Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Food/Attractions in Barbados

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Food/Attractions in Barbados

We have a family vacation planned to Barbados. Are there some "can't be missed" attractions and restaurants we should know about? Thanks in advance

Just got back from Barbados- explore Harrison's Cave, do Island Safari island tour, do any of the catamaran cruises- the Cliffs is good for dining but Carambola tops it more for ambience and fine food. Cocomos in Holetown is also good for lunch and dinner.

Delza, Where did you stay while in Barbados and did you like your accomadations??? Any complaints about the island or your hotel? I hear lots about construction on the island (sewer upgrades or something), did you find this a problem? I am going in October for my honeymoon....

I am thinking about going to Barbados on my honeymoon in October too! I am interested in what anyone has to say about any resorts there to stay at. I am looking inthe average price range. I have found Barbados beach Club and it looks pretty nice. I am looking for AI and somewhere that has some water sports and night life...some type of entertainment. Please help! Thank you.

Hi, I agree you should check out Harrison' Cave. It is an undergound cave with stalagnites and stalagtites, , nearby that is a place called Welshmans Hall Gully, have a cab take you there and wait. It's a self guided path thru a gully, there are monkeys swinging thru the trees and is like being in a jungle. You walk thru and there are beautiful plants and hanging vines. Every time I have been there I have seen monkeys and other really neat things. Then you catch a cab at the end and there are bathrooms at the end. Have fun

I'm going to Barbados on my honeymoon in October too!! I was wondering if the Island safari is worth the money or would we be better off just renting a car and exploring on our own? I'm SUPER excited and I'm reading every book, magazine and internet article I can find about Barbados. I even watched Cocktail again because I heard that the "Jamaican" bar Tom Cruise worked at was actually in Barbados (I'm obsessed!)

Just got back from Barbados. I absolutely loved it. We stayed at Glitter Bay on the West Coast and had a much more idle vacation than usual -- our design, not because of anything else. The facilities were a little less "polished" than I had anticipated that they would be (we were not told that the Royal Pavilion, GB's sister property, would be closed for renovations, and therefore there was only one restaurant w/in walking distance of the beach; rooms took a little longer than expected to be cleaned, etc.), but the beach was beautiful and the service was very nice. We thought the food at La Terra was quite good, The Tides was fantastic, and Olives was okay. Happy to answer any other questions.

Hi all - here are some tips that might help you: The Island Safari was fabulous -- LOTS of fun. Went places you cannot get to in a car, so we had a different perspective on some things we've seen before while driving around. It was fantastic going through the sugar cane fields off-roading. We took the Adventure Safari, which costs $60/each. If you follow the link below it will take you to their site and you can get a 10% discount for booking direct on line. I would suggest picking out a day you want now & book this way. http://barbadostraveler.com/tours/ We prefer the Flower Forest to Andromeda Garden, but both are ok. Also interesting is the walk through Welchman Hall Gully. Sunbury is an interesting Great House to tour -- we enjoy snack in their outside restaurant when we visit there. Orchid World that opened in 1999 has some gorgeous flowering orchids -- not to be missed. You might enjoy Farley Hill - it contains the ruins of a plantation house where a movie was filmed, and a unique collection of mahogony trees and offers a spectacular view of the area. Codrington College - the view as you drive down the entrance flanked by Royal Palms on each side is very interesting. I wouldn't bother with Pelican Village or the Barbados Museum or the Chattel House Village in Christ Church. There is a Chattel House Village on the West Coat that is very nice however -- go there instead (it's near Baku Beach). Gifts: For nice quality gifts, try to get to Daphne's Sea Shell Studio mear Six Cross Roads (near Sunbury House) on Congo Road. After you drive down a pretty entrance road (through a coral stone archway), you come upon a 300 year old cow barn with bougainvillea everywhere. It's run by a wonderful, warm family. Their handpainted gifts are the best on the island. You can enjoy some lemonaide & see all sorts of dogs & cats & horses while you enjoy looking at their wonderful work. For a car, we've used Stoute's since 1986 & always get good quality cars & wonderful service. They can deliver the car to you at your hotel, or meet you at the airport if you prefer. Check out their site at: http:www.stoutescar.com We tried a mini moke once, but you can get wet in them & there's no place to lock up any valuables, so now we go with a Corolla type car with a/c & that locks. Definitely make arrangements in advance -- that way you won't be left waiting a day or so to get your car. I'll put restaurant info in my next post.

Restaurant suggestions: West Coast Restaurants: The Cliff: Gourmet food in a stunning location. Ask for table 50 (or close to that) if you can get it -- gorgeous view. (as close to the water as you can get). Best to make reservations in advance to be sure you get the type of seating you want. (246) 432-1922. Pricey - $120 US/couple if you get appetizer and bottle of moderately priced wine. Carambola: The cliff-top location offers lots of seating along the rail by the cliff overlooking the Caribbean which is light up at night so you can see the gorgeous water. They even have sting ray that frequently swims through the area at night. The food is French cuisine with a Caribbean flair and a touch of Asian as well. Gourmet food and excellent service. Robin Walcott owns this restaurant and is frequently there to greet his guests & provide the best in everything. Phone: (246) 432-0832 La Terra: This restaurant is located at Baku Beach and is upstairs overlooking a terraced area. Price-wise this vyes with The Cliff & Carambola and is definitely among the most expensive on the West Coast. The quality of the food is worth it. The Chef, Larry Rogers really has a flair for an imaginative menu with the emphasis on Italian (truly Italian gourmet). If you go late enough you can enjoy the Casbah Nightclub downstairs (action starts in about 10:30 pm) -- this might be perfect for you for nightlife! Phone: (246) 432-1099 Olives Bar & Bistro: This is the first restauranat run by Larry Rogers. It's in a quaint old Barbadian style building in Holetown. You can eat in their courtyard, or also enjoy indoor dining with air conditioning. The food again is imaginative with a Mediterranean and Caribbean flair. They have wonderful gourmet pizzas here too. Phone: (246) 432-2112. The Tides: This is new restaurant just opened by Chef Guy Beasley -- it's excellent - went there for both lunch & dinner. Probably runs $60 US for lunch for 2 with a drink each. Cocomos is great for a moderately priced meal (water side). East Coast Restaurants: The Round House: Offers indoor or outdoor seating. We enjoy stopping here for lunch & enjoy looking out over the Bathsheeba area. On Sundays be sure you get there for noontime as by 4 pm they stop serving. Inexpensive. Crane Beach: Pay the $5 entrance fee each (redeemable at the restaurant/bar). Definitely go daytime - the view is spectacular. It's one of the prettiest beaches anywhere. If you sit on the balcony & enjoy a drink or lunch, you have one of the best views anywhere. And the pool there, with its Roman columns, is used in many magazine ads -- you won't regret it. North Point: If you drive up there some afternoon, the view in that area of the water crashing on the rocks & through the holes in the coral is spectacular. We usually enjoy a snack in their A-frame tiny restaurant. You might enjoy trying a "cheese cutter" - a Bajan special snack. We like that with a beer. It would be a unique experience. Probably for $16 you can get this. South Coast Restaurants: Pisces: In St. Lawrence Gap: Ok for moderately priced food on south coast. Champers: On South coast -- great for a meal overlooking the southcoast water. Just Grillin - on the South Coast across from Accra hotel. Great simple grilled burgers, fish & chicken and grilled vegetables. For $20 US 2 people can eat with a drink each. If the owner (Francis) is there tell him we highly recommended. Shak Shak: Also south coast & good was good (used to be Chef Guy Beasley -- not sure with new chef). Get waterfront seating whereever you can. Don't bother with: Brown Sugar (pretty with plants, but food quality not good); David's Place (I've heard it's overrated for the price); Josef's -- food quality & service not what it should be.

I have to agree with Lois. Daivd's place is over rated. We went and spent about $140/dinner for 2. Sure the view was great but the food was just OK. I found Shack Shack to be more reasonable $80/dinner for 2 and the food was really good.