3 Best Restaurants in Trinidad and Tobago

Recorded steel-band music plays gently in the background at this romantic, candlelit spot in the Kariwak Village complex. In a bamboo pavilion that resembles an Amerindian round hut, Cynthia Clovis orchestrates a very original menu. Whatever the dish, it will be full of herbs and vegetables picked from her organic garden, and there is always a vegetarian option. Be sure to try the delicious house-made ice cream and the reasonably priced but potent cocktails. Friday and Saturday buffets, with live jazz or calypso, are a Tobagonian highlight. Those really taken with the food can even purchase the restaurant's cookbook, Cooking Kariwak Style.

At the elegant Coco Reef Resort, you can select contemporary dishes with an island twist from a menu that changes seasonally (the fish dishes are always worth special attention, though). The peach walls and whitewashed wooden ceiling make the resort's restaurant feel airy and light, and island breezes waft through the palm-lined terrace. A dress code is enforced, but casual chic is fine, and men are not required to wear jackets for dinner.

Rum shops and good food are an intrinsic part of Trinidad life, and both are combined in this colorful eatery, which is open from 10 to 6. Regulars from the nearby university and industrial park flock here at lunchtime to enjoy a wide selection of spicy local Indian food. It can get a bit loud, but at least there are fans to keep the heat under control—just barely. If the atmosphere is a bit too much there's always the option of takeout. To get here, turn off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway at the FedEx building (north side of the highway) in Tunapuna, and take the first left.