As with other restaurants in St Croix, we visited after reading glowing reviews of Cibone. We…read morevisited on a weekday, seated without reservation.
The restaurant is found on King Street, one block parallel to waterfront street, Strand.
Walking to the restaurant, one immediately notices small groups of men, sitting on the sidewalk and standing in front of a small grocery across the street from Cibone. They are in conversation, drinking beers, and the aroma of cannabis (legal in St Croix) wafts over the air. The scene was a bit disconcerting initially, but we walked to the restaurant and after dinner to the car, unmolested, barely noticed by the Cruzans.
The restaurant is housed in a wooden structure, perhaps a house in prior years. Entering, the proprietor sits right of the smallish bar, the bar right of entry to the eatery. There are tables within the main structure, and tables left of entry on the covered patio. We were immediately greeted by the staff and directed to our table on the patio, patio seating always the preference of my dear lady. Micah, our waiter, filled our drink order, and presented the days menu, written on a small "blackboard" at the tableside. The menu was somewhat limited, and unfortunately, seafood dishes that we had read were not available, a consequence of the rough seas courtesy of Beryl. The restaurant serves fresh seafood, from boat to table...our misfortune.
The restaurant offers a full bar, but interestingly, there is no wine list which one might peruse before choosing. We inquired of sauvignon blanc, and our requests were satisfied...the label we were never advised. We thought this curious, but none the less, the wine was satisfactory.
We began our exploration of the menu with the Cibone crab cake. Three are offered on plate, with lines of sauce crossing the squares of cakes. Reviews had rated these cakes quite highly, but frankly we considered them heavy on breading, and light on crab. The appetizer was a bit of a disappointment.
We chose the salmon, and unhappily, the fish was a bit overcooked, somewhat dry, lacking adequate sauce. The second entree was the grilled shrimp, and this dish was the better of the two, the shrimp well finished. But in truth, our expectations were of a true culinary delight, having read the reviews. The offerings overall were good, but not exceptional. For a satisfying meal, Cibone would satisfy most palates.
The staff throughout were welcoming, of good cheer, but at times the service a bit slow. In fairness, there is a solo chef working with one sous chef at his side. This restaurant is very popular with the locals, but after our visit, we consider Cibone a work in progress, offering not elegant cuisine, but rather menu items borne of a home grown, self taught chef.
