Fodor's Expert Review Emerald Beach Club

In the epicenter of Cabarete Beach, it manages to be barefoot and carefree, yet sophisticated and stylish. You can dine seated in comfy white banquettes under a towering palm-thatched roof or recline on silk-tasseled Bali beds in the sand. This is the big draw here rather than the food, but the menu has some noteworthy items like the Colombian crab empanadas and Peruvian ceviche, as well as the fresh catch or shrimp bathed in the anise-laced curry-cream sauce. Equally recommendable are the trio of crème brûlées (vanilla, passion fruit, and coconut) and flan made softer with cream cheese. Usually, come 11 pm, a DJ cranks up the music. Other nights the crowd grooves with the interactive performance artists or professional musicians, and oo and aah at the beachy fashion shows.