Dominica Restaurants

What to Wear

Most Dominicans dress nicely but practically when eating out—for dinner it's shirts and trousers for men and modest dresses for women. During the day, nice shorts are acceptable at most places; beach attire is frowned upon unless you're eating on the beach.

Cocorico. It's hard to miss the umbrella-shaded chairs and tables at this Parisian-style café on a prominent bay-front corner in Roseau. Breakfast crepes, croissants, baguette sandwiches, and piping-hot café au lait are available beginning at 8:30 am. Throughout the day you can relax indoors or out and enjoy any of the extensive menu selections with the perfect glass of wine, and you can even surf the Internet on its computers. In the cellar downstairs, the Cocorico wine store has a reasonably priced selection from more than eight countries plus a wide assortment of pâtés and cheeses, crepes, sausages, cigars, French bread, and chocolates. Bay Front at Kennedy Ave., Roseau. 767/449-8686. www.natureisle.com/cocorico/. Closed Sun. unless ship is in port, then 10-4.

Cornerhouse Café. This Internet café offers an eclectic menu to sustain you while surfing: bagels with an assortment of toppings, delicious soups, vegetarian dishes, Mexican, fish, sandwiches, salads, cakes, and coffee. Computers are rented by the half hour (US$3); relax on soft chairs and flip through books and magazines while you wait. Old and King George V Sts., Roseau. 767/449-9000. www.avirtualdominica.com/cornerhouse/home.htm. No credit cards. Mon-Sat 8:30am-4pm.

Crystal Terrace Restaurant & Bar. You can find classic local food with a very elegant twist at this restaurant in the Evergreen Hotel. Selections range from starters like fresh soup or salad dressed with local produce to authentic creole and international main courses and, when in season, tasty crab backs. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. On Friday evenings there is entertainment as well as a special menu. Evergreen Hotel, Castle Comfort. 767/448-3288. www.evergreenhoteldominica.com/.

Garage Bar & Grill. This former garage has become the only true grill on the island. It boasts "cool drinks, great food." The menu includes prime steaks, pasta, and seafood as well as creole food and jerk chicken. The former digs are not forgotten, evidenced by the bar stools that are anchored by old tires, and a selection of vittles like the 4x4 (ribs) and 6 Cylinders (spicy chicken wings). In early evening, it is a very happening place with the locals. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. 15 Hanover St. at Kennedy Ave., Roseau. 767/448-5433.

Guiyave. This popular restaurant in a quaint Caribbean town house also has a shop downstairs serving a scrumptious selection of sweet and savory pastries, tarts, and cakes. These yummy morsels can also be ordered upstairs, along with breakfast and a Caribbean buffet for lunch. Choose to dine either in the airy dining room or on the sunny, narrow balcony perched above Roseau's colorful streets—the perfect spot to indulge in one of the fresh-squeezed tropical juices. 15 Cork St., Roseau. 767/448-2930. Closed Sun. No dinner.

Miranda's Corner. Just past Springfield on the way to Pont Casse, you'll begin to see hills full of flowers. At a big bend, a sign on a tree reads "Miranda's Corner," referring to a bar, rum shop, and diner all in one. Here Miranda Alfred is at home, serving everyone from Italian tourists to banana farmers. Many of her ingredients are grown in her adjacent garden. The specialties are numerous, including titiree (when it's fresh and in season) and tropical juices. All are prepared with a potion of passion and a fistful of flavor. Miranda's is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is a great pit stop if you are in the area; call ahead to make sure it's open. Mount Joy, Springfield. 767/449-2509.

Pearl's Cuisine. In a Creole town house in central Roseau, chef Pearl, with her robust and infectious character, prepares some of the island's best local cuisine, such as callaloo soup, fresh fish, and rabbit. Her menu changes daily, but she offers such local delicacies as sousse (pickled pigs' feet), blood pudding, and rotis. When sitting down, ask for a table on the open-air gallery that overlooks Roseau and prepare for an abundant portion, but make sure you leave space for dessert. If you're on the go, enjoy a quick meal from the daily, varied menu in the ground-floor snack bar. You're spoiled for choice when it comes to the fresh fruit juices. 50 King George V St., Roseau. 767/448-8707. Closed Sun. No dinner.

Port of Call Restaurant & Bar. This haunt of middle-aged barristers and laid-back locals is ideally located, just around the corner from the bay front in downtown Roseau. This breezy restaurant with a soothing gray-and-white color scheme occupies a traditional stone building and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The layout is such that you can have your privacy and a relaxing meal. Management here is always ready to meet your needs for home-style local shrimp, chicken, or fish, à la carte dishes such as a hamburger and fries, or your favorite libation. 3 Kennedy Ave., Roseau. 767/448-2910. Closed Sun.

Rainforest Restaurant at Papillote. Savor a lethal rum punch while lounging in a hot mineral bath in the Papillote Wilderness Retreat gardens. Then try the bracing callaloo soup, dasheen puffs, fish "rain forest" (marinated with papaya and wrapped in banana leaves), or the succulent freshwater prawns. This handsome Caribbean restaurant has quite possibly one of the best views in the region. Dine at an altitude cool enough to demand a throw blanket and inspire after-dinner conversation. Papillote Wilderness Retreat, Trafalgar Falls Rd., Trafalgar. 767/448-2287. www.papillote.dm. Reservations essential. Closed Sept. and Oct.

Waterfront Restaurant. At the southern end of Roseau's bay front, this elegant and romantic restaurant overlooks the Caribbean coastline. You can dine outdoors on the wraparound verandah while listening to the sounds of the sea or indoors in the air-conditioned formal dining room. The restaurant's menu incorporates spa-vegetarian choices alongside the traditional international and local dishes. Tropical desserts include cheesecake and guava tart. The menu dips into a wide range of cuisines, from creole specialties like callaloo soup to beef, lamb, duck, and even skewered shrimp with a Thai sauce. No matter what your choice, it will be served by a friendly and efficient waitstaff. The bar's happy-hour steel band adds a nice touch. Waterfront Restaurant is closed in September and early October, but meals are served in the Marquis Restaurant, which has a regular Monday-night buffet. Fort Young Hotel, Victoria St., Roseau. 767/448-5000. www.fortyounghotel.com. Reservations essential.