Sinclair's Caribbean Café
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Chef Sinclair Crabb
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This wonderful restaurant is the creation of Sinclair Crabb, a native of the U.S. Virgin Islands who has come back to his roots. Chef Sinclair would describe his unique approach as "Caribbean fusion"... a blend of Latin, Italian, French, and Asian flavors with Caribbean cuisine. From my point of view, it is a creative, artful and delicious approach to traditional Caribbean home cooking with an international flare.
In fact, his mother, Inez Crabb, known on St. Thomas affectionately as the "Pate Lady", sold homemade delicacies from a cart on Main Street in Charlotte Amalie for many years. She instilled a love for cooking in Sinclair and he eventually left the islands to become a gourmet chef.
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Sinclair's Caribbean Cafe
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Crabb apprenticed with French chef Edmund Grass at the Meridian Hills Country Club in Indiana, while he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management and culinary arts from Indiana University. He went on to work with chefs at top restaurants in North America, including a stint at Sardi's in New York. Upon returning to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Chef Sinclair worked with Chef Patrick Pujeon at the former Grand Palazzo Hotel and as Executive Chef at Alexander's, a top restaurant in Frenchtown.
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Friendly Service
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This homey, informal place, located in Charlotte Amalie, away from the main tourist shopping is a hands-down favorite with the locals. Ask any native where to have a good meal and, odds are, they will direct you to Sinclair's Caribbean Café. He does a huge take-away lunch business almost daily with local office workers ordering from his selection of spicy island-inspired favorites. The décor may not be fancy, but you know the food is good when a place is packed with locals, while tourists are few!
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Mediterranean Seafood Pasta
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Favorites on the menu include West Indian crab cakes served with a mango salsa, Mediterranean seafood pasta and a Grilled Salmon Thai Salad. I ordered a Caribbean lobster stuffed with crabmeat that was just out of this world! Chef Sinclair says if you have a favorite dish that is not on the menu, let him know and if he has the ingredients, you won't be disappointed.
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Caribbean Lobster
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There is an extensive wine cellar with a selection of over 50 wines and champagnes. If you have the room, desserts include homemade banana, coconut, and rum cakes that are just like mother used to make, that is, if your mom was originally from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands!
Sinclair's Caribbean Café is open for lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday. It is located at 26A Norre Gade in Carlotte Amalie, St Thomas, just a block or two from the U.S. Virgin Islands Welcome Center.
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West Indian Crab Cakes
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The telephone number is (340) 774-2340 and they do accept Visa and Mastercard. Enjoy!
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