Cou-cou and flying fish. Cutters, pudding, and souse. These typically Bajan dishes sound intriguing and taste fantastic, especially after an energetic day touring Barbados’ fascinating capital, Bridgetown, where history comes at you from all angles, or its beautiful botanical gardens, or just after a day lazing on the beach. You can work up an appetite sitting there watching those turquoise-colored waves coming toward you.
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Bajan cuisine, it should come as no surprise, is largely based on what comes from the ocean. Fish and seafood with local Caribbean flavors and some British influences are what I see on most menus, but also contemporary international dishes. I’ve taken many trips to this efficient and friendly Caribbean island with family or friends, and have culled a list of favorite places after lots of tasty research.
1. Oistins
At Oistins, in Christ Church, on a southern stretch of the island, Friday night is the place to be, with tourists and locals, young and old, rich and poor, posh types and surfer dudes, all coming together to party and dance to this year’s Crop Over (Barbados’ annual carnival) hits, after a meal of freshly caught fish from one of Oistins many open-air food shacks.
What To Order
Everyone has their favorite fish shack and favorite fish — choose from flying fish, marlin, mahi-mahi, or swordfish to give you an idea. I take after the locals and always order flying fish, with one or two (or more) sides, such as macaroni pie, rice, and peas or coleslaw. Then I wash it down with a bottle of Banks Beer and start dancing. The atmosphere is fantastic and this experience shouldn’t be missed.
Pro Tip: Wear comfortable shoes. Even if you think you aren’t going to be dancing, you’ll likely jump up and start once the music gets going. This is not the best evening for wearing heels.
2. The Cliff
If you have a celebration to mark, or are just looking to dine at one of the island’s swishest restaurants, book a table at The Cliff. Its setting is nothing less than wow-inducing — as its name suggests, the Cliff is elevated with a sweeping, almost 360-degree view of the ocean.
The restaurant has recently been refurbished but the gourmet menu still has some of my favorite classics such as Tournedos Rossini and Dover sole, as well as inventive fare; I longingly recall a delicious red snapper bouillabaisse with squid linguine. Everything is expertly executed and beautifully presented. To share a bottle of wine from the fine wine card and dine on such gourmet fare while watching the sunset over the sea… ahh… I also like to come for a nice long lunch.
What To Order
The lobster Louie salad and calamari steak are favorites and a little lighter on the wallet with a daytime version of the same breathtaking view.
3. Cutters Deli
Cutters is the Bajan term for hoagies; at this little yellow hut on Crane Beach, that’s a local favorite. The cutters are made with homemade salt bread and filled with the island’s favorite flying fish. The affable owner, Roger Goddard, has made Cutters a truly fun place to hang out. However, sometimes I really can’t get up from the pink sand beach, even to go for lunch. Cutters to the rescue.
What To Order
The deli delivers sandwiches, delectable pumpkin fritters, rum punch, and other menu items right to your chaise on the beach!
4. Primo At The Gap
St. Lawrence Gap, a small strip on the south coast in the parish of Christ Church, is buzzing with fish restaurants. I like Primo. It is on the site of the former Pisces restaurant, which I also used to like. Primo is under new ownership with a new menu but the same water’s edge view. It’s also a great spot to come for cocktails and appetizers to share with friends. I try to snag one of the coveted beachside tables and then dine with soft waves lapping at our feet.
What To Order
Order either the Cajun-blackened chicken or Lebanese-spiced barracuda.
5. Zen Restaurant
For something a little different, I like to go to Zen Restaurant at the Crane Hotel on the island’s west coast. Here’s another spectacular setting; the restaurant overlooks the pink sand of Crane Beach with outdoor seating or through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The Bajan staff wear kimonos as uniforms, which makes me feel like they are forcing the theme. They don’t have to.
What To Order
The sushi is first-rate. They also feature delicious Thai dishes on the menu.
6. Tiami Luncheon Catamaran Cruise
If someone asks me, “Quick, what’s your best memory of Barbados?” It would be this: a five-star day-at-sea cruise with lunch served onboard. There are a few outfitters who offer this on the island. I’ve been out with Tiami and found their cruise faultless. Their custom-built catamarans are elegant and comfortable — the cruise takes you along the West Coast in real style.
The trip includes stops for swims in the warm-as-a-bath sea (either jump in or climb the ladder down) and swimming with the turtles. The boat is accessible for those with mobility issues, though it might be harder to get into the water for a swim. Just watching the waves and giant turtles from a shaded part of the boat is wonderful too. Then there’s lunch, which is set up by the wonderful crew while you’re basking in the Caribbean air.
What To Order
Choose your favorites from a hearty and fresh buffet with salads, seafood, and all the rum punch you can drink before heading back along the Platinum Coast.
7. The Fish Pot
Locals tend to talk about the South Coast versus the West Coast, but it’s certainly worth exploring other regions’ hidden corners. Tucked away on the northwest part of the island near the sleep-fishing village of St. Lucy is the charming Little Good Harbour inn. There is also a fantastic atmosphere-filled but casual restaurant called the Fish Pot. It’s located on the site of a 17th-century fort.
The fantastic menu includes the fresh fish and seafood that you come to expect, but also contemporary dishes, such as a delicious saffron roast cauliflower. Fresh seafood and fresh fish is one of the things I most look forward to when I am heading to the Caribbean. However, after a few days I have to admit I need a break, so I like that there are veggie offerings. Before or after lunch you can enjoy the beach and the reef-bordered swimming area. Make it a day. Like many restaurants on the island, it’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
What To Order
Fresh fish and saffron-roasted cauliflower.
8. The Farm House Café
The Farm House Café is the restaurant onsite at PEG farms, an organic and biodynamic farm and nature reserve in the Parish of St. Joseph. The Farm House Café uses produce from the farm and other locally grown produce to whip up tantalizing vegan dishes. Carnivores or flexitarians can lunch on meals made with free-range and grass-fed animals, such as a pork chop slow braised in molasses and spice served with roast vegetables from the farm. Have a rum punch made with island rum and locally pressed fruit juice.
What to Order
It’s a great place for a real Bajan breakfast with plantain pancakes, eggs benedict, pulled pork, and corned beef favorite menu items.
9. The Ideal Restaurant
The flagship of the Barbados department store, Cave Shepherd, is found in Bridgetown. Its top-floor restaurant, which goes by the local moniker “The Ideal Restaurant,” is great for lunch with a downtown view. It’s a casual buffet lunch but it offers a deep dive into Bajan cuisine.
What To Order
There are peas, rice, and one of the island’s best cheesy macaroni pies, as well as British specialties like shepherd’s pie. That’s just to start. Then for mains, you can choose from baked or stewed chicken, beef stew, lamb, flying fish, pudding, souse, pickled pork, and steamed sweet potato. It tastes like home cooking.
Pro Tip: You might strike up a conversation with some locals, so you should brush up on your cricket to try and fit in. The sport is a near obsession on the island and a favorite topic of conversation after the weekend.
Bonus
I like to visit supermarkets wherever I travel and that includes the Caribbean (though much of what you find is imported American goods and in the case of Barbados, a lot of British products). I’ve found some great stuff, including a foot scrub made out of walnut shells that felt life changing, or at least saved me a lot in spa treatments. At the local supermarket in Six Cross, Emerald City, I like to shop for supplies for a picnic.
What To Shop For
I’ll get a roast chicken or ready-cooked flying fish with sides from the deli counter then head to one of the nearby beaches. I like Bottom Bay or Foul Bay where you’ll see fewer tourists.
Pro Tip: Make sure to lock your valuables in your car before heading to the seashore.
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