Grenada questions
Apr 23rd, 2010, 11:24 AM
#1
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Grenada questions
My wife and I are going to Grenada for two weeks in the beginning of November (I know it is a ways off, but it is cold here and I am bored 
and we have a couple of questions.
What restaurants do you reccomend we go to? How much should we be budgeting for dinner for two at nice restaurants?
If we wanted to take a day long tour of the island at the beginning of our trip before exploring on our own, is there guide/company you would reccomend?
Thanks for all of your help.
and we have a couple of questions.What restaurants do you reccomend we go to? How much should we be budgeting for dinner for two at nice restaurants?
If we wanted to take a day long tour of the island at the beginning of our trip before exploring on our own, is there guide/company you would reccomend?
Thanks for all of your help.
Apr 23rd, 2010, 01:57 PM
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Yay--I love Grenada and am returning for my 4th trip there this summer. It's a beautiful island with so much to do if you want to be active, and lovely beaches with mesmerizing horizons if you prefer to be still. I like to do a bit of both, myself!
High end restaurants will be comparable to high end restaurants in most cities in the US. Alcohol, particularly wine, which is a bit costly to store down there, will add significantly to your bill. If you want to drink but keep the costs down, order local rums and local beers. I love desserts but I generally don't eat as much food when dining out as I do at home--all of the restaurants I've been to in Grenada are open air, while it's comfortable, temperature-wise, I just don't want to dig into a 3-course meal. So I usually order a salad, an appetizer, and then my husband and I share dessert. My husband either orders two small plates or a salad with an entree. Together, with a few drinks between us, most high end dinners would be around US $100-150.
For a very good all over experience (food, ambience, service) choose the Aquarium for dinner. They also do a very popular Sunday afternoon buffet with live music, but I don't care for buffets and thus haven't done it. The Beach is also a very good restaurant with a pleasant ambience. Coconut Beach is a bit more touristy, right on Grand Anse, but it's a nice place to go for cocktails at sunset--or for nibbles. We've quit going there for dinner, but it's not bad--we just prefer other places.
For a WONDERFUL local meal, try Boots Cuisine. Boots serves a 4 course prix-fixe out of his home, where you usually get a small green salad, your choice of 2 small appetizers, your choice of 3 good-sized entrees with provision (root vegetables, rice & peas, etc), and a small portion of dessert. It's cash only and I think it was EC $75 per person last year when we were there, which is roughly US $30.
We've always rented a car and explored on our own (getting lost is part of the fun!), but I've never heard a bad word spoken about Mandoo, who is probably the island's pre-eminent tour guide. Just about any taxi driver makes a good island guide, so if you find one you click with, get his cell and book a tour with him directly. I don't know how much island tours cost--they might be charged per hour--but taxi rates are regulated on the island.
With two whole weeks, you might want to consider driving up to Gouyave one Friday for Fish Friday, a village-wide street party where fish of all kinds is served up, along with drinks, sweets, and live music. It's a fun scene--go early if you want the best pick of the food and don't want a huge crowd, go later if you want to party--it's all good.
Where are you staying?
Other good meals we've had were at La Luna for dinner(more expensive), Red Crab for dinner (moderate to expensive), Tropicana for lunch (moderate), Spice Island for lunch (expensive, but what a treat!)and a little bakery whose name eludes me for pasties for breakfast (inexpensive and wonderful) and pizza for dinner (moderate, mediocre).
La Sagesse is a wonderful place to spend the day--it's set on a secluded, gorgeous, palm-lined dark sand beach and it has a small inn and a good beach bar/restaurant right there. It's in the moderate range. Lunch items will run US $8-12 for a sandwich, or more for fresh catch of the day. And man, is it fresh! One day we were heading up the beach to the loo to freshen up a bit before sitting down to lunch and we passed the chef hacking up a very large fish that was featured on the menu that day.
You should also head over to www.grenadatravelforum.com for a group of dedicated Grenada lovers. Two of the moderators live in Grenada, and the rest of us are simply passionate about it. I'm also going to top my trip report from last year that has specific info about restaurant prices for you to read.
High end restaurants will be comparable to high end restaurants in most cities in the US. Alcohol, particularly wine, which is a bit costly to store down there, will add significantly to your bill. If you want to drink but keep the costs down, order local rums and local beers. I love desserts but I generally don't eat as much food when dining out as I do at home--all of the restaurants I've been to in Grenada are open air, while it's comfortable, temperature-wise, I just don't want to dig into a 3-course meal. So I usually order a salad, an appetizer, and then my husband and I share dessert. My husband either orders two small plates or a salad with an entree. Together, with a few drinks between us, most high end dinners would be around US $100-150.
For a very good all over experience (food, ambience, service) choose the Aquarium for dinner. They also do a very popular Sunday afternoon buffet with live music, but I don't care for buffets and thus haven't done it. The Beach is also a very good restaurant with a pleasant ambience. Coconut Beach is a bit more touristy, right on Grand Anse, but it's a nice place to go for cocktails at sunset--or for nibbles. We've quit going there for dinner, but it's not bad--we just prefer other places.
For a WONDERFUL local meal, try Boots Cuisine. Boots serves a 4 course prix-fixe out of his home, where you usually get a small green salad, your choice of 2 small appetizers, your choice of 3 good-sized entrees with provision (root vegetables, rice & peas, etc), and a small portion of dessert. It's cash only and I think it was EC $75 per person last year when we were there, which is roughly US $30.
We've always rented a car and explored on our own (getting lost is part of the fun!), but I've never heard a bad word spoken about Mandoo, who is probably the island's pre-eminent tour guide. Just about any taxi driver makes a good island guide, so if you find one you click with, get his cell and book a tour with him directly. I don't know how much island tours cost--they might be charged per hour--but taxi rates are regulated on the island.
With two whole weeks, you might want to consider driving up to Gouyave one Friday for Fish Friday, a village-wide street party where fish of all kinds is served up, along with drinks, sweets, and live music. It's a fun scene--go early if you want the best pick of the food and don't want a huge crowd, go later if you want to party--it's all good.
Where are you staying?
Other good meals we've had were at La Luna for dinner(more expensive), Red Crab for dinner (moderate to expensive), Tropicana for lunch (moderate), Spice Island for lunch (expensive, but what a treat!)and a little bakery whose name eludes me for pasties for breakfast (inexpensive and wonderful) and pizza for dinner (moderate, mediocre).
La Sagesse is a wonderful place to spend the day--it's set on a secluded, gorgeous, palm-lined dark sand beach and it has a small inn and a good beach bar/restaurant right there. It's in the moderate range. Lunch items will run US $8-12 for a sandwich, or more for fresh catch of the day. And man, is it fresh! One day we were heading up the beach to the loo to freshen up a bit before sitting down to lunch and we passed the chef hacking up a very large fish that was featured on the menu that day.
You should also head over to www.grenadatravelforum.com for a group of dedicated Grenada lovers. Two of the moderators live in Grenada, and the rest of us are simply passionate about it. I'm also going to top my trip report from last year that has specific info about restaurant prices for you to read.
Apr 29th, 2010, 06:14 AM
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ejcrowe has given some very good tips. There are several good tour operators in Grenada and one of the most popular is Mandoo (Mandoo Tours - www.grenadatours.com). There are so many restaurants to choose from that it would be good if you could have a look at the tourist office's website: www.grenadagrenadines.com where it is sectioned by 'Bistros/Cafes'; 'Casual'; 'Fast-food'; 'Fine Dining'. Some of the popular casual ones are Aquarium, Savvy's, BB's Crabback, Ocean Grill, Coconut Beach - prices start from approx. EC$40 per head (US$1 = EC$2.67) depending on your choice of menu and drinks. There is also a lot to do - include a spice tour - Belmont Estate is fab; do the rum factory; lakes; waterfalls and of course a selection of beaches to choose from - visit the Saturday market in the city and Fish Friday in the fishing village of Gouyave. The tourist board's website will give you lots more ideas.
Jun 21st, 2010, 11:02 AM
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Thanks you guys.
We are staying at Mt Cinnamon, and CAN'T WAIT to get down there!!!
We have heard about Boot's cuisine and definitely plan to check it out. How far out should we be making reservations?
If we have a vehicle, how long does it take to drive around the island t a leisurely pace?
For fish friday, is it easy to get to? How long does it take?Would you recommend doing that when we have a car? Are the roads tricky to drive at night?
How long does it take to get to Belmont Estate?
Thanks much!
We are staying at Mt Cinnamon, and CAN'T WAIT to get down there!!!
We have heard about Boot's cuisine and definitely plan to check it out. How far out should we be making reservations?
If we have a vehicle, how long does it take to drive around the island t a leisurely pace?
For fish friday, is it easy to get to? How long does it take?Would you recommend doing that when we have a car? Are the roads tricky to drive at night?
How long does it take to get to Belmont Estate?
Thanks much!
Jun 21st, 2010, 06:57 PM
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You can call for reservations at Boots the day before or several days before.
To drive around the island, I would plan for a full day to give you some time to stop at places and do a leisurely tour.
I would not recommend driving to Fish Friday in Gouyave. The roads are dark and winding along the coast. I would recommend signing up for one of the tours that go to fish friday instead. Plus you can then partake of some rum or a cold Carib or two and not have to worry about driving.
From the Grand Anse area, my guesstimate is it would take maybe around 2 hours to get to Belmont Estate, driving at a leisurely pace.
Enjoy your visit!
To drive around the island, I would plan for a full day to give you some time to stop at places and do a leisurely tour.
I would not recommend driving to Fish Friday in Gouyave. The roads are dark and winding along the coast. I would recommend signing up for one of the tours that go to fish friday instead. Plus you can then partake of some rum or a cold Carib or two and not have to worry about driving.
From the Grand Anse area, my guesstimate is it would take maybe around 2 hours to get to Belmont Estate, driving at a leisurely pace.
Enjoy your visit!
