WHAT TURNS a great meal into a memorable one? Particularly in the Caribbean, a great meal is about a great experience — one that combines food, service, ambience and more, whether you’re at a beach shack or a fine-dining eatery. So where can you find the Caribbean’s most memorable meals? We’ve put together one of our most ambitious lists ever — the 50 best restaurants in the Caribbean. Head to any of these spots and you won’t just find great food, you’ll find a meal you won’t soon forget. Enjoy our favourites for 2013.
At Sea — Bonaire
This waterfront eatery, specializing in seafood, is a work of art. The best meal we had anywhere in the Caribbean this year.
Yantar — Puerto Rico
The newest restaurant on this list, Yantar fires on all cylinders — with waterfront views, stellar service and inspired cuisine from Chef Xiomara Marquez.
Dune — Bahamas
The signature restaurant at the One & Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island is a masterpiece from world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Budatai — Puerto Rico
This Asian fusion eatery by superstar chef Roberto Treviño is a stunner in San Juan’s hip Condado neighbourhood.
Restaurant Le Gaiac — St Barth
This restaurant at Le Toiny in St Barth is a showstopper — far more than a dinner, this is a gastronomic adventure.
Graycliff — Bahamas
This started as the Caribbean’s first five-star restaurant, and it remains among the greatest dining experiences you will find anywhere in the region (and the Caribbean’s largest wine cellar).
Parallel23 — Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos has some seriously good restaurants, but Parallel23 ups the ante. The Regent Palms Turks & Caicos’ eatery offers an innovative, contemporary Caribbean dining experience (replete with a thrilling display kitchen).
Veya — Anguilla
Anguilla is a cornucopia of spectacular restaurants, and Carrie Bogar’s ingenious Veya is a powerhouse.
The Dove — British Virgin Islands
Set in a historic cottage in Tortola, The Dove, helmed by Chef Travis Phillips, has one of the region’s largest wine lists, and some of its finest food.
Le Tastevin — St Martin
The Grand Case area of St Martin has one of the region’s largest concentrations of high-quality restaurants, and Christine and Jose Manrique’s Le Tastevin is right at the top of the list.
Cliff at Cap — St Lucia
It’s hard to tell what’s better here — Chef Craig Jones’ Caribbean fusion cuisine, or the views.
Brandywine Estate Restaurant — British Virgin Islands
With one of the great views in the Caribbean, the Brandywine is a refined, romantic retreat.
The Baron’s Smokehouse/Pablo Donte’s — Barbados
Collis Williams is the “Baron” behind the Baron’s Smokehouse at Pablo Donte’s in St Lawrence Gap. He is a gastronomic genius — and his thyme and marjoram-smoked, deep-fried fish is one of the best things you will ever eat in the Caribbean.
Straw Hat — Anguilla
Relaxed but exceptional food, right on the beach of Meads Bay.
Sol e Luna — St Martin
Some of the best restaurants in the region are both restaurants and small inns — and nothing exemplifies that better than the splendid Sol e Luna in St Martin.
Carambola Beach Club — St Kitts
The food of Europe meets the flavours of the Caribbean at this beachfront eatery at South Friar’s Bay in St Kitts.
Temptation — St Maarten
Food doesn’t get more innovative (or tastier) than at Chef Dino Jagtiani’s eatery at the Atlantis World Casino in St Maarten.
Papiamento — Aruba
Located in a garden, Edward Ellis’ Papiamento is full of historic charm and delicious Aruban-accented cuisine.
Le Petibonum — Martinique
The rare beach bar that doubles as a gourmet restaurant. Chef Guy Ferdinand works wonders at this Le Carbet oasis.
Chaud — Trinidad
Port of Spain is one of the region’s culinary capitals, and Chef Khalid Mohammed’s Chaud is its culinary centrepiece.
Blanchards — Anguilla
It’s been in Anguilla for almost 20 years, and the beachfront eatery remains one of the region’s best. A mix of cuisines from around the world, this is a must-visit in Anguilla.
Screaming Eagle — Aruba
One of the Caribbean’s most eclectic dining experiences. And yes, you can even eat dinner here in bed.
Seahorse Inn — Tobago
Creole lobster salad, jerk chicken satay … a true culinary odyssey on the island of Tobago.
The Wine Cellar — Curacao
Nico Cornelisse’s Wine Cellar has been a Curacao classic for more than three decades, offering superb French-focused food with a wine list to match.
Sugar Mill Restaurant — Jamaica
When you think of Jamaican elegance, you think of the Sugar Mill. The restaurant, located at the Half Moon Resort, has a creative, marvelous menu.
Bartolomeo – St Barth
Chefs Philippe Masseglia and Nicola de Marchi are gastronomic magicians at the Hotel Guanahani’s principal restaurant.
Coyaba — Turks and Caicos Islands
With dishes like Jerk Wellington Freebird Chicken Supreme and the Millionaire’s Burger, Coyaba never, ever disappoints.
Banana Tree Grille — St Thomas
Chef Patrick Bellantoni and Jerry and Liz Buckalew have created one of the Caribbean’s signature dining experiences in Charlotte Amalie.
Mango — Nevis
What a view, and what food. The Four Seasons Resort’s West Indian-inspired restaurant is terrific.
Mill Privee — Nevis
This is one of the great places to have a meal in the West Indies. The Montpelier Plantation & Beach’s Mill Privee creates simply unforgettable dinners.
The Great House — Nevis
The 18th-century Great House at the Nisbet Plantation and Beach Club will make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time. One of Nevis’ signature experiences.
Blue By Eric Ripert — Cayman Islands
It doesn’t get much better than star chef Eric Ripert’s Caribbean outpost at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.
Daphne’s — Barbados
Daphne’s is as synonymous with Barbados as Mount Gay Rum, set on Paynes Bay on the Platinum Coast.
El Meson De La Cava — Dominican Republic
It’s been in Santo Domingo for more than 40 years, and El Meson De La Cava remains a Caribbean classic.
Young Island Resort Restaurant
It feels like something out of a novel — take a tiny boat across the channel from St Vincent, find a table under a pilapa and enjoy West Indian cuisine that feels truly homemade.
Gloria’s — Jamaica
At Gloria’s in Port Royal, you can have any fish cooked any style and it will be nothing short of amazing. It’s been around forever, and it only gets better with age.
Zam Zam — Dominica
Even if the Mexican food at Zam Zam weren’t fantastic, the oceanfront sunsets alone would be worth the trip.
Bredas Chez Maxime — Martinique
Chef Jean-Charles Bredas is considered by many to be the top chef in Martinique, and Bredas Chez Maxime lives up to the billing.
The Cliff — Barbados
A world-class eatery led by Chef Paul Owens, the Cliff, located in St James, will blow you away.
Bar Gitano — Puerto Rico
Serving tapas has become very popular around the world — but Roberto Treviño, who has two restaurants on this list, takes tapas to the next level at Bar Gitano in San Juan’s Condado district.
On the Rocks — St Barth
Another Jean-Georges eatery in the Caribbean, On the Rocks is the flagship eatery at the Eden Rock St Barth. The verdict? Fabulous.
Da Conch Shack
Yes, it’s a great beach bar, but Da Conch Shack in Providenciales is also home to spectacular seafood.
Papa Zouk
This is one of the best-kept secrets in Antigua and one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean. It’s a portal to another time in the Caribbean, with scrumptious seafood and a world-class rum selection.
Lucia – Dominican Republic
The featured restaurant at the Casa Colonial in Playa Dorada serves Caribbean fusion cuisine, all in view of a mangrove jungle.
La Playa — Guadeloupe
Marie Galante is the sugar-production hub of Guadeloupe, and this seaside eatery is a wonderful fusion of Creole and Mediterranean sensibilities (with a great old-fashioned jazz soundtrack to match).
Rhodes Restaurant — Grenada
Noted Chef Gary Rhodes has crafted a wonderful dining experience at the Calabash Hotel, emphasizing fresh, Grenadian ingredients.
Blue Orchid
Located in the St Peter Greathouse, Janee Tune’s kitchen mixes Caribbean fare with flavours from around the world.
La Souvenance — Haiti
Located in the Petion-Ville suburb of Port-au-Prince, a simply wonderful restaurant.
Flying Fishbone — Aruba
A great beach restaurant needs food to match — the Flying Fishbone does far, far more than that.
Salud Bistro — St Croix
Upscale food with the laid-back atmosphere of a neighbourhood bistro. Salud has fresh, inspired cuisine, from Conch Bolognese to truffle macaroni and cheese.