13 Best Restaurants in British Virgin Islands

Stop by this casual, authentic Italian outdoor café for an espresso, gelato, a fresh pastry, a bowl of perfectly cooked pasta, or a crispy tomato-and-mozzarella pizza.

This upscale but family-friendly beach bar at White Bay beach features a handsome wood bar, lounge area, and hammocks nestled in among the palm trees, making you feel as if you're at a small resort. The pulled pork tacos are excellent, and bottomless mimosas are served with Sunday brunch. Come on Thursday night for sushi prepared with locally sourced tuna; the dinner menu ventures into more refined territory with offerings like tomahawk steak, lobster ravioli, and vegetarian pad Thai.

The million-dollar sunset view is the thing at this simple wooden restaurant perched on a hillside overlooking the North Sound. If the scenery alone isn't enough to make you feel as if you're ready to be singing with the angels, this barbecue joint's succulent pork, local fish, and conch in butter sauce will help.

Caribbean-style, casual beach fare rules at this must-stop destination for BVI boaters, whose habit of wading ashore for a drink gives the bar its distinctive name. Don't miss the Painkiller cocktail, the semi-official drink of the BVI, invented here. For lunch, find your way through the throngs ordering drinks at the bar to get mahimahi sandwiches, hamburgers, chicken roti, and conch fritters. A bottle of Soggy Dollar rum makes a nice souvenir that you can use to make your own Painkillers at home.

Located at the entrance to Nanny Cay, this sports bar attracts expats, locals, and sailors with its promise to have "the second-best burger on the island," underlining the eatery's irreverent tone (we never found out who has the best!). Hot wings, pizza, ribs, and burgers are on the menu, and most people come to watch the game on the big-screen TVs. A children's play area reflects a surprisingly family-friendly atmosphere. There is an upstairs nightclub occasionally featuring live music and dancing.

The big draw here is the owner, Foxy Callwood, a famed calypso singer who will serenade you with funny songs as you fork into grilled chicken, burgers, barbecue ribs, and lobster. Check out the pennants, postcards, and weathered T-shirts that adorn every inch of the walls and ceiling of this large, two-story beach bar; they've been left by previous visitors who are mostly either day-trippers from elsewhere in the Virgin Islands or yacht owners. On Friday and Saturday nights, Foxy's hosts a Caribbean-style barbecue with grilled fresh fish, chicken and ribs, peas and rice, salad, and more, followed by live music. Other nights choose from steak, fresh lobster, pork, or pasta; at lunch Foxy serves sandwiches and salads. The drinks are strong no matter what time of day you order them. Foxy's is one of the most reliable eating establishments on Jost. You're unlikely to find Foxy performing at night, but he takes the mike many afternoons and makes time to mingle with guests—this a popular happy-hour pit stop. The all-night "Old Years" party here is the biggest New Years Eve celebration in the Caribbean.

Situated on Trellis Bay's beachfront, brightly painted Jeremy's Kitchen is the ideal spot to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch while people-watching. Omelets, croque madame and monsieur sandwiches, and eggs Benedict are breakfast favorites, while pasta, curries, roti, and quesadillas round out the lunch and dinner options. "Jeremy's Awesome Sandwich" fits a choice of meats and seafood between slices of seven-grain bread with grilled cheese, vegetables, and mango relish. Live bands play here during the monthly full-moon parties at Trellis Bay.

Along the road to The Baths, this small restaurant with pedestrian decor is a local favorite for fresh bread, cakes and pastries, and informal dining. You can always find fresh fish on the menu, accompanied by traditional local sides like peas and rice. A weekly barbecue on Friday nights starts at noon and includes live music and DJs. There's a second, smaller location in Road Town, Tortola.

Piña coladas are the thing at this breezy bar just outside the entrance to The Baths. The menu includes great triple-decker sandwiches, BLTs, and hot dogs.

Find this Cane Garden Bay eatery and bar on the beach by the "I Love BVI" sign---it's known for its traditional Caribbean breakfast, brick-oven pizza, lamb and chicken shawarma, and daily drink specials. DJs get a good beach jam going at night, including monthly full-moon parties and themed events. Saturday night at Paradise is usually where the party is in Tortola for locals and visitors alike. Ask for local Callwood rum and BVI gin in your mixed drinks from the bar.

Almost everyone who visits Tortola stops here at least once to have a bite and to sample the famous Painkiller, made with Pusser's Royal Navy rum, pineapple and orange juices, and cream of coconut. The predictable menu includes pizza, shepherd's pie, fish-and-chips, burgers, and occasional seafood specials. Dine inside in air-conditioned comfort or outside on the veranda, which looks out on the harbor. There's a second location at Soper's Hole in West End.

Meals are served poolside under the shade of umbrellas at this casual eatery at the Virgin Gorda Village condo complex. The lunch menu includes salads, pizzas, rotis, and burgers, but the lobster wrap is a must-have.

Quietly tucked into a corner on Road Town's waterfront, the Watering Hole is an oasis amidst the jungle of concrete government buildings and banks in downtown Road Town. South African wine and local and imported beer—along with espresso, Wi-Fi, and light fare like pizza, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and a new tapas menu—make this a popular lunch spot for Road Town professionals and charter-yacht crews. The after-work crowd is also drawn in with weeknight build-your-own pizza and burger specials and live sports screenings. There is live music on Saturday.