Hello. My husband and I are leaving for Barbados next week and we would like some restuarnt suggestions. We will have a car, so location does not matter. We enjoy all types of food, and all levels...high end to cheap eats! Thanks ahead of time! Also, is the tip included on the check in Barbados? If anyone also has any MUST SEE ideas as well. Thank you! Have a great day!

If you write me directly I will send you the Tips I have compiled after 19 trips to the island -- we love it there. I have all price range restaurants and up-to-the-minute restaurant news that's not in the tour books. My tips are free.

Write me at: [email protected]

Lois

We feel that Carambola is just about the most romantic restaurant on earth, plus great food. It sits, open air, on a low cliff, with spotlights playing over the water. And the tree frogs serenade you while you are dining. If you are unfamiliar with caribbean tree frogs, they take over at sunset when the birds quit, but their mating sound is a crystal-clear bell-like sound, prettier than most birds. They live in the trees, shrubs and foliage all over the place.
ps Where are you staying? Some of the West Coast hotels have exchange dining. The restaurants at Coral Reef Club, Cobbler's Cove, Treasure Beach are particularly good and have been so for many years.
pps Must sees are Harrison's Cave, Flower Forest, a gorgeous garden/forest (a visitor once wrote in their visitor book "If I owned Paradise and Flower Forest, I would rent out Paradise and live in Flower Forest.&quot Also the Nature Preserve, and a couple of the beautifully maintained plantation houses from the sugar era, the best of which are Francia Plantation and Sunbury Plantation. On the east coast it looks a little like outer Cape Cod with wild water and spectacular views, and there is Andromeda Gardens, another lovely tropical gardens. In a place like this, perpetually summer with plenty of rain, there are amazing displays of color, tree sizes, and unique things like plants and flowers growing out of coral stone.

Regarding Carambola -- it truly is wonderful -- both food and atmosphere. However, 1/2 of the restaurant has now been closed for construction of some new villas and it will totally close by the end of April. So if you want to experience it, it will probably be your only opportunity to do so. Next year villas will be in its place.

Lois

ppps See www.barbados.org

One note of caution on the www.barbados.org website. This is the Tourism Board's website, and recently they have made many improvements to it, including the way it looks, some of their information regarding restaurants is out of date. In their alphabetical listing of restaurants, several are closed and have been for a year or two and those that replaced them are not shown.

For example, Nico's was sold over two years ago, and now it's called Sassafras and run under new ownership.

Their highlighted restaurants are up to date, and The Restaurant at Southsea is an excellent addition.

Lois

Check out the Muse in Holetown. Very nice.