Avid travelers Vance and Sunday Campbell love the island of St. Barts so much, they decided to bring the island to Jupiter. The couple, who previously owned a Spanish restaurant in New York City and a health food restaurant in Westchester, New York, infused their new Jupiter restaurant with the aesthetic and vibe of places like St. Barts, Saint-Tropez, and Ibiza. The result, LILA Coastal Mediterranean, opened in December. “We wanted to create a place where locals can come to eat the same food, get the same vibes, and hear the same music [as they do on the islands] without needing a passport,” says Vance.
The restaurant took over the space on Tequesta Drive where Andalucia Tapas Bar used to be, and helming the kitchen is esteemed chef Sunny Oh, who was executive chef at Nobu Miami for nearly a decade. At the heart of Chef Oh’s menu is coastal cuisine in the form of delicious starters, entrées, salads, and sides, plus an assortment of crudo and ceviche.
Starters include homemade eggplant and zucchini chips served with tzatziki honey and grilled Spanish octopus drizzled with chimichurri and served with roasted potatoes. The Chorize Croquettes, made with potato, chorizo, red onions, lime, and cilantro, are panko-crusted and simply delicious.
Entrées range from sea scallops and swordfish to lamb chops and a rosemary tenderloin. One standout is the lobster pasta (Sunday’s favorite), made with linguine, tomato confit, lobster broth, garlic, onions, and a whole Maine lobster—a dish St. Barts is known for. “It’s rare to find a restaurant that has lobster pasta on the permanent menu,” says Sunday. “Eventually, we want to have our own live lobsters in a tank. That’s how they do it in St. Barts.”
A unique item on the menu is the tableside Caesar salad for two, where the salad is freshly prepared from a cart right at your table. And plans are underway to add tableside fish deboning to make the experience interactive.
The innovative and extensive cocktail menu reads like a book, divided into four chapters, and includes botanicals, classics, and dessert nightcaps in addition to wines from Italy, France, and California.
When the couple took over the space back in August, Vance used his experience as a contractor to get to work on the design. He lightened the existing space with monochromatic whites and tans, adding pops of color and a living plant wall at the entrance for visual stimulation. Diners can sit in the vibrant lounge or the quieter dining room, and a private dining room seats 40. Music always hums in the background, from live jazz and R&B to global beats and house music.
The restaurant also offers an annual membership (inquire for pricing) that gives diners access to an exclusive menu, guaranteed reservations, and invitations to special events such as trunk shows and wine tastings. 187 Tequesta Drive, Jupiter; 561.406.6509
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