Rick R.
Yelp
When Marjan and I travel, we search as many sites as we can find, searching for most recommended restaurants. Savant was among the handful that were highly recommended in St. Croix.
The restaurant is found in Christiansted, parking behind the restaurant, unpaved lot. There are two entrances to the restaurant, one for entering the patio dining area, the entry for this area adjacent to the parking lot. Should the guest elect indoor seating, the entrance is found on the main entrance on Hospital Street.
Reservations were highly recommended, and we preferred the patio, but as we dined on a Monday evening, we noticed several empty tables and one couple was seated without reservation.
The restaurant is of older construction, typical of much in the city. The patio walls are of natural, uncut rock, cemented in place, covered with ivy and other flora. Think "grotto look" to the patio. Over the area is a fabric "parachute" sheltering the dining and bar from the elements. There is no air conditioning, but for our visit, heat and humidity were not an issue. The floor is of cement, the tables and chairs of wrought iron. Lighting is muted, soft music playing over speakers, the ambience cozy.
We were immediately seated at our reserved time, and after a moment or two, our waitress offered choice of tap water, bottled water or carbonated water.
We passed on appetizers, and Marjan selected the special wahoo, my choice the mahi offering. The offered sides were, as expected, delicious vegetables. But Marjan's wahoo entree was frankly, a disappointment. This fish is somewhat firm by nature, but her dish was sadly overcooked, chewy and dry. The portion of my mahi was moist and tender, easily the better of the two entrees. But we thought both dishes somewhat lacking in seasoning, and skimpy on sauce. We paired our dinner with glasses of White Haven and Pine Ridge.
We found ourselves on the horns of a dilemma, discussing our rating of Savant. We were torn between 3 and 4. We always enjoy outdoor seating, and the courtyard offered a pleasing, romantic ambience. The staff was appropriately attentive, and our waitress very knowledgeable of the menu. But reviews had been lavish in praise of the offerings, and we had a different experience. Perhaps other menu items would be stellar, but we probably would not return mindful of price to value issues.