Barbados

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I get asked a lot for advice from folks who are traveling to Barbados, so I thought I’d create a special space to share my favorite places on this wonderful island. I’d also encourage you to search “Barbados” on my site for a list of all my posts on the topic.

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Where & What to Eat

Flying fish, cou cou & macaroni pie are the local foods that fall onto the “must try” list.

The island drink of choice is Banks beer, which is locally brewed & cheap. Don’t waste your time with the factory tour; however, if you like rum, the Mt. Gay Rum factory tour is worth it & they’re generous with their samples.

Oistin’s Fish Fry on Friday or Saturday night – try to hold out until around 9pm when the locals come out. I like Pat’s Place there. Fresh fish right of the boat fried or grilled up. A carnival/street festival type atmosphere.

Bathsheba is my favorite area of the island. Make sure to go to Round House for lunch. They have the best flying fish & macaroni pie on the island. Reservations are a must if you’re visiting during tourist season.

Down the main road, between St. Lawrence Gap & Bridgetown, is a mobile tiki bar. It’s in the vacant lot next to the KFC & it’s fantastic :) *Update: the mobile tiki bar no longer lives in this location… but since it’s mobile, rumor has it that it may be somewhere else on the island now

Scarlet is a great martini bar in St. James, but with very unpredictable hours. Example: we had a reservation to go there on my birthday last year, the only thing I wanted to do… they were closed when we arrived. It’s just how things are in Barbados sometimes!

The Cliff & Tides are the top Zagat rated restaurants on the island.

Lone Star is good steak & has a good following – once my Dad sat next to Sidney Poitier at the bar there

There’s a great dive-y beach bar in St. James called Surfside. They have the only burger I would eat on the island & it’s very big with the British soccer fans. You should also know, though, that if you sit at one of the picnic tables along the beach, you will be approached by multiple people trying to sell a variety of trinkets. This is the only place in Barbados I have encountered this – a smile & “no thanks” will get rid of them.

On the south coast, not far from the airport, is a lovely place called Surfer’s Cafe. They make a great flying fish sandwich & will serve it up with a salad – almost unheard of on the island! Ask for the private table in the back – it’s lit by gas lanterns & literally hovers over the ocean!

My favorite beach bar on the island is located in Worthing & it’s called the Carib. They serve up the best flying fish on the island & their chair/umbrella rentals are very reasonably priced.

If you need a good cup of coffee, the Coffee Bean will be the only place you find one (they’re tea drinkers!)

Two final restaurant recommendations: Cafe Luna’s roof top patio for a romantic meal & Tapas for great waterfront dining.

A note about the Barbados dining experience – bring your patience!

What to Do

Get up early and go to Brighton Farmers Market – a great farmers market full of ex-pats, although I couldn’t begin to give you directions on how to get there through the winding, sugarcane lined roads of the interior of the country. Just ask around & the locals will guide the way there.

American visitors may enjoy the George Washington house. Barbados was the only foreign country Washington ever visited.

If you want to see monkeys, & aren’t in the least bit skiddish around them, the Barbados Wildlife Reserve is worth a visit.

Drive up north & check out the amazing cliffs & view around the Animal Flower Cave.

Harrison’s Cave is one of the best put together tourist attractions on the island. It’s a really interesting geologic history of the whole Caribbean & a neat tour, especially for kids.

My Barbados Top 10: 1.

Finally…

Saying good-bye to my favorite place.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row]