Let’s get this out of the way. This list looks different than it otherwise might if a pair of unwelcome visitors named Irma and Maria hadn’t made their way through the Caribbean this fall. Indeed, the storm hit some of the Caribbean’s major culinary capitals like Anguilla, St Martin, St Barth and Puerto Rico (although many eateries there have already begun to reopen, too). Happily, the Caribbean culinary world is as robust as it has ever been, and the number of terrific restaurants in the Caribbean continues to rise. Caribbean Journal’s preeminent list of the 50 best restaurants in the Caribbean continues this year, with another impressive offering from across the region. Having scoured the region and evaluated the region’s greatest restaurants using our three pillars of evaluation: food, service and ambience, here are the 50 best restaurants in the Caribbean of 2017.

Baoase Culinary Beach Restaurant, Curaçao The new number one restaurant in the Caribbean is a masterwork, with international cuisine impeccably prepared by superstar chef Rene Klop, all with an indescribably romantic, beachfront ambience. And then there are the little touches — everything from steak tartare prepared tableside to an always-creative amuse bouche.