation flies from San Juan. Ferries run from Marigot, Oyster Pond and Philipsburg’s Bobby’s Marina to Gustavia, taking roughly 30 to 90 minutes depending on the route. The crossing is open sea, so it can be lively.
A night or two on St Maarten either side of the festival makes the connections easy. Browse our St. Maarten hotels, airport transfers and taxis and the full St. Maarten directory.
On St Barth itself, hire cars are available at the airport and in Gustavia, and taxis wait at the airport and ferry terminal. Cars drive on the right, and the limit on most roads is 45 km/h. The currency is the euro, with US dollars widely used. French is the main language, and English is widely spoken in hotels and restaurants.
FAQ
When is the Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival 2026? From 9 to 15 November 2026. The guest-chef lunches and dinners run from 11 to 14 November.
How much do festival dinners cost? Prices haven’t been published centrally. Each partner restaurant sets its own festival menu, so ask when you book.
Can anyone attend? Yes. The festival tables are open to the public with a reservation, and the new Gastronomic Village on 10 November is open to all.
Who organises the festival? St Barth’s tourism board, the Comité Territorial du Tourisme de Saint-Barthélemy.
Can I visit from St Maarten for the day? Yes, by ferry or a short flight, but evening dinners mean an overnight stay or a late ferry, as the airport closes at dusk.
See past Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival editions & chefs →
More dates across the region are in our Caribbean Events Calendar, including the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta 2027.
Sources: Saint-Barth Gourmet Festival; Journal de Saint-Barth; Saint-Barth Tourisme; stbarth.com flights and ferries.
