Tropical Treats: a Guide to Caribbean Cuisine by Melanie Reffes
Featured Hotel in Maundays Bay
Cap Juluca
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Whether it’s Grenada’s oil-down stew of breadfruit, spinach, coconut milk and salted meat, Mexican mole or Jamaican lip-searing jerk, tropical cuisine is a delectable mélange of ingredients from faraway lands and long ago times.
Peppered with international inspiration and local ingredients and prepared by some of the finest Chefs in the world, the Caribbean and Mexico tempt with fine dining par excellence.
Bastion of Fine Dining in Barbados
A gastronomic nirvana where you can spend one week eating wonderfully well at every meal and never try the same restaurant twice, Barbados is chocked full of world-class restaurants dishing up a cornucopia of tropical treats.
In the charming town of Holetown , a gingerbread façade in cheery yellows, greens and pinks and a clever menu of Limbo lamb, Rasta pasta and Jump-up ribs has earned kudos for Angry Annie’s. “Our savoury ribs are the best on the Island “boasts Brit Paul Matthews who along with his wife Annie lord over the restaurant as if royalty were stopping by for cuppa.
Quaint and quiet on the rugged Atlantic side, Naniki - Arawak Indian word for ‘full of life’ - is a tree house turned dining room built of wood from the Pink Poui tree . Down-home specialities include the Bajan staple cou cou or mashed cornmeal, coconut ‘bakes’ that melt in your mouth and for fearless foodies, puddin' and souse or pigs entrails stuffed with sweet potatoes, pigs feet and ears.
The Restaurant at Southsea wows with Chef Barry Taylor’s edible flower salad and macadamia nut barracuda. “Nightly Bajan bands compliment our perfect night in paradise,” smiles co-owner Alfred Taylor.
Anguilla’s Culinary Perfection
Setting the gold standard for luxury, Anguilla is a serene sliver of Shangri-la with a treasure trove of fine restaurants. Built on a coral outcrop a stones throw from the azure waters of the Bay, Pimms is gourmet splendour lit by the Moorish domes of the Cap Juluca resort. Eurasian influences abound in Anguillian recipes for crayfish and oxtail ravioli, miso-glazed black cod and a yummy cherry wood smoked salmon.
As legendary for celebrity spotting (Robert De Niro likes the 1994 Domaine Bouchard Pere & fils Grand Cru burgundy wine) as it is for its irresistible dishes, Blanchard’s delights with a Caribbean Sampler of oven-crisped mahi mahi with coconut, lime and ginger, roasted Anguilla lobster and Jerk chicken with grilled cinnamon-rum bananas. Dining by candlelight under the rustling palms is the stuff of vacation memories that last a lifetime. Be sure to check out their newest eatery Zurra in the Temenos Golf Club.
Grenada’s Gastronomy
Fronting the postcard-perfect Magazine Beach, Aquarium is popular with tourists in-the-know. Bring your appetite for the scrumptious callaloo cannelloni and fish so fresh they’re still mad. The Sunday barbecue with a live reggae band is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
For a taste of Italy and views of the cobalt sea, LaLuna tantalizes the taste buds with Mediterranean flavours in a bevy of Grenadian dishes. Chef Daniele Gaetano recommends the pumpkin and ginger soup and Tortellini ai Porcini, pasta filled with prosciutto imported from Italy. Mangia and enjoy!
Oliver’s raises the bar with Creole specialities that spotlight garden-fresh produce and island spices. Seaside at the Spice Island Beach Resort, the all-natural rum and cocoa ice cream is well worth the splurge.
Scrumptious St Lucia
Oozing Creole charm around every corner, St. Lucia is a palate-pleaser with an array of eateries saluting local dishes and global specialties. Surrounded by purple passion fruit vines on the untapped Atlantic side, Beach Club 1461 is aptly named for its latitude and longitude. With an infectious zeal, server Zina Felix suggests a sunflower encrusted mahi mahi and a glass of South African Nederburg Chardonnay, "Dinner with a side of sunset is what I recommend."
Take the solar ferry from Discovery at Marigot Bay to the Rainforest Hideaway snuggled in the mangroves. Dining under the starry skies is magical with artistic entrees like honey soy glazed wild salmon and sea salt rubbed duck breast. Mellow jazz and an impressive wine cellar stocking the sublime Attitude Sauvignon Blanc from Loire Valley is an unbeatable recipe for romantic dining pour deux.
Bring Your Appetite for Life to St. Maarten
With more than 350 restaurants, this dual Island nation is the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean. Fine dining at the waters edge, Aura in the Dawn Beach Westin excels with a French fusion menu and decadent desserts.
Dare to be rare at Temptations in the Atlantis Casino Courtyard where the dry aged steaks are nirvana for the meat lovers in the crowd. Save room for the truffle mac ‘n cheese and sweet Vidalia onions. In the Maho Promenade, Bajatzu stands out with stellar service, comfy leather banquettes and rum-doused plantains. An exhibition kitchen means you can see your ahi tuna expertly seared to your specifications.
In Philipsburg, L’Escargot does snails half a dozen ways while the seaside eateries on the renovated boardwalk are casual dining with flair. Taloula Mango’s is the winner for succulent ribs, Oualichi bakes the best pizza this side of Rome and Bamboo Bernie’s temps with an eclectic menu of sushi and satays.
On the French side, Grand Case is epicurean ecstasy with bistros and cafes celebrating France with a flash of Caribbean spice.
Hot Hot Hot in Jamaica
The culinary epicenter of the Island, Montego Bay is brimming with upscale eateries and trendy bars. Leading the pack with a 100-bottle wine list, Wine By Me is the brainchild of MoBay’s Queen Social Butterfly, Cecile Levee. After a glass of chilled Riesling and perfectly grilled peppered shrimp in a mango and jerk rum sauce, she’ll make you feel right at home.
Island spirit rules at Scotchies, a no-frills bonanza of roasted breadfruit, frosty Red Stripe beer and mouth-burning jerk chicken, fish and pork blackened in a marinade of fiery peppers. The Boonoonoonoos (Patois for ‘plentiful’) platter at the Native Restaurant is chocked full of curried goat, peppery jerk, ackee with salt fish and golden brown plantains. On the Hip Strip, Margaritaville is a hang-out for the young-at-heart with live music, bongs of beer, and margaritas in every flavor under the sun and yes, you can even get a cheeseburger in paradise.
Mouth-watering Mexico
In the picturesque town of Ixtapa, across the water from Zihuataneo, Kau-Kau is modern Mexico at its finest with a welcoming terrace and vistas of the twinkling city. Under the watchful eye of Chef Ricardo Rodriguez, the house specialty patata rellena- potatoes stuffed with shrimp and lobster in a fresh basil and garlic sauce – wins rave reviews.
In a tucked away street close to the heart of San Jose del Cabo, Casianos marries gourmet treats like Duck confit turnovers and lobster ravioli over ginger and sweet corn with vintage wines from the Valle de Guadalupe boutique. No menu and no rules, Chef Casiano Reyes creates the best in Baja.
If you're planning a trip to more tropical climes, get inspired by our collection of luxury hotels in the Caribbean.