As you know by now Barbados is a favourite destination of mine. Jane and I have visited over 20 times now and one of the draws for us are the fantastic restaurants we return to every year, so I thought I’d share with you my 3 favourites.
3rd Nishi
Kate enjoying Sushi at Nishi
Nishi is situated in Holetown on the busy West Coast highway. Not the most picturesque of locations but convenient for the bars and nightlife of 1st and 2nd Streets. There are 3 eating areas the outside courtyard, a low lit downstairs dining area and upstairs a brighter area with a Sushi Bar. There are a few tables on the terrace but overlooking the busy highway. It is very popular and booking particularly in peak season is essential.
One of the owners, either Paul or Stephen is normally there to greet you. The service is always excellent with very friendly staff.
The food is consistently good whether you go for the freshly prepared Sushi or the a la carte with dishes ranging from local fresh catch of the day, Thai Curry through to traditional homemade British pies. I have tried many of the dishes but must admit the pies are my favourite. They are served with chips or mash, garden peas and gravy, absolutely delicious! They do some great cocktails and reasonably priced (for Barbados!) wines.
On a Friday night they have live music in the courtyard, a nice way to round off dinner.
Nishi is a great mid range restaurant. A 3 course dinner will cost around £60 a head excluding drinks, not cheap but reasonable for the West Coast of Barbados. At the moment (summer 2017) they have a special offer available with a 3 course menu available for £40. Nishi is consistently rated as the number 1 Barbados restaurant on Tripadvisor and during the peak season is packed every night. You must try it if you visit Barbados, I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
2nd Bajan Blue at Sandy Lane
A fabulous buffet at Bajan Blue
Sandy Lane is the most luxurious hotel in Barbados, if not the Carribean. Its probably also the most expensive with room rates in high season starting at £1500 per night. Although I would like to sample the Sandy Lane hotel experience in full for now an occasional meal in Bajan Blue is the only affordable option!
Bajan Blue is situated beach side on the lower ground level. Arriving at Sandy Lane is an experience in itself. The magnificent drive way to the hotel entrance, beautifully lit at night to show off the amazing gardens. You enter the hotel reception and are escorted down the grand marble staircase to the lower terrace for pre dinner drinks. If you do try Bajan Blue make sure you request a table on the out door terrace, it is a very special setting. Keep your eye out you may very well spot a celebrity or two amongst your fellow diners.
We have eaten off both the lunch and dinner menu and have never been disappointed. However my favourite meal at Bajan Blue is the Asian themed buffet which is normally served on a Saturday night. If you are a first time diner you will probably be overawed by the size of the buffet. The range of food on offer is amazing, ask a member of staff to give you a tour! A tip, take your time and don’t overload your plate. You have all night to eat your fill and everything is constantly being replenished so you won’t miss out on any of the dishes.
My normal routine is to start off with a selection of salads accompanied by fresh seafood. I then move on to the dim sum, as good as any I have tasted in top Chinese restaurants in London. Then my favourite course, the barbecued meats a choice of pork, short rib, duck and chicken, of course if you wish you can them all! Being a pudding lover I then move on to the sweets, I have never seen such a range of deserts on offer, all beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Normally I will have a small cheese plate to finish.
I don’t have a huge appetite so I skip some of the courses on offer. Those with a larger appetite can also partake in a range of soups, cold meats, sushi, Asian stir fry and casserole dishes. There’s also freshly cooked grilled food including burgers, steaks and fish. Everything on offer is freshly prepared and top quality.
Yes its expensive about £135 per head plus 10% service not including drinks. Its extravagant but the way I look at it, we only do it once a year and look forward to it from one year to the next, so what the hell. After dinner there is normally a band playing so you can dance off some of the extra pounds gained in a truly beautiful setting alongside the famous Sandy Lane beach.
1st The Lone Star
Chris & Jane at the Fabulous Lone Star restaurant
A difficult decision but the Lone Star has to be my favourite Barbados restaurant, if not my favourite restuarant full stop! Why? Its got to be the location! You enter off the main West Coast Highway a building that was originally a garage selling petrol and repairing cars. You are greeted by the receptionist and then walk down the staircase to be met by a view that even after probably 50 plus visits takes my breath away. The dining room is a beautifully designed space with starched white table cloths and seats cloaked in blue to match the stunning Carribean Sea visible from every seat in the retaurant.
The restaurant is open on all sides with a swathe of roof fans cooling you down even on the hottest of days. If you are unfortunate and end up with your back to the sea, don’t worry their are cleverly placed mirrors everywhere ensuring you still have that magnificent view. There is an elegant bar area to relax in and enjoy a legendary Lone Star cocktail before your meal, the Lone Star Sour is my favourite.
Make sure you get a table on the front row, book well ahead in peak season. Its great for views of the sea and at lunch time people watching as sun worshipers stroll along Alleynes Beach, in my view the best beach in Barbados.
The lunch menu is fairly short offering salads, pizzas, seafood and a selection of main course dishes. The dinner menu is far more extensive. For starters I can definitely recommend the Crab Cake or the Coconut Prawns. For mains there are the Lone Star Classics. Crispy Duck (great as a shared starter), Chicken or Prawn Curry and my own personal favourite the homemade Shepherd’s Pie. Other mains include pasta and rice dishes, most meats and a selection of fresh fish. You must leave room for a desert, I would recommend the lemon tart, its amazing!
Delicious deserts at the Lone Star
The wine list is extensive with a large selection available by the glass.
The Lone Star is fairly expensive but in my opinion worth every penny. Hence the fact we return every year, on several occasions for both lunch and dinner. Jane has celebrated her last 20 birthdays in the Lonestar! A three course dinner will cost about £65 per head excluding drinks. Lunch is considerably cheaper, you can get a huge club sandwich with wedges for around £15.
If you fancy staying over Lone Star offers 6 beautiful suites with amazing sea views, definitely on my bucket list!
The Guestbook Comment: “These are just my favourites. Barbados has a huge number of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets. Make sure you sample the HOT Bajan sauce, it goes great with a burger!”
No freebies have been offered or provided by any of the establishments featured in this post!
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Agree re Lone Star. Everything is breathtaking. Sunday Lunch is wonderful.
Lunch at Bajan Blue also glorious (not so, the setting now, for Afternoon Tea. Ghastly location).
Beware though – a friend who lunches there regularly went for a short beach walk twixt mains and pud’. To avoid bringing sand back onto the terrace she sat on a low beachside wall to wipe off her feet and sandles but was told by a large (albeit friendly, and slightly embarrassed) Security Guard – “Sorry ma’am, I’m afraid you can’t sit on this wall as it belongs to Sandy Lane and you aren’t a resident”. So she walked back to her dining-table sprinkling sand as she went!!
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Thanks for your comments. It’s a shame about Sandy Lane, I must admit on a couple of our visits we have been made to feel unwelcome but more by residents than the staff and management!