Antigua and Barbuda / Restaurants

Antigua has a pretty good crop of restaurants dotted around its two main centres in the north-west and south-east. At the top of the range there are a number with French or French- trained chefs (Le Bistro, Coconut Grove and Le Cap Horn), but there are also plenty of other restaurants in different national styles or which offer good fare. In addition, there are plenty of fun places that make for an amusing evening out, some offering local food, and, of course, there are some cracking settings, on the waterfront or on a beach.

Running a restaurant in a Caribbean island is no easy task. Ingredients are hard to come by and expensive as almost everything is imported. Most come deep frozen on container ships, but some chefs do source fresh supplies via nearby St Maarten (which has a very large import of fresh supplies flown in from France, the USA and Canada). For example, in season, Le Bistro can get oysters, clams and foie gras (though they tend to go quickly because the locals hear about them and snap them up). Other food, such as salmon and beef, comes from the States and Canada and there is even Australian rack of lamb (butchered in Canada).

The cost of an average main course (excluding steak and lobster) is as follows: Inexpensive, less than US$15, Moderate - $15-25, Expensive - $25 plus

Here is a selection of our recommended Antigua restaurants:

St John’s

Le Bistro, Hodges Bay, expensive - Set in an air-conditioned dining room and an enclosed gallery hung with greenery in the north of the island. The award-winning chef Patrick Gauducheau is from France, and the ambience as well as the cuisine is strongly French, with meats carved and flambés carried out at your table – there are some influences of the Caribbean in the ingredients. Good wine list.

The Cove, Soldier's Bay, expensive - Elegant dining at a torch-lit villa on the north shore; tables set in a contemporary colonial interior of limestone and polished wood or in the cliff-side terrace under canvas. Excellent fusion menu of south-east Pacific, Caribbean and international cuisines. Fine wine list. Open for lunch and dinner.

Papa Zouk, Gamble’s Terrace, moderate-expensive - Quirky restaurant set in a small clapboard building festooned with hanging tropical plants on the northern outskirts of St John’s. You eat inside or on the trellis-covered veranda, choosing from a blackboard menu that is meticulously explained by the owner. The menu is almost exclusively fish, done in 100 different styles - grilled, blackened, steamed West Indian style... The name Zouk also sets the scene. Zouk is the musical rhythm in the French Caribbean, from where the music comes (naturally) along with the coloured madras tablecloths and some of their many rums. Great fun, extremely generous portions, the best place in St John’s for fish. Warning: they do not accept any form of plastic. No credit or debit cards at all.

Home Restaurant, Gamble's Terrace,  moderate-expensive - Friendly restaurant in the family home of Carl & Rita Thomas (she is German and he is Antiguan) in a residential district in the north of St John’s. Nice atmosphere, very welcoming. Rita will come over and chat. Good international fare, but also a particularly good take on local cuisine (Caribbean Haute Cuisine is how they refer to it) - conch salad, fish cakes with papaya-pimento sauce, snapper fillet stuffed with crab meat served with lobster sauce, pork tenderloin with tamarind sauce, chicken breast with fresh pineapple and mango in a coconut curry sauce, bread pudding with rum sauce, and guava mousse.

Coconut Grove, Dickenson Bay, moderate-expensive - A restaurant and bar in a classic beach-front setting right in Dickenson Bay, an attractive deck surrounded by palms (some grow through the roof itself). Run by French chef Jean Francois. Good international and Caribbean fare after a couple of rounds of cocktails - callaloo soup, Caribbean crab cake, coconut shrimp, tagliatelle with lobster and shrimp in a white wine and brandy cream sauce, and jerk pork tenderloin with banana ketchup. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Bay House, Dickenson Bay, moderate-expensive - A lovely view from a terrace high above Dickenson Bay. Long one of the island’s favourites, the Bay House offers well presented and generally excellent contemporary Caribbean and international cuisine - lunch menu includes crab cake with garlic and red onion dressing, coconut shrimp, jerk chicken with sweet potato fries and a pasta bar. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hemingways Caribbean Café, St John's, moderate - A favourite stopover in the centre of St John’s, in a classic white and green West Indian townhouse dating back to around 1829. Lovely veranda and breezy interior setting. Wholesome international fare - burgers, salads and fresh fish.

George, St John's,  moderate - A traditional St John’s house that has been restored into modern style. Wholesome international fare, salads, sandwiches and fresh fish. Also some West Indian specials including goat water, souse and pepperpot.

Commissioner Grill, St John's, moderate - Close to Redcliff Quay, it offers classic West Indian fare and some international dishes. Sees a mixed crowd of Antiguans and visitors.

Pari’s Pizza and Steak House, Tradewinds Hill, cheap-moderate - Ever popular for take-out and eat-in, excellent pizza and steaks. On the hill leading up behind Dickenson Bay.

The Roti King, St John's, inexpensive - Local and Trinidadian fare, particularly rotis - envelopes of unleavened bread filled with a curried stew of beef, chicken, conch, shrimp or vegetables.

Mama Lolly’s Vegetarian Café, St John's, inexpensive - Simple Caribbean café with small seating area and a takeaway service. There is a courtyard juice bar with an extensive menu including breakfast smoothies of soya milk, seeds, nuts, oats and molasses. The mostly vegetarian menu changes daily and there are fish specials on Tuesdays and Fridays. Also veggie pizzas, stews, spinach lasagne, wraps, burgers, salad bar and home-baked cakes that are wheat and egg free. Open for breakfast and lunch.

Kalabashé, St John's, inexpensive - A vegetarian restaurant with a juice bar, featuring a combination of international and Caribbean cuisine.

English Harbour

There is a good crop of places to eat out at around English Harbour and they can be very lively in the winter (there is a particularly lively strip between Nelson’s Dockyard and Falmouth Harbour), but as it is such a seasonal place, some restaurants close during the summer months.

Trappas, moderate-expensive - Very lively and fun place to eat out. International menu with dishes from all over – tapas, ribs, wings, Thai dishes, all sorts. Run by English couple Simon (the chef) and Caroline Tranter, it has a simple and rustic setting and a very casual air. Good prices. Stays open late on weekends (closes when the last person leaves) as it’s a regular meeting place for ex-pats and locals.

Abracadabra, moderate-expensive - A lively Italian restaurant set in an 18th Ccentury stone building which turns on an 8ft video screen and plays dance music when the dinner service (7pm-11pm) is over. Southern Italian cuisine includes homemade seafood pastas, carpaccio di mare, tuna tartar, grilled lobster (live from their aquarium) and roasted suckling pig “‘porceddu’”. Liveliest onat weekends.

Le Cap Horn, moderate-expensive - French cuisine (by a Swiss chef) in a pretty veranda setting cascading with flowers. Also pizzas cooked to order in a wood oven at their adjoining sister restaurant, Pizzeria.

Catherine’s Café, moderate-expensive - French cuisine and fresh seafood. Alfresco dining on the boardwalk overlooking Nelson’s Dockyard. Open for lunch and dinner. Closed Tuesdays.

Cloggy’s Café, moderate - Popular European-style café in a pretty garden with a wooden veranda for dining. Run by Dutch couple Ton and Vanessa Smit, who serve simple fare ranging from salads, grilled seafood and meats to freshly- made baguettes, milkshakes and fruit smoothies. Also a regular bar. Will cater for yachts and offer a newspaper service. Open for breakfast (10am summer and 8am winter) and lunch Monday to Saturday until 4pm-4.30pm with extended hours in summer, and for snacks from midnight to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Calabash, Galleon Beach, moderate  - Spacious open- sided veranda setting with a view out across the lawns and beach of Galleon Beach Resort, which attracts a mix of guests and local ex-pats. International fare mixed with Caribbean flavours and ingredients - pasta, catch of the day, Angus beef burgers, sandwiches, fish cakes. There is a separate dining deck overlooking the beach. Sports TV and complimentary internet access. Very quiet out of season. Currently open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday, dinner Thursday evenings only, and bar open until 8pm from Thursday to Saturday. 

Harmony Hall, Brown's Bay, moderate-expensive - Ever-popular as a lunch stop on a tour of the island, with several dining areas beneath a windmill cone and on the hillside. Excellent Italian fare and lovely views to Green Island (a nature reserve), which you can visit by arrangement by ferry before lunch. Harmony Hall closes during the summer months.

Chez Francoise, Falmouth Harbour,  moderate-expensive -  Atmospheric French restaurant set alongside the marina with inner bar and seating area crammed with sailing memorabilia, and dining deck overlooking Falmouth Harbour. Run by French host Francoise who specialises in fish and seafood, which he catches and smokes himself - carpaccio sail fish, fish soup, roasted fillet of wahoo with foie gras and peppercorn sauce are on the menu, also stuffed crab and clams. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Mad Mongoose, moderate - Lively bar and restaurant with simple fare - pasta, salads, burgers and the house special steak and Guinness pie. Open for lunch (except Mondays) and dinner.

One Stone Ital Shack, inexpensive - Open at breakfast and lunch for local, organic vegetarian food - bush tea, fruit juices, pancakes, rotis, pasta, ital rice, stews, vegetarian lasagne (very popular), tofu/veggie burgers, peas or cassava balls, cakes and puddings. Main dishes cooked in clay pots. Open Mon-Sat from 8am-8.30am - lunch and snacks from 11.30am until late afternoon.

Kesari, Falmouth - Tapas and cocktail bar set back off the main road in Falmouth. Run by Darryn a former chef of HQ who prepares mostly Asian-based dishes including sushi. Open Thursday to Monday from 6pm until late.

Grace Before Meals, inexpensive - Set in a chattel house with white- painted walls, floral curtains, silk flowers and plastic tablecloths, a simple, cheerful and clean dining room. Seating shared at two long trestle tables and three smaller tables for couples. Family-run by Grace and her daughter (even the youngest child helps out). Good Caribbean fare, conch, chicken, fish, and particularly rotis, including conch, fish, mutton, shrimp, vegetable, chicken or beef. Great for a cheap meal out. Can deliver to yachts.

Caribbean Taste, inexpensive-moderate - Trusty local fare in a simple setting right in English Harbour.

Life, moderate - A fun place and food is reasonable. Located on a pontoon on the water.

Jackee’s Quick Stop, inexpensive - Local fare, English breakfasts, also rotis. Great for people-watching and for lingering, despite what its name implies.

Mauro’s Pizzas, Cobbs Cross, inexpensive-moderate  - Seriously good pizza.

Diane’s Bar, inexpensive - Good local food.

On Barbuda:

Uncle Roddy’s Beach Bar & Grill – A rustic haunt noted for its fabulous beach setting and equally fabulous food. Uncle Roddy, a native Barbudan, serves up fresh seafood with lobster being one of his specialities, but you need to book in advance so he can stock up.

Green Door Tavern, Codrington – Said to be the oldest establishment on the island and the hub of island life, this is a place to come and enjoy delicious seafood, sup a drink and watch the world go by. In the evenings, the pace livens up with dancing to jazz and merengue music. Run by owner Byron Askie, it also has an outside seating area decorated with boating artefacts.

Wa Omoni’s Best – This relatively new addition to Barbuda’s restaurant scene takes its name from the island’s original Carib Indian name and takes its culinary inspiration from the Middle East with varied exotic dishes.

Barbuda Outback, Low Bay – This beach bar and grill enjoys an idyllic setting on beautiful pink and white sands stretching endlessly to the horizon; the Caribbean Sea on one side and Codrington Lagoon on the other. Known for its good seafood and a popular stop for island tours, though it can only be reached by boat across the lagoon.

Café Lagoon, Lighthouse Bay Resort – Non-residents are welcome to dine at the beachside terrace restaurant at this hotel where the cuisine combines Caribbean flavours with fresh sea fare. Reservations are required.

Park Terrace, opposite the airport – a handy spot serving Caribbean cuisine and a good place for a drink while waiting for a flight.

It’s a Bit Fishy, River Road – A fun seafood grill and bar run and owned by local couple Arthur and Rosalind Water that opens on weekday evenings (though will open for lunch if requested). It livens up at weekends with karaoke, a live band or visiting DJ for dancing under the stars. Reservations are essential. It is currently undergoing renovation, but is due to reopen at the end of April 2012.

Contributors:  Deana Bellamy, Sara Macefield