Dasheene

Short of scaling the Pitons, the open patio at Dasheene is as close as you’re going to get to the two mythical rocks that jut out of the Caribbean Sea like ancient natural pyramids. Part of the Ladera resort situated 1,100 feet above sea level, Dasheene had been in the capable hands of chef Orlando Satchell since 1998 (he was the first St. Lucian chef to be invited to cook at New York’s James Beard House), but is now helmed by chef Nigel Mitchel, who favors local ingredients and updated takes on traditional island favorites. The breezy setting is one of the Caribbean’s most romantic. Come early enough for cocktails at sunset, when light pours into Dasheene and tints everything the color of melted amber.