Grenada & Carriacou / Restaurants

Eating out can be fun in Grenada. While there are just a few restaurants of extremely high quality, you can eat well and the setting of many dining rooms is delightful. Many are on the waterfront and, of course, a couple of Grenada’s excellent beach bars also offer a very nice lunch or evening out. On the “tourist circuit” you will find that the fare is solidly international, with some concessions to the climate and to Grenada itself (in the local ingredients and spices). Don’t forget the hotel dining rooms. Try Gary Rhodes’ Rhodes Restaurant at The Calabash Hotel and Oliver's at Spice Island Beach Resort.

Grenada also offers good opportunities for experiencing local West Indian food in a sympathetic environment. Local food is solidly West Indian and you will be faced with fairly exotic sounding dishes when you go to a true Grenadian restaurant. Curry goat is fairly regular but you might be served a stew fish or the “national dish”, an oil down (or “ile dung” as it is usually pronounced), which involves just about every Caribbean vegetable and meat all boiled together for hours in coconut milk. And delicious it is - a whole meal in itself. See details of Grenadian food.

The food in Carriacou is generally simpler than it is in Grenada. Some places offer a nice variation on West Indian food to brighten up solidly international menus of chicken and fish, and there are just a couple of places that offer pizzas or French cuisine.

Here is a selection of our recommended Grenada, Carriacou & Petit Martinique restaurants:

Grenada

The price of an average main course (excluding steak and lobster) is as follows: Inexpensive, less than US$10, Moderate  - $10-20, Expensive - $20 plus
 

Rhodes Restaurant, Calabash Hotel, expensive - One of a kind, excellent innovative cuisine in a lovely terrace setting from one of Britain’s leading chefs. Rhodes’ recipes adapted to the tropics, with extensive use of local produce. Excellent experience.

Oliver’s, Spice Island Beach Resort, expensive - Elegant dining with excellent service, in an open-sided veranda right on the beach. A la carte menu particularly recommended.

The Water’s Edge, Bel Air Plantation, expensive - An excellent meal in a wonderful waterfront setting, on a deck above the calm waters of St David’s Harbour. Contemporary Caribbean cuisine, imaginative combinations of locally-caught fish with fresh produce from their own herb garden and nearby suppliers. Good wine list. Special diets and functions catered for. A drive, but worth it.

Coconuts Beach Restaurant, Grand Anse Beach, expensive - At the head of Grand Anse, a pretty building with thatched parasols and tables inside and out. A great spot for watching the sunset. French-Creole cuisine, good conch salad and lobster thermidor, candelight dining in the evenings. Open daily except Tuesdays from 12.30pm -10pm.

La Belle Creole, Blue Horizon Cottage Hotel, moderate-expensive - Sophisticated blend of local foods and skilful use of signature menus. Fixed price four-course menu.

Sur La Mer, Morne Rouge Bay, moderate-expensive - Set above the beach with a sunset view and offering international and Caribbean fare. Diners can choose to eat on the elevated Pelican Terrace with its good views or at the beach bar. Saturday nights are spiced up with live entertainment, with a buffet on the beach and performances by limbo dancers, fire-eaters and a local band.

True Blue Bay, True Blue Bay Resort and Marina, moderate-expensive - A lovely setting on a deck right on the waterfront on True Blue lagoon, with Mexican and Caribbean fare. Some themed nights and a roast beef brunch on Sundays.

Aquarium Beach Club and Restaurant, Magazine Beach, moderate-expensive - Good dining in a lovely location on a fine beach. Friendly, with reliable fare. Top pumpkin soup, Sunday BBQ grill of lobster, fish, pork chops. Maca Bana Villas nestles in the hills above.

The Beach House Restaurant, Point Salines, expensive  - Located just off the airport road in a classic beachfront setting The Beach House offers international cuisine with a local flavour. Expect dishes such as Cajun shrimp, blackened fish, Caribbean lobster tail, seared tuna, eggplant parmesan, mud pie and banana nut blaze. Open Monday to Saturday, 11:00am to 10:30pm. Reservations preferred.

The Red Crab, L’Anse aux Epines, moderate - Pub style, set on a terrace, always good fare, some of the best callaloo soup on the island.

La Boulangerie, Grand Anse, moderate - French bakery and Italian pizzeria, good cinnamon twists and a place to meet Italians and expats for morning coffee.

Carib Sushi, Grand Anse, moderate-expensive - As you’d expect from a sushi bar, they serve freshly-prepared sushi and sashimi of tuna, mahi mahi, sailfish, snapper and lambi. You can also use their takeaway facility for an alternative lunch on the beach.

Tropicana Inn Restaurant, St George's, moderate - Local scene Friday night barbeque buffet, open-air dining. Good for a drink before heading out somewhere else, or for a meal with atmosphere. West Indian, Chinese and international menu, and take away fare such as rotis.

De Big Fish, True Blue Marina, moderate -  A bar restaurant popular with yachties. Well-priced international fare on a waterfront veranda, burgers, wings and curry

The Nutmeg, St George's, inexpensive-moderate - A Grenadian classic, set on the first floor looking out across the Carenage. Very good rum punches and non-alcoholic Bentleys. A variety of local dishes, good value, noted dishes such as the Chicken Maryland, potato salad and Creole Christophene.

BB’s Crabback Caribbean Restaurant, St George's, moderate - Brian Benjamin and his wife Ana have brought their restaurant from Ealing in, England to St George’s, Grenada. Brian’s classical cooking qualifications have been turned to local ingredients and flavours, making for an entertaining evening of Grenadian cuisine. Cookery classes are available. You will learn to cook dishes such as tender goat curry and red snapper with rice, peas and plantain.

Creole Shack, St George’s, inexpensive-moderate - On the Carenage, cafeteria- style dining with big screen and karaoke

‘D’s’ Roti Shop, Grand Anse, inexpensive - D’s is set in a pretty courtyard with umbrellas for shade. It also offers more substantial fare as well as its famous rotis, such as beef curry, lambi or fried chicken with rice, peas and plantain. Very popular for lunch.

Rick’s Café, Grand Anse, inexpensive - Ice cream parlour and pizzeria serving, grilled chicken and excellent pizzas made on the premises, can buy by the slice, eat-in or take-out. Great for kids. Open daily except Mondays, gets very busy at weekends.

Deyna’s Tasty Foods, St George's, inexpensive - Local fare, very popular at lunchtime.

Beyond Grand Anse, L’Anse aux Epines and St George’s

Petit Bacaye Villa Hotel, Westerhall, moderate-expensive - A palm- thatched beach bar restaurant open for all meals just a few paces from the beach, with views through a glade of coconut palms from each table. Very romantic evening dining under the stars, or a table right at the water's edge. Fresh fish out of the sea, home-grown produce, home-baked breads, soups and ice-creams. Wines from Chile, America and Spain.

Morne Fendue, St Patrick, moderate - Old plantation-style grace and good West Indian fare for lunch. Reserve in advance.

Le Phare Bleu Restaurant and Bar, Egmont, expensive - A converted lighthouse ship originally built in 1900 in Stockholm, Sweden, where it served almost 70 years as the Vastra Banken before being turned into a museum. Now, with a different lighthouse and deckhouse installed for use as a café, the Vastra Banken has come to rest in Petite Calivigny Bay, at the new Le Phare Bleu Marina & Resort. Austrian Chef Alexander Sattler and his wife Veronika offer fine dining and cocktails for all occasions. The restaurant and bar are open from Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm. Reservations are appreciated.

Sunset View, Grand Mal Beach, moderate - Simple setting on a local beach just outside St George’s to the north, popular with local business types.

Roger’s Restaurant (formerly Island View), Woburn, inexpensive-moderate - Set in one of the finger bays of the southern shore, Roger’s has an indoor dining room and a balcony with views across Woburn Bay to Calvigny and the Hog Islands. Wholesome West Indian fare in a relatively simple setting. Open daily except Sunday from 11am to 11pm for lunch and dinner.

La Sagesse Natural Works, La Sagesse, inexpensive-moderate - Set in an old rum distillery (of interest in itself), well-priced local food and fresh fish.

Little Dipper, Woburn, inexpensive - Rustic wooden restaurant perched on the hillside on the south coast, with views of Hog and Calivigny islands. Limited menu of lobster, lambie and fish. Advanced booking recommended.

Kelly’s Hot Spot, Gouyave, inexpensive - Fresh fish and chips served in polystyrene dishes. Very popular with locals, washed down with a Carib beer in the bar next door, or in front of “Texas Ranger.”
Open seven days a week until quite late.

Rivers Restaurant & Bar, River Antoine, inexpensive - Local fare in a grand building at the entrance to River Antoine Rum Distillery, including callaloo soup, chicken or fish on the bone with rice ‘n' peas and a range of drinks, especially rum from just over the lawn.

Helvellyn House, nr Sauteurs, moderate - Local cuisine served buffet style, typically callaloo soup and beef and rice, or curry chicken and Creole fish, and an abundance of seasonal vegetables, along with fresh fruit juice and home-made ice cream. Lunch is available from 11am-3pm, Monday to Friday, reservations only.

Aggie's Restaurant, Bathway Beach, moderate-expensive - A garden restaurant really, which hides from the wind behind a protective shade of trees and plants right behind Bathway Beach. Aggie’s is run by Agnes (who used to run “Meals on Wheels” from her minibus) with her Austrian husband Peter and Patrick, their young son. Mainly breaded or fried seafood and meat with a sauce and salad, all locally sourced. Their speciality is lambi fritters. A mix of Grenadian and visiting clientele. At EC$25 to $55 (for lobster) it makes a great spot for lunch on an island tour or just somewhere to catch a rum punch in the evening. Open 10am-9pm daily, except Mondays.

Carriacou

The restaurants in Carriacou are all fairly simple, and they serve solidly international fare with hints of the Caribbean in some local dishes. There are a couple of places to eat around Hillsborough, but also head down to Tyrrel Bay in the west where you are guaranteed an excellent view of the sunset. Most have menus, but they are fairly flexible and what is available may depend on the day’s catch, so it is always best to ask. Don’t forget the hotel dining rooms, but remember that they are all small, so it is best to make a reservation.

The Round House, near Bogles, expensive - Excellent fare in a circular stone room whose ceiling is supported by a tree limb with a network of branches as beams. A nightly changing menu with seven or eight main courses, using the best of local ingredients (discuss your order when you make a reservation). Very nice evening out.

Callaloo Restaurant, Hillsborough, moderate - Good food at reasonable prices in a pretty setting upstairs on Main Street. Very friendly and popular.

Garden Restaurant, Hillsborough, moderate - Small, friendly establishment where you can sit inside or dine on the veranda in a pretty Creole house in town.

Sandisland Café, Hillsborough, inexpensive - Small beachfront café with a covered veranda looking out to Hillsborough Bay and the jetty. Local saltfish breakfast is very popular, together with natural fruit juices, pizza, pastries, rotis and sandwiches served throughout the day. Opening times vary according to custom, but as a guide they are Monday-Saturday, 7am-3pm,m, Sunday, 12am-10pm.

Patty’s Deli, Hillsborough, moderate-expensive - Located just by Hillsborough jetty, the deli is open six days a week and offers a provisioning service and picnic boxes to order - full of gourmet deli counter meats and cheeses, freshly-made salads, quiches, tarts and cakes, as well as fresh meats and imported fine wines. Perfect for taking on a day tour or sail.

Ann’s Eating Delight, Hillsborough, inexpensive - Opposite Patty’s Deli, Ann Matheson offers a quick eat-in or takeaway lunch of beef, chicken or lambi roti, pizza and chips. It is the favoured port of call for the island’s bakery van which stops outside to deliver its batch for the day.

Green Roof Inn, Hillsborough, moderate - First- floor veranda location with lovely views across Hillsborough Bay and to outlying cays. The chef uses local fish, shellfish and land produce.

Hardwood Bar and Snacket, Paradise Beach - Set just behind the fantastic stretch of Paradise Beach, an open-sided wooden deck looking out through the trees to fantastic blue water and to Sandy Island. Serves lunch and dinner.

Lazy Turtle Pizzeria, Tyrrel Bay, moderate - It serves a good range of pizzas from midday to 2pm and Italian cuisine from 6pm onwards. A choice of pastas and simple dishes. Internet access also available.

Twilight Restaurant and Bar, Tyrrel Bay, inexpensive - Offers breakfast lunch and dinner at reasonable prices in a relaxed atmosphere.

Lambi Queen Restaurant and Bar, Tyrrel Bay - Serves very local West Indian fare including some exotically-named dishes such as goat’s head soup and cow lip soup. A popular haunt for local fishermen.

Petite Martinique

The fare on Petite Martinique is very simple. Try the Palm Beach Restaurant, which has a pretty setting in shingle-roofed gazebos in a garden on the beach, or Melodies.