If you are a foodie then Barbados is the place for you. Possibly the only place in the world that doesn’t have a McDonalds, instead it has something for every taste and budget. From the kid-friendly fast food chain Chefette to award-winning restaurants like The Cliff and L’Azure, the clifftop restaurant overlooking magnificent Crane Beach.

The following are 5 personal recommendations on where to eat in Barbados:

Oistins

For a true taste of Barbados, head to Oistins, a fishing village on the south coast. Home to the weekly Friday night Fish Fry, people from all over the island, along with tourists from around the world, come together to eat, drink, dance and party. Stop in at any of the many stalls serving up flying fish, rice, macaroni, and plantain, then find a table to enjoy this local speciality. Wash it down with a couple of Banks beers, it’s a meal that matches the best of anywhere.

For breakfast or a light snack, visit the Bean n’ Bagel in St. Lawrence Gap for breakfast, and as we sit on the deck overlooking the Caribbean, we ate a hearty breakfast of orange juice, omelettes, freshly baked bagels, and gourmet coffee. I could happily sit here all morning and just watch the world go by.

The Bean-n-Bagel Cafe (St. Lawrence Gap)

The Bean-n-Bagel Cafe is my favorite place to have breakfast in Barbados. The original, located in St. Lawrence Gap, is also an internet cafe, so if you really can’t leave the office behind, or just want to connect with family back home, you can stay in touch with the world over a freshly baked bagel, pastries, or a full breakfast of omelettes and lox and a hot or iced coffee while relaxing in the morning sun.

They also serve sandwiches, vegetarian entrees, chicken Alfredo, pasta, crab salad, and pizza. Or if something sweet is more to your liking, don’t miss the Tortuga Rum Cake, or my personal favourite, and I always have one to take home, Mount Gay Great Cake.

Reasonable prices, relaxed atmosphere, friendly service, great locations, good food, and if ocean sailing is too strenuous, you can surf the internet! Two newer locations have also opened, one at the West Coast Mall in Holetown and the other overlooking the Careenage in Bridgetown.

Pisces Restaurant

For a romantic dinner on the edge of St. Lawrence Bay, Pisces at St. Lawrence Gap is a must. Enter through a grove of lush tropical foliage to a table overlooking the water. This oh-so-romantic restaurant is considered one of the best on the island, and one taste of the seafood linguine will soon tell you it’s a well-deserved reputation.

Pisces is only open for dinner after 6pm and it’s not cheap. Prices for entrees are from $14 to $25 and main courses from $38 to $74. But for a special night out, this is a restaurant not to be missed. Dress, as in most Bajan restaurants, is smartly casual and reservations are recommended.

naniki

One of the most exclusive restaurants in Barbados located in the hills of St. Joseph. The natural beauty of the landscape beyond its glass walls sets the mood for the restaurant. An open-air porch allows you to enjoy views of the surrounding hills while enjoying a cooling breeze along with your meal. The menu includes a selection of Caribbean staples such as yams, sweet potatoes and breadfruit, along with the famous Bajan cornmeal cou cou.

For lunch, try the seared flying fish, grilled dorado, stewed lambi (conch), chicken curry, or chicken or pork. For dinner, the specialties are grilled snapper, local blackbelly lamb, grilled shrimp, and pork loin. On Sundays, they serve a ‘taste of the Caribbean’ buffet with all the fixings.

tides

On the west coast, make your reservations at Tides. This upscale restaurant features a main floor art gallery featuring some of the best local artists and both main and second floor dining. Ask for a table upstairs with a view of the Caribbean. There are so many great options on the menu that it’s hard to decide what to eat. But try the Jamaican jerk chicken wrapped in Parma ham with pesto purée, leek and Calvados cream with caramelized apples, and seared local tuna with Wasabi sauce served over warm ginger sesame egg noodle salad and vegetable spring rolls, accompanied by a 2005 Petit Chablis. You won’t be disappointed.

rum shops

I know I said 5 places to eat in Barbados, but it is said that there are between 500 and 1500 rum shops in Barbados and no visit is complete without stopping at at least one. If you want a true Bajan experience, you should visit a rum shop at least once. Rum houses are actually small bars found in every town and are social hubs where residents gather to discuss politics, play dominoes, catch up on the latest news, gossip and… drink rum. The shops also double as grocery stores and are a good place to grab a snack, particularly cutters. Cutters are the Bajan equivalent of sandwiches, a round bun generously stacked with cheese, ham, fish, or whatever else you choose.