Best Restaurants in the Caribbean
Sun seeking travelers have long been drawn to the Caribbean by its stunning blue sea and sugar-white sands. Dining was often an afterthought. But that has changed, and the Caribbean islands are now home to a wealth of highly-rated restaurants.
To help you find the best fine dining in the Caribbean, we have compiled a list of the top restaurants on the islands. We broke down the list into the following categories:
Keep in mind: many of these restaurants are quite popular, and require you to make reservations in advance. If you need help securing a restaurant reservation, please contact our concierge department . We make thousands of dinner reservations in the Caribbean islands each year for our villa rental guests and would love to help you get a table at one of these top restaurants.
Extra Virgin Bistro (St. John)
Overview: Extra Virgin Bistro prides itself on serving the freshest produce and products in its farm- and sea-to-table cuisine. This restaurant even grows many of its own herbs. Examples of the elevated food you might enjoy here include a Wagyu steak tartar or a wild mushroom pappardelle in a truffle cream sauce.
Ambiance: Tropical chic.
What we love: Attentive, excellent service.
Insider tip: Check out the restaurant's Facebook page for specials and additions to the menu.
Location: Cruz Bay, Address: 18-11A Estate Enighed near the Round-About, Phone: +1 340-715-1864
See all restaurants in St John, USVI
L' Esprit (St. Barths)
Overview: Chef Jean-Claude Dufour, formerly of Eden Rock, is well-known on the island for his culinary artistry. At L' Esprit, diners are treated to beautifully plated French-inspired dishes, changing the menu weekly. Examples of this restaurant's cuisine include medallion of lobster, mushroom ravioli, and its signature seared foie gras.
Ambiance: Romantic garden setting.
What we love: The service is attentive and efficient.
Insider tip: L' Esprit is open for lunch and offers excellent to-go fare.
Location: Saline, Address: Anse de Grande, Phone: +590 590 52-4610
See all restaurants in St Barts
Coco Bistro (Turks and Caicos)
Insider tip: Reservations are highly recommended.
Ambiance: Coco Bistro is in the middle of the largest palm grove in Providenciales, so the overall vibe is tropical magic.
What we love: Chef Stuart Gray grows many of the herbs he uses in his dishes.
Overview: At Coco Bistro, you'll dine under swaying palms on Chef Gray's masterful culinary creations. Think seafood fettuccine studded with mahi-mahi, Caicos lobster, and shrimp. Or jerk pork tenderloin with fried plantains and ratatouille.
Location: Providenciales, Address: Grace Bay Road, next to Sunshine Nursery, Phone: +1 649-946-5369
See all restaurants in Turks & Caicos
Veya Restaurant (Anguilla)
Overview: The dishes on Veya's menu aren't limited to one country or region. Instead, this restaurant borrows ideas from tropical cuisines from around the world. So, you'll find jerk tuna featured on the menu alongside a vegetarian dish of roasted cauliflower, potato, tofu, and an Indian spinach purée.
Ambiance: Romantic tree house where you'll dine by the soft glow of candles.
What we love: You won't want to skip the restaurant's signature shrimp cigars, flavored with Moroccan spices and accented with an apricot jam.
Insider tip: The lunch menu is vegetarian with some vegan options. However, the restaurant can modify dishes with meat or fish upon request.
Location: Sandy Ground, Address: Reverend Carty Road, Phone: +1 264-498-8392
See all restaurants in Anguilla
Le Tamarin (St. Barths)
Overview: Le Tamarin is run by two brothers -- Jerome, the chef, and Frederic Lebeau, the sommelier. Together they have created a superb dining experience with fusions of French food and local flavors featuring seasonal produce and fine wines. The restaurant's offerings include a veal chop smoked in hay or cod loin and caviar.
Ambiance: Tropical garden elegance, romantic.
What we love: Le Tamarin's sommelier will help you find the perfect wine pairings for your meal.
Insider tip: Le Tamarin has a garden hour menu that features tapas and a charcuterie board.
Location: Grande Saline, Address: Saline Saint-Barthélemy BL 97133, Phone: +590 590 29 27 74
See all restaurants in St Barts
La Villa Restaurant (St. Martin)
Overview: La Villa Restaurant serves delicious, classic French fare, including a beef filet served with a foie gras sauce, a John Dory filet served Meuniere, or sliced duck breast served with sweet potato mousse. This outstanding eatery has earned the Best of the Best award from TripAdvisor, which means it's been ranked in the top one percent of properties worldwide.
Ambiance: Candle-lit, romantic, and welcoming.
What we love: The staff and owners are attentive and dedicated to providing the best service possible to their guests.
Insider tip: Complimentary valet parking is available.
Location: Grand Case, Address: 93 boulevard de Grand Case, Phone: +590 690 50 12 04
See all restaurants in St Martin
The Cliff (Barbados)
Overview: This beautiful clifftop restaurant has been renovated and will reopen as a fine Italian restaurant by the end of 2021 under Michelin Star chef Antonio Mellino. His menu will spotlight the flavors of the Campania region, Napoli, and Southern Italy. Chef Mellino uses fresh local ingredients as well as the best products from around the world for his dishes.
Ambiance: Romantic and stylish.
What we love: The stunning 180-degree views of the ocean.
Insider tip: The Cliff Restaurant's name was due to change to Quattro Passi at The Cliff by the end of 2021.
Location: St. James Parish, Address: Highway 1, St. James, Phone: +1 246-432-1922
See all restaurants in Barbados
CocoMaya (BVI)
Overview: This beautiful restaurant specializes in serving cuisine that marries Asian and Latin flavors to create unique culinary creations. You can choose small plates, such as pork bao buns or Korean-spiced chicken tacos. Or you can go for the large plates, such as Thai chicken green curry -- to share with your dining companions.
Ambiance: Unpretentious beach chic with a Balinese vibe.
What we love: This restaurant uses locally sourced produce and "consciously" caught regional seafood whenever possible.
Insider tip: Reservations are highly recommended.
Location: Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda, Address: Beachfront - Valley Trunk Road, Phone: +1 284-495-6344
Bistrot Caraibes (St. Martin)
Overview: Bistrot Caraibes has been serving gourmet French food in St. Martin since the early 1990s. Some of its most popular dishes are lobster thermidor or grilled veal escalopes. This restaurant has won the TripAdvisor Best of the Best award, plus, in 2019, USA Today readers also named it one of the 10 best restaurants in the Caribbean.
Ambiance: Romantic, yet welcoming and relaxed.
What we love: This restaurant has a tank where you can select a live lobster for your dinner.
Insider tip: Reservations are recommended at this popular, 50-seat restaurant.
Location: Saint Martin, Address: 81 Boulevard de Grand Case, Phone: +590 590 29 08 29
See all restaurants in St Martin
Blue by Eric Ripert (Grand Cayman)
Overview: Eric Ripert is one of the best-known and respected chefs in the world, and his Blue is the only AAA Five Diamond restaurant in the Caribbean. Blue specializes in seafood, and its beautifully plated dishes are a treat for your eyes as well as for your stomach. Here, you might dine on jerk-poached halibut or thinly sliced conch served with a yuzu-infused citrus emulsion.
Ambiance: Resort elegance, upscale.
What we love: You'll find more than 700 fine wines on this restaurant's wine list.
Insider tip: If you want the full experience at dining at Blue, go for either the seven- or six-course Prix fixed tasting menus.
Location: Seven Mile Beach, Address: West Bay Road, in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Phone: +1 345-943-9000
See all restaurants in Grand Cayman
Top Restaurants in the Caribbean by Category
The best Caribbean restaurant? It really depends on what you're in the mood for. To help you find the best restaurants for your itinerary, we've curated the following lists into three specific categories -- fine dining, lunch spots, and local fare.
Da Conch Shack (Turks & Caicos)
At this iconic Turks & Caicos eatery, the views are stunning; the food delicious, and the vibe is laid-back. As for its menu, Da Conch Shack serves – not surprisingly – conch in just about every way imaginable.
Some examples include curried conch stew, in a salad, or in a chowder. Of course, this restaurant serves other dishes, as well, including fresh seafood, tacos, and burgers.
Location: Providenciales, Address: Blue Hills Rd (Aka Cove Rd), Phone: +1 649-946-8877
Nikki Beach (St. Barths)
This waterfront restaurant will take you on a culinary journey around the world with an emphasis on the cuisine of France, Spain, and Thailand. Some standouts on Nikki Beach's menu include sushi and rotisserie chicken enhanced with a truffle sauce or a Provencal herb jus.
Location: St. Barthelemy, Address: Plage de St. Jean, Phone: +590 590 27 64 64
Blanchards Restaurant and Beach Shack (Anguilla)
These are two separate eateries. Blanchards Restaurant's menu will take you on a culinary trip around the world. Examples of some of the restaurant's dishes include a grouper Nicoise or char siu ribs. Then there is the Beach Shack, which serves up more casual fare, including sandwiches, burgers, and jerk chicken at affordable prices. Both eateries pride themselves on using local and organic produce whenever possible.
Location: West End Village, Address: Meads Bay, Phone: +1 264-498-6100
Rainbow Cafe (St. Martin)
This beachfront restaurant has a lunch menu that has something to offer just about anyone, with flavors from France, the Caribbean, and Asia. For example, you'll find poke bowls, tapas, and burgers. The Rainbow Cafe also has an award-winning pâtisserie chef, which means you can end your meal with an incredibly sweet treat.
Location: Grand Case, French side, Address: Boulevard de Grand Case #176, Phone: +590 690 88 84 44
The Cliff Beach Club (Barbados)
This beautiful restaurant is slightly more casual than its big sister, The Cliff. But it still has the same stunning views. And like its sister, the Cliff Beach House will have a new name by the end of 2021 -- QP Bistro. This restaurant will feature a bistro menu and have a large Italian pizza oven.
Location: St. James, Address: Highway 1, St. James, Phone: +1 246-432-0797
Bonito St. Barth (St. Barths)
© Romeo Balancourt
At Bonito, you will dine on creative dishes that fuse French gastronomy with the flavors and products of South America. This restaurant is especially proud of its Peruvian-style ceviches, tiraditos (similar to sashimi), and anticuchos (marinated meat street food). Its entrees include tempting dishes such as suckling pig confit, or a Wagyu flank steak served with truffle jus.
Location: Gustavia, St. Barthélemy, Address: Rue Lubin Brin, Phone: +590 590 27 96 96
The Sugar Mill (Jamaica)
The Sugar Mill's historical setting is the perfect backdrop for enjoying this restaurant's masterful culinary creations. The cuisine is a fusion of international and Jamaican flavors. It includes dishes, such as oxtail ravioli, or crispy pork belly with an akee flan and plantain dumpling, or a veal chop served with jerk-herb butter.
Location: Rose Hall, Montego Bay, Address: Spring Farm Dr., Phone: +1 876-953-2211
Ocean 82 (St. Martin)
Gorgeous views of the sea will delight your eyes, while Ocean 82's sublime French fare will tantalize your taste buds. Ocean 82 believes in using fresh, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. At Ocean 82, your dining experience might include Lamb Pave with saffron potatoes or roasted sea scallops with smoked duck breast carpaccio kissed with a foie gras sauce.
Location: Grand Case. Address: 82 Boulevard de Grande Case Grand-Case, Phone: +590 590 52 98 12.
Las Palmas (Dominican Republic)
If you are in the Dominican Republic, you'll want to make sure and include Las Palmas on your culinary itinerary. This restaurant is known for its excellent fresh lobster dishes. Even better?
The atmosphere is fun and friendly, the portions hearty, and the prices affordable. It's not surprising that this restaurant has earned a Best of the Best award from TripAdvisor.
Location: Bayahíbe Address: Playa Laguna - Dominicus, Phone: +590 690 77 77 57
The Tides (Barbados)
Exceptional service and beautiful ocean views -- The Tides offers these to its guests, plus more. This restaurant has four separate rooms, each with its own special ambiance.
The most special is the Tree House section, an open pavilion with Casuarina trees growing through the floor and out of the roof. The menu focuses on seafood, and some of the dishes you'll enjoy here include Fresh Prince Edward Island mussels or grilled Caribbean lobster.
Location: Barbados, Address: Balmore House, Phone: +1 246-432-8356
Morgan's Mango Restaurant (St. John)
Morgan's Mango is a showcase for the flavors of the Caribbean and South America. To help guide diners on their gastronomic journey, the menu includes the countries inspiring the restaurant's dishes. Representing Cuba, for example, is the restaurant's Citrus Chicken. And Martinique is repped by ginger and sugarcane rubbed pork tenderloin.
Location: Cruz Bay, Address: 18-1 Enighed Cruz Bay, Phone: +1 340-693-8141
Eddy's (St. Barths)
Eddy serves local fare and dishes with Thai and French influences in a tropical garden setting. Some dishes include a hearty Creole curry with goat or the grilled wahoo.
Location: Gustavia, St. Barthélemy, Address: 12 Rue Samuel Fahlberg, Phone: +590 590 27 54 17
Captain's Rib Shack (St. Maarten)
If you're in the mood to try the local fare, you'll want to hit Captain's Rib Shack on St. Maarten's Dutch side. Here, you can sample delicious, authentic, and affordable traditional dishes such as ribs, grilled pigtails, curry goat, or salt fish accra.
Location: Simpson Bay, Address: 117 Welfare Road, Phone: +1 721-524-6395
The Caboose (Cayman Islands)
This barbecue restaurant may have a casual, laid-back feel, but it takes great pride in its dishes. The meat served at The Caboose is all naturally raised; the vegetables come from its own garden; the fish is caught from its own boats, and the honey used in its BBQ sauces comes from its own bees. So, it's not surprising that The Caboose considers itself a gourmet smokehouse.
Location: Cricket Square, Grand Cayman, Address: Elgin Avenue, Phone: +1 345-945-1816
Cuzz's Fish Stand (Barbados)
A cutter is a traditional Barbados sandwich made with Bajan salt bread and typically filled with fish. And one of the best places to try these sandwiches is at Cuzz's Fish Stand. This no-frills eatery is popular with both locals and visitors looking for an inexpensive, tasty meal.
Location: Bridgetown, Address: Pebbles Beach, Phone: +1 246-254-8928
Which is the best Caribbean island for food lovers?
St. Barths is the top island for upscale fine dining experiences. It's long been a playground for the rich and famous, so it's not surprising that this island is home to many gourmet restaurants.
But if you're searching for variety, head to Turks & Caicos. This island has a good mix of restaurants -- from upscale dining to authentic local fare and everything in between.
What are some of the local dishes in the Caribbean?
While in the Caribbean, some of the dishes you might want to try include conch, jerk-flavored dishes, flying fish; saltfish and ackee; cutter sandwiches in Barbados.
Which island has the best Caribbean food?
Jamaica's cuisine is known for its bold flavors, especially for its very popular jerk seasoning. In addition, this island is home to hundreds of restaurants -- from small roadside shacks to upscale restaurants.