The Caribbean culinary scene has never been hotter, and that’s in large part to a growing wave of new eateries across the region.
But some are particularly special, drawing diners for breathtaking food that’s taking the region’s cuisine to new heights.
Here are the five hottest places to eat in the Caribbean right now, all of which have debuted in the last year.
Brass Boer, Bonaire It isn’t just one of the newest. Plainly, this is the greatest eatery in the Caribbean right now, the brainchild of the husband-and-wife team behind The Netherlands’ three-Michelin-star De Librije. It’s set at the Delfins Beach Resort in Bonaire, and it’s really a new level of restaurant in the Caribbean, with truly stratospheric sophistication, sourcing, artistry and service.
Barranco, St Martin The family behind the celebrated Riva Plage in Saint Tropez has taken their talents to Grand Case, bringing the venerable culinary destination a new energy as it undergoes its own renaissance in the wake of Hurricane Irma. It’s the Cote d’Azur meets the French Caribbean, with inspired seafood, a heavy influence from Latin America (named as it is after Lima’s Barranco district) and a buzzy oceanfront vibe.
Eating House 1503, Grand Cayman Celebrity Chef Roy Yamaguchi catapulted to fame as an innovator of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and his first-ever Caribbean restaurant is a marvelous fusion of Caribbean and Hawaiian flavors and styles, set in a crisp space adajcent to the Margaritaville Beach Resort on Seven Mile Beach. Yamaguci takes fresh local catches and reinvents what’s possible with Caribbean seafood, along with an impressive cocktail program.
Vianda, Puerto Rico While it took a major hit from Maria (including the loss of the world-class Yantar), Puerto Rico’s once-magnificent culinary scene is making a comeback with new eateries like Vianda, set up by the husband-and-wife duo of Amelia Dill and Francis Guzman, whose portfolio includes stints at San Francisco’s Range and New York’s Blue Hill, among others. The farm-to-table-focused restaurant has a simple, seasonally-rotating menu, with a mix of small and large plates emphasizing the island’s signature tastes.
Braata, Saint Croix Local chef Digby Stridiron has been one of the leading lights of St Croix’s culinary renaissance, and he’s at it again with Braata, a “West Indian kitchen”-slash-rum bar set in the heart of the city of Frederiksted. Here, it’s all about Caribbean flavors and comfort food, from adobo fried chicken to dishes like conch-and-shrimp mofongo, with Stridiron’s signature plating and a heavy emphasis on the Caribbean’s Noble Spirit.