Sale & Pepe Marina
Sicilian soul cooking on stilts above Simpson Bay Lagoon
Why Go
A Sicilian chef, a Dominican hostess, and a dining room perched right over the water — this is the Simpson Bay dinner that quietly out-romances the flashier Airport Road spots.
The Experience
Sale & Pepe sits on the Skyport marina deck, so you cross a short gangway and step into a room where the lagoon laps under your feet and mega-yachts glow just beyond the railing. Chef Davide Zagami cooks the Italy he grew up in — Sicilian technique, Caribbean-caught fish — while his wife Scarlet works the floor with the kind of warmth that turns first-timers into regulars by dessert. It's white-tablecloth polished but not stiff: linen napkins, a serious wine list, and boat crews in clean shirts sharing tables with couples on anniversary trips. Sunset light on the lagoon around 6 PM is the room's best filter; by 8 PM it's candles and yacht reflections and someone at the next table ordering a second bottle of Nero d'Avola.
What to Try
Start with the burrata or a Sicilian-leaning antipasto, then commit to a pasta the kitchen actually cares about: Linguine alle Vongole with local clams, or the Rigatoni alla Siciliana with house Italian sausage. The porcini risotto is the move for mushroom people; the asparagus risotto covers vegetarians without an afterthought. For mains, the Mahi Mahi steamed with olives and capers is the dish that best marries the island to Sicily, and the rosemary-lemon lamb chops are the answer for anyone who came ashore hungry. Gluten-free pasta is a real option, not a shrug — ask.
Insider Tip
Ask for a table on the outer marina rail rather than inside the dining room, and time the reservation for 6:15–6:30 PM so you catch the last of the sunset over the lagoon and the airport approach lights kicking on. Sundays they're closed, so this is the Dutch-side dinner to lock in for Monday, when half the strip is quiet and Sale & Pepe still feels alive. If you're arriving by dinghy from a boat in the lagoon, they'll help you tie up at the marina — mention it when you book.
The Practical Stuff
Address: 40 Airport Road, Skyport Marina, Simpson Bay (Dutch side), a two-minute drive east of Princess Juliana Airport. Open for lunch and dinner Monday–Saturday, roughly 11:45 AM – 11 PM; closed Sunday. Reservations strongly recommended for dinner and essential in high season — call +1 721-527-5019. USD accepted (EUR less common on the Dutch side); most major cards taken. Dress is resort-smart — no swimwear, but you don't need a jacket. Parking is easy in the marina lot. Kitchen is happy to accommodate gluten-free and vegetarian diners with notice.
Pair It With
- Maho Beach sundowner — Grab a rum punch at a Maho beach bar and watch the late-afternoon jet approach over the sand before driving five minutes east to your Sale & Pepe reservation — the classic Dutch-side one-two.
- Simpson Bay Lagoon dinghy hop — If you're on a charter in the lagoon, Sale & Pepe is one of the few high-end kitchens you can literally tie up to — pair dinner with a sunset dinghy ride across from the French-side moorings.
- Karakter Beach Bar, Simpson Bay — Start the day with toes-in-sand brunch and a swim at Karakter, then bookend it with a proper Sicilian dinner at Sale & Pepe a few minutes up the road.
- Princess Casino at Port de Plaisance — Ten minutes toward Cole Bay, this is the natural after-dinner move if you want a nightcap and a little post-pasta action without doing the full Simpson Bay bar crawl.
