Sitting under a palapa at the water’s edge, dining on whole snapper glazed in unagi joined by a 2016 Astrid & Therese riesling, one begins to realize just how much the Caribbean culinary scene has changed in recent years.
Because experiences like the above aren’t unique anymore — the region’s gastronomic might has grown by leaps and bounds, with both a renewed appreciation for local cuisine (and sourcing) and a new injection of international styles and techniques.
It all adds up to what is a truly thriving food world in the Caribbean.
But certain destinations are setting the bar even higher, thanks to intrepid chefs, risk-taking restaurateurs and a good, old-fashioned love of fine food.
St Croix, US Virgin Islands Nowhere in the region is generating more culinary buzz right now than St Croix, the increasingly hip hotspot in the US Virgin Islands that has seen a full-fledged gastronomic boom, primarily in the historic downtown of Christiansted, where top eateries like Balter, Zion, Uptown Eatery, Too Chez and the island’s Grande Dame, Savant, have all cultivated a vibrant food scene, along with an impressive craft cocktail culture ranging from Frank Robinson’s BES Craft Cocktail Lounge and Rum and Wine to the island’s first true tiki bar, Breaker’s Roar. Plainly, it’s the buzziest foodie destination in the Caribbean right now.
But it’s not limited to Christiansted: the west-coast town of Frederiksted is getting tastier, too, from the brand-new 7AF Asian fusion eatery to the beachy Louie & Nacho’s gastropub. A lot of the credit, too, goes to local Chef Digby Stridiron (and his newest venture, AMA at Cane Bay), who has helped tell the story of Crucian food to the world.
Grand Case For decades, one Caribbean culinary destination ruled them all: the beach town of Grand Case on the French side of St Martin, where there were more world-class eateries on a single street than anywhere else in the Caribbean. While Hurricane Irma took a bite out of Grand Case Boulevard, the town has made an inspiring comeback in the last few years, with the majority of eateries back open (yes, that means favorites like Le Pressoir, Bistrot Caraibes Auberge Gourmande and all the Lolos), and a new slate of very cool entries led by our favorite, the Latin-French Caribbean fusion hotspot Barranco. The verdict? It remains one of the most delicious streets on earth.
Bonaire The aforementioned meal of snapper with unagi is on the menu at the Brass Boer, the first-ever Caribbean outpost of Jonnie and Therese Boer, the owners of The Netherlands’ three-Michelin-star De Librije restaurant. That the husband-and-wife team came to Bonaire was a testament to how much the tiny Dutch Caribbean island’s food had developed over the last decade — and the marvelous Brass Boer is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you’re devouring fresh barracuda at the renowned At Sea, savoring steak tartare at the funky La Cantina, munching on roadside lionfish burgers at the Cactus Blue food truck or chowing on iguana at Posada Para Mira in the historic town of Rincon, Bonaire has a diverse, exciting culinary offering that keeps getting better.
Martinique We’ve always set that Martinique is the rare destination where you simply can’t have a bad meal — even if you try. The French Caribbean department’s cuisine is as layered as it is outstanding, meaning you’ll get the same passion and expertise at a roadside chicken stand as you will at Marcel Ravin’s eponymous eatery in Fort-de-France or at the La Suite Villa hotel’s superb Le Zandoli restaurant, which recently snatched up Michelin-star Chef Florent Boucher from Bordeaux. What’s remarkable, though, is for all of its renown and quality, what you won’t find is pretentiousness. Martinique knows its food is amazing, and doesn’t need to boast. (That’s all without mentioning the island’s place as the world’s capital of rum.)
Nassau, The Bahamas Nassau is such a popular destination that its food can sometimes get overlooked. But travelers are increasingly drawn to Nassau for a veritable world of food and an enviable collection of restaurants with some serious star power, even stronger of late: think Jean-Georges. Jose Andres. Katsuya Uechi. Michael Schwartz. They’re just a few of the boldfaced names now designing menus here, complementing legendary Caribbean eateries like the unforgettable Graycliff, Cafe Matisse and newer entrants like Mahogany House and Sapodilla. And while many of these eateries readily (and happily) focus their food on Bahamian flavors and ingredients, the local food scene is just as robust: no trip here to Nassau complete without a stop for conch at a pair of foodie-friendly fish hotspots: Potters Cay and Arawak Cay. Nassau is also home to the Caribbean’s best food tour, Tru Bahamian.