Barbados Restaurants
 

Was wondering if anyone can suggest some great family restaurants- we are staying at the Boungainvilla- your recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, a few ideas for a romantic restaurant sans kids would also be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

For a family restaurant, I'd recommend Brown Sugar outside of Bridgetown. They offer a wonderful Sunday brunch that combines lots of island specialties with traditional brunch fare. I also had dinner there, which was quite good. Price range somewhat analagous to a typical chain restaurant in the states, with a full range of appetizers, entrees, salads, desserts, umbrella drinks, etc. The restaurant is open air, so if you go in the evening, put a little insect repellent on your ankles/legs. Good mix of couples, families, tourists & locals here.

For a romantic dinner, I'd recommend either Carambola or The Cliff. Both very lovely open air locations with gorgeous views down to the water. When my husband and I dined at the Cliff two years ago, it ended up being the most romantic and expensive meal we've ever had. Though lots of people rave about it, including noted Caribbean travel writer Ian Keown, I though the food was far outclassed by the setting at this restaurant. That said, I would still go back. Just make sure you ask for a table on the loge/patio nearest the water for the best seats. Hope you have fun in Barbados with your family!

I agree with Carambola and The Cliffs but it is a good distance from where you are staying. The Gap is closer. Had excellent meals at Josefs and Pices which would fall in your romantic category. Had very good meals at Davids and Bellinis. You might consider the Fri fish fry at Oisteens with the kids. A good source of info on barbados is www.insandoutsofbarbados.com

Definitely try Carambola (although it's closed for vacation June 22 to July 27 this year); and The Cliff (prices $70 US per person for 2 courses, plus drinks, and tip).

New on the South Coast this year and excellent -- written up in all the magazines, is The Restaurant at Southsea (it's in The Gap) - in my opinion it's the only high-quality restaurant there.

Good with kids is Harlequin - in the Gap; West Coast with kids: Cocomos - near Baku. With kids we also enjoy Pizza Man Doc -- they deliver or you can eat in (rum shop type building) or carry out yourself. Great sandwiches too -- an good way to economize some evening.

Kentucky Fried Chicken on the South Coast has a great setting right on the water -- their Zinger's are great.

Write me for my tips and I go over lots of restaurant details and other facts.

Lois

e-mail: [email protected]

carambola is a must!

ange - You will love the Bougainvillea! For restaurants, highly recommend Pisces (awesome crab cake appetizers and great waterside romantic atmosphere). Don't know if Masquerade is still there in the Gap, but we really enjoyed the dining there. A night out at Plantation is a must (OK buffet, great show and music, kids will love the stilt walkers and fire-eaters). You'll be hard pressed to find better food than right next door at the Water's Edge Restaurant at Sand Acres (Forget Lanterns at Bougainvillea, go next door - there's no comparison).

A couple of tips. The 2 major supermarkets in the Gap will send a free shuttle bus to pick you up and deliver you back if you call them. It sure beats walking with groceries in the heat. Right across the street from Bougainvillea and just slightly east is a great little mini-mart with all sorts of food necessities and rum, wine etc. at very reasonable prices. Saves time going to the Supermarket.

Enjoy.

Linda

Hi All,

Thanks so much for your wonderful recommendations.

I'll keep you posted!

Saharabee:

Masquerades has been closed for a few years. In its place is Harlequin.

The best supermarket in the area is The Big B on Rendezvous Road. It has everything you could ever want, and it also has a deli with hot take-away foods for cheap prices (and good).

We had a bad meal at Pisces last trip --had not tried it in a long time and thought we'd see again. Lots of money for mediocre food. The setting is pretty, though.

Lois

Thanks for the update Lois. Too bad about Masquerade. I will miss their Coconut Shrimp next visit! Also sad to here that Pisces was not as good as remembered. Hope it was just 1 off night.

Lois,
I was just wondering if you had received my emails requesting your tips for barbados?

Havi2000:

No - none got through. Why don't you e-mail again today and I'll get one right out to you (I'll check my spam screener).

Lois

Saharabee:

I think Erwin who ran Masquerede gave his recipe for coconut shrimp to the new owner who changed the restaurant's name. Check it out next time.

Lois

Hi, we just returned from the island a few weeks ago. I stayed on the South Coast as well, but rented a car so we could access the entire island easily. (Well, we got lost a lot, so it wasn't THAT easy).

Most of the restaurants I could recommend would be places you'd more likely go without kids, but are very romantic:

One of our favorite restaurants was 39 Steps on the South Coast. An adorable little wine bar, with some of the best service on the island. Nice reasonably priced menu as well, and live jazz.

Also, Calabaza was exquisite. Beautiful at night with the torches and the lights reflecting on the ocean. Try the Mahi Mahi - it was fabulous.
Service matched the food and decor.

Also, had a meal at Olives. It was decent, but I wasn't overly impressed by the service there. If you do go, check out the second level lounge, they have indoor/outdoor seating and they had steel pan music the night we went.

Also, we enjoyed the ambiance of Sassafras...we just stopped in for a drink, but it was a nice atmosphere and the very friendly bartender served up a great martini!

The Tides would also be perfect for a romantic dinner, right on the water overlooking the beautiful bay just up the way!

We had a nice casual meal on the South Coast at the Ship Inn, and also had lunch at Cafe Sol (it's pretty pricey there for the food, but nice anyway.)

Also, if you like Greek food, try OPA! on the South Coast....

Champers was nice (South Coast) right on the water, and the food was good, again, a bit on the pricey side, but you can't beat the location. Service is pretty good.

For the whole family, I recommend Patisserie Flindt on the South Coast, they have the most amazing pastries I am sure you all would love. And of course, there's always Chefette for fast food.

By the way, I agree with the poster that said to go to the Plantation show...it was fabulous. The kids will love it.

Hope this helps, if I think of anymore, I will post them. Have fun!

We just got back from Barbados and stayed at the Bougainvilla. We ate at the restaurant there for breakfast and after a manager's happy hour. The food was just ok but reasonably priced. Next door, at the Water's Edge, the food was also just ok but expensive. We ate at Carambola's the day before it closed for vacation. The food was excellent and watching the sting-rays was exciting. The drawback was the $50.00 cab fare! We had an equally nice dinner at Josefs. It is only a $12.00 cab ride or a 20-30 minute walk to the gap. The atmosphere there is equally wonderful. I was not happy with my dinner at Pices and the service was poor.
If you like fish, I would recommend that you ask what was caught locally since it is fresh. Can't remember what kind my husband ordered that was not but he was not happy with his choice. Ostins fish fry/chicken fry is a must. It is more crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. We paid for a shuttle that Bouganvilla offered on Fridays. The shuttle to Bridgetown is free but you have to sign up for the time slots available. They stop at 4:30.
We asked several cabbies what their fares were each time we went out since the prices were not always the same, even though they are suppose to be. Also, the ride is the same price no matter the number of people so we always asked people in the lobby that were waiting where they were going and if they minded sharing a cab. We met some nice people that way.

Hi,

Good report. I'm curious about the cab fares from Bougainvillea both to Carambola and The Gap area --
were the prices you quoted in US Dollars, and was this round trip or each way?

Thanks,

Lois

Sorry, I should have been more specific! I was quoting them both round trip and in US dollars. When we went to Carambola the driver waited for us, when we went to the gap we just picked up one on the way and a different one coming back. Your reports help a lot, Lois, and made me more comfortable when we arrived. I appreciated everyone's input but, as you know, everything is subjective.
We had a good time at the Bouganvilla but I must say that it was rated 4 stars by the tour group we used and I noticed it was rated 3 stars by another. All in all, the price we paid was good even though I would have rated it a 3 star property in the US. The afternoon manager, Leena, was wonderful to us. When we first arrived we did not have any hot water in our bathroom. That was taken care of within 30 minutes. I also was not happy with the heat generated by the big open-grated light in our bathroom. I would recommend checking out the lights in different rooms if heat and humidity bother you. The rooms are big and the airconditioning didn't make the bend to the bathroom. We saw another room with individual lights that didn't generate any additional heat. Unfortunately that was in a room with a queen size bed and we really wanted a king. Leena provided us with a fan and we were happy campers after that. Happy hour at the pool is from 11:30-12:30 and 3:30 to 4:30. The drinks are two for one. Roxanne was a trip as a bartender. Rosalyn was the conceige (I don't spell well) who helped us with our dinner and shuttle reservations. We usually eat early, around 7, so places were not that crowded then but was very crowed when we left. We were surprised that it got dark there in Barbados so early-6:30ish-so we were able to be eating while the sun set. There were a lot of places in the gap that had happy hours later in the evening too. My husband loved it!

Thanks for clarifying.

By the way, we've known Leena at Bougainvillea for years -- she's a sweetie, very helpful.

Glad my trip reports helped. We're leaving again on Saturday for 2 weeks in Barbados and I will update my tips upon my return, so be sure to write me for the new tips soon.

Lois

The address is:

[email protected]