Its that time of the year again. For the past 2 years following our annual Barbados trip I have selected what I consider the best Barbados restaurants we tried during our holiday. Some have stayed the same, but there have been additions and deletions with this year being no exception! As a reminder here are links to my favourites for 2017 and 2018.
My Top 5
You will see that once again, with one exception, all the restaurants featured are situated on the West Coast. This is because this is where we stay when visiting Barbados. Generally we find restaurants in Barbados more expensive than we are used to at home here in the UK. That is why we tend to mix things up a bit and also eat in quite a lot. We also tend to eat out more at lunch time when some restaurants have special offers or offer a less expensive lunch menu. I summarised the restaurants we visited this year in my 2019 Trip Report click here if you haven’t read it already.
So in no particular order here are what I consider the best Barbados restaurants from our 2019 visit.
I have not included drinks in the prices quoted below. Wine normally starts at about $75 BDS for a Chilean Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc rising steeply from there! We were paying around $100 BDS for a decent bottle of Beaujolais.
Lone Star
The restaurant
Number 1 in the best Barbados restaurants post for the past 2 years. We always return here on our visits to Barbados. We love the setting and ambiance of the place. It’s chilled and relaxed with incredible views of the beach and Caribbean Sea. It’s not as formal as some of the other West Coast restaurants but it is still very elegant and you feel you are in somewhere very special. Service is generally very good.
The food
Again we visited twice. Last year we found the food at lunch time disappointing, this year it was excellent. I had a historic fish and chips. Perfectly cooked Atlantic Cod in a crispy batter, great chips, just a shame the mushy peas were cold, it was quickly sorted! Jane went for Boston Lump Crab Salad served with pink grapefruit, mint and coriander, she loved it. For dessert we shared a refreshing Passion Fruit Tart, a perfect finish.
We also went for dinner. As usual I had the Lone Star Classic Shepherds Pie and Jane the Chicken Curry. For dessert I stayed with classic having a comforting Sticky Toffee Pudding and Jane the Fresh Fruit Tart with a raspberry sorbet.
We love getting to the Lone Star early and sitting at the bar to have their signature Lone Star Sour, before we eat. Its a rum sour with the addition of apricot brandy and limincello, its refreshing but certainly packs a punch. The bar staff are so friendly and we just love watching them demonstrating their cocktail making skills.
In peak season you have to book, particularly for dinner. Ask for a railside table and to be seated on the right hand side of the restaurant, you can see more!
How much?
Lone Star is quite expensive. Lunch is more reasonably priced 2 courses will cost around $100 BDS a head with a 3 course dinner ranging from $140 BDS to $225 BDS if you want scallops and fillet mignon. The excellent Lone Star Sours are a bargain at $16 BDS!
For a link to their website click here
Bajan Blue at Sandy Lane
We gave here a miss last year but it has always been a favourite of ours, particularly for the themed buffet evenings. This year we decided to try their famous Sunday Brunch. Its likely to be an annual event from now on!
We have over the past couple of years been visiting Dubai on a regular basis as it is now home for Kate, Josh and Jess. On every visit we make sure we take in Friday Brunch. The Sandy Lane Sunday Brunch was up there with some of the best we have had in Dubai. Click here for Kate’s guide to Dubai Brunches.
The restaurant
There’s something really special about visiting the Sandy Lane Hotel. The grounds, the grand entrance and reception area, the gleaming marble interiors are stunning. Bajan Blue is on the lower level. Get here early and have drinks on the terrace or in the Green Monkey Bar, its a great place for people watching.
Bajan Blue is a beautiful restaurant, so elegant with smartly dressed staff with 5 star customer service skills. They seem to know what you want even before you ask for it! We chose to sit in the air conditioned restaurant. The outside area is very glamorous with beach and ocean views, but can get very hot, its better for dinner in my opinion.
The food
The Sunday Brunch Buffet was amazing. It was a feast for the eyes, beautifully presented seafood, sushi, roasts and the desserts, wow! In addition there are salads, soups, traditional Bajan dishes and a grill bar where you can get freshly frilled meat and fish. I would recommend you get their early and take your time. We grazed for 3 hours, returning to the seafood bar alone, 3 times! Everything we had was beautifully cooked, simply delicious.
How much?
The wine list comes on an iPad! You can select by colour, country, type and grape variety. The cheapest wine here starts at about $120 BDS and soon climbs!!! Drinks are also expensive $58 BDS (£22) for an Aperol Spritz, but it is made with Laurent Perrier champagne, you are in Sandy Lane after all!
The most expensive of all the restaurants we ate in this year by some distance, but as an annual treat, worth every penny in my opinion. The buffet is $307 BDS per head, a similar price to the Cliff or a Michelin starred restaurant in Europe.
For a link to their website click here
The Cliff Beach Club
The restaurant
The Cliff Beach Club is situated next door to its big sister the famous Cliff restaurant. It shares the impressive setting and beautiful ocean views but is more informal and less expensive.
We have visited the Cliff Beach Club several times previously but its never been one of our favourites. We had found both the service and food inconsistent. Having had good reports recently from friends we thought we’d give it a try for lunch.
Previously we had been for Sunday Lunch but found it too busy and noisy for us. This time it was a lot quieter and all the better for it, both in in terms of the service and food.
The food
I had a delicious dish, spicy Mahi Mahi Pasta with Garlic Oil, Cherry Tomato, Onions, White Wine Reduction and Scotch Bonnet Pepper. Jane went for the Roast Chicken with Tarragon Sauce. The desserts were like works of art, I had the Mango Panacotta and Jane the Pineapple Carpaccio, an unusual almost savoury desert with pink peppercorns and basil.
To end out meal we sat at the stunning infinity bar and enjoyed espresso martinis. Even if you don’t eat at the Cliff Beach Club its worth going for cocktails, especially at sunset, its magical.
How much?
Considerably less expensive than the Cliff its big sister next door, but still not cheap. 2 courses at lunch or dinner ranges in price from $100 BDS up to $185 BDS if you want a steak!
For a link to their website click here
The Tides
The restaurant
Another restaurant we hadn’t visited for a while. Although we have always loved the setting and ambiance of this restaurant the menu to be honest has always been a bit “fancy” for us, with overly rich sauces and sides.
We decided this year to try it this year having read about the special set price lunch offer.
The Tides is a beautiful restaurant. The lounge bar is a lovely place for cocktails in its own right. The restaurant is cleverly designed, it is big, but had been designed to make it feel quite intimate with tables at different levels. In one area tables are arranged around 4 Casuarina trees growing from the floor and out through the roof. There is also a new air conditioned space which although indoors has huge picture windows with great ocean views. Throughout the restaurant there is a collection of local Carribbean artwork, all the items are for sale, at a price!
The food
The food was excellent. I started with the Chinese Sticky Ribs, as good as any you would get in Chinatown. Jane went for the Smoked Salmon Mousse. For mains I chose the Seafood Paella which was packed with fresh seafood and smoky Chorizo, very rich but delicious. Jane loves her curry, she had the Thai Chicken Curry, a house speciality, presented spectacularly in a coconut shell, she loved it. Jane skipped the dessert but I couldn’t resist the Layered Mango, Coconut, Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. For me it was the highlight of the meal, so refreshing.
How much?
The lunch menu is superb value, $85 BDS for 2 courses and $115 BDS for 3. Prices rise steeply for dinner with 3 courses averaging about $180 BDS.
For a link to their website click here
Catch 22
The restaurant
We love trying somewhere new on each visit. This year some friends recommended Catch 22. The restaurant adjoins Sunset Point apartments in Salmond, St Lucy on the north west tip of Barbados. It is in a truly stunning position with unobstructed views of the ocean, staff told us they often see Whales passing by! If you fancy a swim there is a stunning cliff top laned pool which you can use for a small payment!
Its open for lunch all week and until 7pm at weekends. Considering its position its quite easy to find, head for St Lucy parish church and you pick up the road signs from there, its definitely worth the trip.
The food
The menu offers everything from sandwiches to pasta dishes, salads to succulent chicken and steaks. The house specilaity though is undoubtedly the locally caught fresh fish which includes lobster. Jane went for the fresh Lionfish which had been marinated in white wine and olive oil, I had catch of the day which was Baracuda. The food was delicious and such good value.
How much?
Of the top 5 definitely the least expensive! 2 main courses, 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine and service for $130 BDS (£49). The location was stunning and food and service excellent. Just wish it was a bit closer to Holetown!
For a link to their website click here
Other Recommendations
Two other restaurants deserve a mention just not in the top 5. Carizma on the Hill, lovely location at Sugar Hill and a great Sunday Lunch again this year. The other is Bombas great fresh fish and home made curries, service can be very slow and the owner Wayne is eccentric, some would say rude! Amazing sunset views from here. For detailed reviews of both Bombas and Carizma on the Hill see last year’s post click here.
2019 Rankings
- Lone Star (for the 3rd year running) – still our favourite, its got everything we want from a perfect restaurant. Food and service have been inconsistent over the years, this year both were excellent. But its the location and just the ambiance of the place that make it a winner for us.
- Bajan Blue at Sandy Lane – yes, very expensive but the food and service were exceptional. If you haven’t been for Sunday Lunch or for one of their themed buffet evenings, save up and treat yourself, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
- The Tides – excellent value set lunch (without the cocktails and wine!!!). Beautifully presented and delicious food in stunning surroundings and great ocean views.
- Catch 22 – the find of 2019. Yes its off the beaten track but it worth the effort. Another stunning location and delicious fresh fish, and so reasonably priced compared to all the others on our list.
- The Cliff Beach Club – back on our go-to list after our latest visit, just hope it maintains the high standards we experienced this year. The spicy Mahi Mahi pasta dish was definitely one of the stand out dishes of the whole holiday, lets hope it stays on the menu!
The Guestbooks’ Comment: “These are my top 5 of the best Barbados restaurants for 2019, others will have their own favourites I am sure. If you love eating out as much as I do Barbados is certainly a perfect destination.”
No freebies have been offered or provided by any of the establishments featured in this post!