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Cooling Down: The Scoop on A/C Spots

The hillsides look green and gorgeous, but it's hot, hot, hot!
The hillsides look green and gorgeous, but it’s hot, hot, hot!

Recently a tour guest asked me what my least favorite part of living on St. John was. And without hesitation and a quick chuckle, I said the summer heat. Folks, let me tell you… it’s hot, hot, hot right now! And yes, I understand it may sound silly that a girl who decided to move to a Caribbean island is saying the heat is no fun in the summer. And truth be told, I do love the sun and the heat. But when the temps consistently hit the mid 90s, it would definitely be nice to have a cool reprieve. And I’m sure many of you who are visiting the island feel the same way. 🙂 So today, we’re going to tell you about a few bars & restaurants on St. John where you can cool off when visiting the island.

For those of you visiting Cruz Bay, The Tap Room over at Mongoose Junction is fully air conditioned. It opens daily at 11 a.m. and serves lunch and dinner (the same menu for both). They have numerous beers on tap, and quite good pub food. The Tap Room is located on the second floor of Mongoose Junction.

Looking for some local fare? Also located in Cruz Bay is De’ Coal Pot. This restaurant is located across from the Cruz Bay Hotel and beside The Lime Inn. It serves traditional Caribbean cuisine like roti, oxtail stew, mutton and more. De’ Coal Pot has an intimate bar and full dining room.

Perhaps you want to indulge in a nice glass of wine and some charcuterie. Well the Island Cork over at Wharfside Village is the place to be. This wine shop offers retail throughout the day, and its bar opens to guests at 4 p.m. You can order a glass of wine from one of several daily selections, or choose a bottle from the wall and have Paul, the owner of Island Cork, uncork it for you.

How about a nice Italian meal? Cafe Roma, located in the center of Cruz Bay above The Longboard, is fully air conditioned. The restaurant has a large bar and full dining room.

Craving Mexican instead? Margarita Phil’s has an air conditioned dining room and bar area. It’s located near Morgan’s Mango and across the street from the small parking lot at the National Park dock.

Looking for a good pizza? Ronnie’s is fully air conditioned!

Dog House Pub, located across the street from The Longboard and Cafe Roma, has air conditioning on the first floor. And right around the corner is Extra Virgin Bistro, which is air conditioned, yet somewhat open air. Another fine dining spot is The Terrace, located across from Cruz Bay beach. It has an air conditioned interior dining room, but it is also somewhat open air much like EVB.

Moving back over to Mongoose Junction, Greengo’s also has A/C.

Now let’s cruise across the island to Coral Bay. I cannot think of any restaurants that currently offer air conditioning. The Danforth is a restaurant opening soon, and it will have an air conditioned interior dining room and bar. We will keep you posted on that.

If I happened to miss any spots, please let me know and I will add it to today’s post! Thanks all and stay cool!

5 thoughts on “Cooling Down: The Scoop on A/C Spots”

  1. Not exactly where you’d want to spend a ton of time or an entire afternoon, but worth noting in relation to this article…the restrooms at the back of each of the 3 floors of Starfish Market are some of the most A/C’d spaces on island.

  2. Hi, Greengo’s is very good. Terry and Kyle behind the bar are excellent and the portions are big. The Tap Room is outstanding, all of the staff are great people and Issac, the chef, is the best. I must say that Shambles is nice too. It may lack AC but has great breezes and an old school StJ charm about it.

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