We travel to understand places. And so often the best way to understand a place is through food. Indeed, meals are such an integral part of travel, and that’s particularly true in the Caribbean, home to some of the most diverse food on the planet. And while great meals come in all shapes and sizes, in all settings and environs, there are three constants that make a meal great: food, service and ambience. The best restaurants achieve all three all the time. For this, the third annual edition of the 50 Best Caribbean restaurants, we offer you the restaurants that have the best combination of food, service and ambience, from toes-in-the-sand beach shacks to fine-dining restaurants. This is your guide to tasting the Caribbean. This is an earlier version of our annual ranking of the 50 best restaurants in the Caribbean.

Screaming Eagle, Aruba

Chef Erwin Husken hasn’t just created the signature eatery in Aruba — he’s developed what is the best restaurant in the Caribbean in 2015. This is a cutting-edge, chic restaurant where the food just keeps getting more creative.