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ST THOMAS — Located at the water’s edge of scenic Charlotte Amalie Harbor is a family-owned bar and restaurant that has served residents and visitors of St. Thomas for over 50 years! Petite Pump Room has been a meeting place for many since 1970, serving up authentic local food and great friendly service with the beauty of St. Thomas’s landscape as the backdrop.

The Watson Family established Petite Pump Room as one of the island’s favorite restaurants where the day-to-day operations were a family affair. When Anna and Douglas Watson first acquired the restaurant in 1970, it was the same year the first elected governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands was sworn into office. What began as a quaint al fresco courtyard-style eatery with umbrella-topped tables in historic downtown Charlotte Amalie is now the oldest restaurant on St. Thomas and more than twice the size of its original location. From then to now, Petite Pump Room has carried on the Watson family tradition of running a restaurant in the spirit of true island camaraderie.

Grab a table in the main dining area or one of two open-air dining decks, and prepare yourself for a memorable dining experience. Conch sautéed in lemon butter sauce, stewed oxtails, kallaloo, fried snapper with creole sauce, and homemade mango and soursop ice cream are a sampling of their known favorites. For those with a taste for American-style cuisine, there are a variety of salads and sandwiches to choose from like their blackened mahi Caesar salad, grilled mahi mahi, salmon or chicken sandwiches, or their black bean veggie burger. Thirsty? Try one of their popular drinks like Judy’s Island Rum Punch, Mike’s Famous Painkiller, a Cruzan mojito, bushwhacker, or one of their nonalcoholic juice options like passion fruit, house-made ginger beer, and fruit punch. In addition to the amazing views, the restaurant walls are adorned with original Caribbean artwork, and a soulful soundtrack of calypso and reggae music adds to the tropical ambiance.

Petite Pump Room serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday (Sundays are seasonal) from 7am to 4:30pm in the Edward Wilmoth Blyden Building on Veterans Drive near the seaplane terminal along the waterfront. For more information, visit www.petitepumproom.com, follow their page on Facebook, or give them a call at 340.776.2976.

Written by Anquanette Gaspard