BARBADOS TIPS

Other Restaurants

THE CLIFF

ZAGAT 2009 AWARD WINNER

Gourmet food in a stunning location.  Table 50 (for 2) is in a prime spot.  We have been fortunate to have that table on many visits.  Others for 2 close to that would be #48, or 51 -- gorgeous view. (as close to the water as you can get).  Best to make reservations in advance to be sure you get the type of seating you want.  (246) 432-1922. 

The Cliff is pricey- they have a Prix fix menu per person of $107.50 US for 2 courses (starter and main) or for 3 courses it is $130 US, your drinks, and gratuity (the VAT of 15% is included), and so it can easily run you $300 US/couple with a moderate wine/drinks and gratuity. 

The cuisine is International/Caribbean.  The service is good, but The Restaurant at Southsea still has them beat in the area of service.  For the prices you pay, both the food as well as the service should be the ultimate!  Once again, The Cliff is rated as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World for 2005 according to the “industry bible” – Restaurant Magazine.

West Coast

L’ACAJOU (at Sandy Lane): 

Sandy Lane's Signature restaurant is located on the Foyer Level.  Two hundred and fifty years ago the land on which Sandy Lane is built was a dense mahogany grove.  Today several of these beautiful trees remain in front of the terrace to L'Acajou, which is the French translation for mahogany.  We had a very private nook overlooking the water -- it was wonderful. 

Our meal there was among the best on the island.  For starters I had the Pan Seared Scallops, Butternut Squash, Beurre Noisette. and  Parmesan Tuile and my husband had the Tartar of Yellow-Fin Tuna, Pepper Coulis, Edamame Beans and Pistachio Praline.  For our mains I had the “Angus” Beef Fillet, Sweet Potato Puree, Braised Endive, Baby Spinach, Rosemary Jus and my husband had the Fillet of Halibut, Hazelnut Crust, Ratte Potatoes, Caper and Tomato Butter.  With this we each had a bottle of Evian and a glass of wine.  The cost for this total came to $245 US.

RESTAURANT AT CORAL REEF CLUB:  This restaurant overlooks the Caribbean and is set in an open terrace.  They have a great executive chef who has won honors for his cooking – Graham Licorish.  They change their menu nightly and you can get lots of fresh seafood and Caribbean dishes with a French flair.  We really enjoyed our meals here.

OLIVES BAR & BISTRO:  This restaurant has now CLOSED.

SASSAFRAS AT SUGAR HILL - here is a link where you can check them out:  http://www.sassafras246.com   In 2007 they moved from their Derricks location to Sugar Hill Resort with views over the Caribbean.

Their concept is refreshingly simple -- seriously good food in a casual, laid-back style. A bistro atmosphere with impeccably prepared cuisine that seamlessly merges the traditional and the contemporary.

The menu features Caribbean ingredients transformed with a pan-Asian & global fusion twist.  The varied and unique selection of wines complements the food and leaves your wallet unbruised.

They are open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday, Brunch on Sunday and Dinner Wednesday & Friday. 

ZACCIOS (formerly Cocomos):  This restaurant is great for a moderately priced meal (water side) - probably about $40-$70 US/couple at lunch.  At lunch we had things such as hamburgers, tuna sandwich, Bajan crab cakes, Macaroni Pie, etc.  Great family restaurant.

DAPHNE’S:  This was new in 2001 - a branch of the London-based restaurant.  Open daily for lunch and dinner and located in the heart of the west coast.  The menu is modern Italian. The decor has Asian overtones.  Frankly, the way the restaurant is set up makes for a very warm evening.  This ran us slightly over $100 US/couple.  We were disappointed in the restaurant.

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Dress codes

PLEASE NOTE DRESS CODES AT FINE DINING RESTAURANTS IN BARBADOS:

THE CLIFF:  Elegantly casual.   Jacket and tie are not required and knee length dress shorts are acceptable for gentlemen -- quite smart is what they are looking for.   Dress hats permitted. 

No armhole shirts for men, flip flops, or beachwear are acceptable.

The Tides (Restaurant of the Year for 2006:  Ladies are required to dress elegantly casual and gentlemen to wear long pants.  Shorts, flip-flops or sleeveless shirts are not permitted.  

Other places say:  Resort/elegantly casual.   This usually means no beach wear or athletic wear allowed; jeans are frowned upon as are shorts, t-shirts, sneakers and flip-flops. 

Others add:  gentlemen are expected to wear a collared shirt. 

So by all of this you can see it would be safe to say in general, men:  long pants, collared shirt, no flip-flops.

Women:  nice sun dresses, capris and nice top, etc

So Men especially -- prepare accordingly and forget the shorts for the evening, or risk being turned away and as a result miss a fantastic dining experience.

One night we were there for drinks to watch the sunset, but there wasn’t much of one that evening.  Drinks were great, and they were busy setting up the tables with white linen table cloths for their dinner service.

We had lunch there one afternoon and that was delicious.  Our group tried the Beach House Chicken; Grilled Steak Fish Burger; Chicken and Mushroom Pie; and the Catch of the Day -- everything was great.  Drinks for the 4 of us and the meal came to $110 US.  I’m sure the evening offerings are equally as good. 

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THE BEACH HOUSE

This was our first visit to this property (the former Baku site).  This is run by the former owners of The Coach House.  Currently they are in the process of revamping their menus and the setting to offer a casual but a bit more upscale experience.  We spoke with Dan Jelensek, the new manager there, and he has some exciting new ideas for this new restaurant.

CALABAZA HAS CLOSED AS OF 10 JULY 2009