Start with sugar, add salt, the sand and sea. From its shoreline vantage point on Whitehouse Bay, SALT Plage glows as the sun sets. Christophe Harbour’s newest seaside bar incorporates retooled remnants of historic sugar and salt industries in St. Kitts. The effect is scenery and elements that look familiar, but somehow feel new.
Open to the public, SALT Plage is already a draw for Christophe Harbour residents and guests, yachting visitors (dock tenders are welcome at the 1,450-square- foot pier), and locals from St. Kitts and Nevis. Throughout the twin islands and well beyond, there’s a buzz about this venue’s look and energy.
Original concrete structures and iron machinery found onsite from salt production are transformed as walls, lighting, and furniture of SALT Plage, and corrugated tin from the defunct sugar factory near the airport was salvaged to clad the exterior. Counterpoints to the decommissioned factory elements are designs and materials drawn from the clean lines of sailing—including smooth ipe wood decking, and white and blue sailcloth. Christophe Harbour architect John Denton Haley, who also designed the Bungalows and The Pavilion, says inspiration came straight from island history. Through the mid-20th century, the western-facing shore and calmer waters of Whitehouse Bay is where salt from the nearby pond was loaded onto ships.
The vibe at SALT Plage is both organic and cosmopolitan, according to Christophe Harbour CEO Buddy Darby. “It’s the best spot to watch a spectacular sunset... you can go there and just chill, or end up dancing in the moonlight.”
On the menu are island favorites and seafood, including lobster wraps, fresh plantain chips, mint-marinated lamb chops, veggie kabobs, and a ceviche of the day of the freshest catch—often tuna, grouper or conch. The SALT Plage version of the fish taco is fast-becoming a must-try on the island, served not in a corn tortilla but in a shell of fried breadfruit. Champagne and wine are served in white, unbreakable stemware from Italy (chic and dock- friendly), and St. Kitts-inspired house cocktails include a popular Plage Margarita made with ruby red grapefruit juice and agave nectar, along with the signature “Salt Pond Jumbie,” a spun-frozen, West Indies’ concoction of spiced rum with fresh pineapple, oranges, cherries, and grated nutmeg.
General manager Stanley Powell—originally from St. Maarten, and most recently working in Miami and at Four Seasons on Nevis—reports that the trampoline- style beds over the water and the 82-foot long pier are particular hits, especially after dark when local musicians play Caribbean rhythms. In softly-lit water around the pier, lounging guests in cushioned banquettes will find a variety of Caribbean sea life beneath their toes. Or they can look further out.
“As the sun is setting,” Powell says, “the lights and beauty of Basseterre come to life in the distance, and you can see all the way to Sandy Point.”