So you’re thinking about going out and you realise that you’ve been going to the same places since Tony the Tiger graced our cereal boxes. Rather than saying there’s nowhere to go, you should be telling yourself that you haven’t tried enough. We know you haven’t… It’s why we exist. Here are three places that you should go to. Because we said so.
1. Crave, St Lawrence Gap
If you’ve ever walked into the Gap and a man dressed, head-to-toe, in the same colour has ushered you into a restaurant, you were at Crave. There is live music every night and it’s that right volume so you can still have a lovely evening without your conversations being ground to a deafening halt. It’s just like it should be.
The food is a game of fusion. Fish’n’chips with mahi-mahi? Smoked chicken and pastas with a twist? You can’t go wrong. The bar is also one of their hotspots. It’s massively underrated and it’s not where you would initially expect to go but once you’re there you understand why. They make possibly the meanest Bajan lemonade on the island and their list of base ingredients is long… So cocktails… Flow. Fact.
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| Crave, St Lawrence Gap |
| Reservations: +1(246)420-1518 |
| Map | Website | The Gap |
2. Carizma on the Hill
Carizma on the Hill is a hidden gem with a wonderfully consistent menu and service to boot. It’s in Sugar Hill which can be intimidating but, truth be told, it’s very welcoming and everything flows nicely. We all have our routines and places to go for certain dishes and we think you should put Carizma on to your circuit.
They serve lunch and dinner daily and on Friday nights 1359, the band, performs live by the bar so it’s a good hideaway for an easy night out.
You will naturally start at the Sugar Hill entrance gate where the staff will give you some very Bajan directions. Nod your head to indicate that you’ve understood and then just drive in anyway and you’ll find it.
When we say that Carizma on the Hill has a consistent menu it’s because what they serve they serve well. There is a great deal of attention to detail and although the prices are at the tourist-end of the scale, you can’t find better than that for the price you’re paying. If your thing is Alfredo Pasta you will be delighted to know that it has made it into Carzima’s offering. If you want to taste something refreshingly different try the Carzima salad. It has some really good roasted pumpkin, red onion and honey mustard.
On the protein end of things, when you arrive you will know that there is a grill nearby and everything that goes over the grill is a winner. The chicken kebabs are perfect and the mahi-mahi is on point. One of the rarer dishes to find in Barbados is a good shrimp curry and the Carizma version works nicely.
The Friday nights can get busy but it doesn’t slow your food down and the bar service is easy. Either that or we were engulfed in 1359’s tunes. Carizma is a cute and cozy place with some refreshing scenery and the food is good.
If you don’t make it for the night scene then your next best bet is the Sunday roast. Just make sure you go.
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| Carizma on the Hill, Sugar Hill |
| Reservations: +1(246)422-8134 |
| Map | Facebook | Website |
3. Marco Polo
Marco Polo is a rum shop run by a hands-on English couple who have brought the best of British to the best of Bajan. All of the Bajan staples are on the menu and they’re a lot less oily and fatty. Their fish is clean and fresh, their mac pie is as good as any and their wedges are spot on. Their fishcakes are surprisingly fluffy and super crispy but they’re not as spicy as we’re used to so we felt as though we were waiting for more taste… but with the texture that fluffy we would forgive them for anything. Someone needs to tell us how they did it!
Every Friday night they have a fish’n’chips night where they bring Britain to Barbados and then layer it with some karaoke. The best part is how it’s a mix of locals and tourists and that’s a pleasure in its own right.
What we also loved was their ordering system. It’s weird to make a big deal over something like this but they all walk around with tablets and to order they tap on photos of the food. Totally awesome. The service itself is in our top 5 of Barbados. They are thoughtful, polite, always make sure everything is clean and your order is perfect and then the moment people leave they turn that table around in no time. Amazing.
A real gem to the east coast, we wish a lot more learned from them.
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| Marco Polo, The Crane |
| Reservations: +1(246)271-2583 |
| Map | Facebook |
