Nico’s
in St. James has a casual yet elegant atmosphere where one
can choose to have a drink after work in the air conditioned
bar or have dinner in their open air dining room. Seating
is covered by a roof and the view is of a garden/lawn and
a few fountains which adds a nice background sound. I had
the Caesar salad as a starter and Debbie tried the vegetable
samosas which were crispy and flaky with a slightly spicy
dipping sauce. The main courses were rack of lamb with mash
and vegetables and garlic butter shrimp with rice and a
side salad. The shrimp still had the shell on them but it
was quite easy to peel and had the right amount of butter
and garlic seasoning, very good. The side salad consisted
of “weeds” with a few slices of cucumber and a
slice of tomato, not too impressive. Unfortunately, the
rack of lamb was exceptionally bland and was served with
an even less inspiring gravy, but to its credit, it was
very tender. We looked at the dessert menu and while it
was extensive (including cheesecake, pecan pie, and chocolate
decadent desserts), we were too full to try anything. Service
was excellent but we were the only ones in the restaurant
so we’re biased on that account. Parking was a tight
fit, don’t bring your Suburban! Total came to BDS$144
(including service and VAT) with no wine and no desserts.
Written
by Debbie Inami
The
Tides
If
you want to celebrate a special occasion, The Tides is a perfect
place for it! We arrived around 6:45 (opens at 6:30) and were
the only ones there, so we got a table right by the ocean.
The brochure says reservations required, so even if you go
early, try to call in and place your name on the list. By
8:00, the dining room was almost completely filled. The décor
is marvelously understated; there is fauna all around and
the restaurant is built around large trees by the water. The
restaurant has done a magnificent job incorporating its natural
surroundings into the dining area. And on each wooden table
is a fresh flower. The Tides is low on the water, unlike the
other West Coast cliff restaurants, so you really get a good
view of the ocean and the fish.
Each
menu was tied to a wooden board which gave it flair and originality.
The selections were varied; both Debbie and I had trouble
narrowing down our choice. We started with the shrimp and
salmon appetizer that was in between two won tons ($28).
Both the salmon and the shrimp were excellent quality, but
for the price, there could have been more substance to the
dish. For the main course, Debbie had the roasted duck ($60)
and I had the pork tenderloin ($55).
Again, both dishes were excellent; the pork and duck were
very tender and rich in flavor. I had a glass of Shiraz Cabernet
($10) with dinner and Debbie had
a much desired strawberry daiquiri ($8.50).
The dessert menu was long and included just about every type
of dessert you would desire. I decided on the “Tidation”
($18), which was a flourless chocolate
cake surrounded by an almond white sauce. For chocolate lovers,
this is the dessert for you! It was the richest dessert I
have had one the island so far. Debbie ordered the lemon tart
($18) which had a delicate tangy flavor with a lovely texture
and a melt in your mouth crust. We can both say that it was
the best lemon dessert we have ever had. The dessert was the
best part of the whole meal.
Each dish was beautifully prepared and service couldn’t
be any better! Each time we finished a course a waiter was
there to clear the table or refill our glasses. It was also
relatively cool due to several fans blowing and the ocean
breeze, making it a very comfortable setting. The Tides is
one of the best restaurants we’ve been to and we’ll
certainly return again! E; $$$
Written
by Andrew Parker – using own rating system.
As
a preface to this restaurant review, a comment on the restaurant's
surroundings is in order. If you haven't been to Sandy Lane
yet, go tonight! Since its re-opening in March, it is a
sight to see. It is by far the nicest property on the island
and rivals any five star resort in the world for its elegance,
beauty, and world class service. Even the bathrooms are
impressive - something we never thought would make a review!
If you get the chance, ask the front desk for a tour of
a room, which is as amazing as the food you'll eat.
Sandy
Lane has two main restaurants. Bajan Blue, the subject of
this review, and the more formal L'Acajou upstairs. The
restaurant itself is beautifully designed with all of its
decorations adding to a light and airy feeling. They have
done a terrific job keeping this semi-formal restaurant
feeling casual and fun. It prominently features an open
kitchen, so you can watch the chef prepare the food if you
have a table nearby. It is also an open air restaurant which
often times makes for a stuffy, warm eating experience on
the west coast, but a light breeze and many ceiling fans
kept the temperature down. The staff was very friendly and
service was excellent throughout the meal
The
menu was diverse enough to cover all tastes, but followed
the pattern of most nice restaurants on the island, featuring
an assortment of fish, pasta, one chicken dish, and a couple
of red meat entrees, all with a Mediterranean, Asian, or
Caribbean influence. The dessert menu included about 15
homemade ice cream flavors with almost any topping that
you would find in an ice cream parlor at home, plus six
other desserts. Before ordering, we were served an assortment
of five kinds of bread and two appetizers (a marinated mushroom
spread and a garlic-tomato spread) to eat with the bread.
We
started with the classic Caesar salad, which was topped
with wonderful large but light anchovies cured in-house
(optional) and a very nice dressing. We also tried the Gazpacho
soup which was delicate yet full of flavor. For entrees,
we ordered the sautéed jumbo prawns and a pizza.
The prawns were recommended by the waitress as her favorite
on the menu and it didn't disappoint. In fact, both of us
agreed that it was the best jumbo prawn dish we have ever
had.. The prawns had an incredible soft texture and were
glazed with mild spices and a teriyaki-like sauce. They
were served on a bed of real Cantonese fried rice. The pizza
was good, but it didn't come close to the prawns. For dessert,
we tried a scoop of homemade coffee ice cream, topped with
brownies, hazelnuts, and chocolate sauce. Excellent! We
also tried an apple crumble dessert that was on the special
daily menu but unfortunately, it was very sour and did not
have the same amazing flavor as the other food we tried.
In
summary, this ranks among the best restaurants of Barbados,
but it is not as suited for a special romantic dinner as
some of the others, if that's what you're looking for. This
is a restaurant that serves great food but it caters to
a more casual clientele. You would not be totally out of
order arriving in jeans and a collared shirt. However, there
is no mistaking that you're paying for the opulence around
you. The prices are very high - our dinner as described
above (with only one drink) came to about BDS$220.
E;
$$$
L’Acajou
at Sandy Lane
By Andrew Parker and Debbie Inami
As
a preface to this restaurant review, a comment on the restaurant’s
surroundings is in order. If you haven’t been to Sandy
Lane yet, go tonight! Since its re-opening in March, it is
a sight to see. It is by far the nicest property on the island
and rivals any five star resort in the world for its elegance,
beauty, and world class service. Even the bathrooms are impressive
– something we never thought would make a review for!
If you get the chance, ask the front desk for a tour of a
room, which is as amazing as the food you’ll eat.
Sandy
Lane has two main restaurants. L’Acajou, the subject
of this review, and the Bajan Blue downstairs. The restaurant
itself is beautifully designed with flower arrangements and
tables overlooking the ocean. We sat at the bar for a while
and snacked on dried bananas. We did not get hot at all during
our meal, due to the ocean breeze and good placement of ceiling
fans. The staff was very friendly and service was excellent
throughout the meal.
The menu
offered two set prices: BD$105 (Appetizer and entrée)
and BD$130 (Appetizer, entrée, and dessert). It was
diverse enough to cover all tastes, but followed the pattern
of most nice restaurants on the island, featuring an assortment
of fish, pasta, one chicken dish, and a couple of red meat
entrees, all with a Mediterranean, Asian, or Caribbean influence.
After ordering, we were asked our preference of their bread
basket and also received a pre-appetizer compliments of the
chef.
Our two
starters were a seafood combination appetizer and a barbequed
shrimp dish. The seafood combination platter included a crab
spring roll, tuna and avocado tartar, shrimp tempura, and
smoked salmon. The barbequed Caribbean shrimp included mango
salsa and a small salad. Both were very satisfying. Pineapple
sorbet was our next course served in what looked like a shot
glass on delicate china and a petite spoon. Our main entrées
were rack of lamb and salmon. I must say that the cream sauce
for the salmon was divine; best salmon I’ve ever had!
It was cooked perfectly – a bit crispy on the outside
but tender and moist on the inside. It was served over new
potatoes accompanying a salad and baked tomatoes. The rack
of lamb was excellent quality with a fantastic orange au jus.
For dessert we chose to go downstairs to Bajan Blue to experience
their delicious homemade ice cream.
In summary,
this ranks among the best restaurants of Barbados - perfect
for a special occasion. Everything from the service to the
décor to the place settings were exquisite. The manager
even made his way to our table to make sure everything was
in order. He mentioned that they will be closed the month
of September due to renovation so I encourage you to check
out the changes in October! The only downside is the outrageous
price – save this one for special celebrations.
E;
$$$
La
Bella Collina
By: Andrew Parker and Debbie Inami
La
Bella Collina, an Italian restaurant located at Sugar Hill,
served us a delightful lunch on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The beautiful setting overlooked the ocean and a light breeze
kept us cool through the entire meal. The property is impressive
with a tempting pool right by the restaurant. Since Sugar
Hill is a resort community vs. a hotel, the seating area
in La Bella Collina is limited so be sure to make a reservation.
However, we only saw one other table being used besides
ours at lunch.
Up
to December 1 a special lunch menu is included giving you
the option of a two or three course meal. Two courses is
BDS$45, three courses is BDS$60. This comes with a complimentary
glass of Italian white wine or Peroni beer. Andrew chose
this option and ordered the Caesar salad and pasta with
the wine. Debbie chose the chicken sandwich, saving room
for dessert. The wine was crisp and dry, perfect accompaniment
with the meal. The salad could have been better, so perhaps
the soup would have been a wiser choice. The pasta (penne
with fresh and dried tomatoes and goat cheese) was wonderful.
The sauce was flavorful but light and the pasta was homemade.
Debbie’s sandwich was perfect with a thin slice of
chicken, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and cucumbers all on a
fresh roll. It came with a choice of salad and fries (go
with the fries!).
The
dessert menu had several choices including tiramisu, flourless
chocolate cake, and various homemade ice creams, sorbets,
and gelato. Andrew chose chocolate chocolate chip ice cream
which was served in an old fashion sundae dish. Debbie had
the apple strudel with French vanilla ice cream which was
okay but did not satisfy. You can find better apple pastry
desserts elsewhere. The ice cream was definitely better.
All
in all it was a delightful lunch with reasonable prices.
We’ll definitely be back!
Oistins Fish Market
Every
Friday night, from 7 pm to 5 am in the morning you will
adore eating fresh fish, the catch of the day, dolphin,
flying fish, king fish, tuna, red snappers, grilled, exquisite
food served outside near the shore, you sit on benches...and
share the space with other people, locals, tourists, everyone
is happy there. Great music and great atmosphere. CHEAP
AND SO TASTY The food is just what you want to try when
in Barbados Oistins Fish Market Christ Church Barbados
Bon
appetit Estelle et Lewis
Opa!
Tel 435-1234
By: Debbie Inami
Dimitri
Vamvakas, known by many of us at the US Embassy, recently
opened the first Greek restaurant on Barbados. Opa!, formerly
known as Shak Shak, resides on the South Coast in Christ
Church. A fresh new look awaited us with a vivid blue and
white colored theme. There is a spacious bar area and the
dining room’s setting is casual yet elegant with candles
on each table. If you get a table on the deck you have a
magnificent view of the ocean and the awning overhead keeps
you dry in case of sudden rain.
The
menu is extensive with many appetizer and main course choices.
Appetizers include dips with pita bread, soups, and salads,
and the entrée’s offer pizza, pasta, chicken,
seafood, pita sandwiches, and other traditional Greek dishes.
After viewing the menu (narrowing down our choice was difficult!),
Andrew ordered the chicken soup and the fish pita while
I chose the chicken souvlaki (marinated chicken kabob served
over rice). The pita was served with perfectly seasoned
fries which we both very much enjoyed and the chicken souvlaki
had a yogurt dip which was divine. Also served with the
chicken was freshly cooked vegetables and very tender lemon
roasted potatoes. There are four desserts you can try as
well: baklava, cheesecake, coconut crème brulee,
and turtle cake. Being a huge fan of gooey desserts, I voted
for the turtle cake and was not disappointed! This beautifully
presented dessert became one of my favorites with the first
bite. The chocolate cake oozed with goodness (caramel and
pecans included) and had a dab of vanilla ice cream on top.
A must have for chocolate lovers!
Service
was excellent and we never had to flag down our waiter for
more water. Opa! is open for lunch Monday-Friday and every
evening for dinner. Reservations are highly recommended
as Opa! has been busy ever since opening. We will definitely
enjoy Opa! many times more for the rest of our tour here,
happily supporting Dimitri and savoring his delicious cuisine.
Hi.
Just returned from 10 beautiful days in Barbados. The night
before we left (3/16/03) we dined at the exquisite Cliff
Restaurant, where I thoroughly enjoyed their chilled celery
soup with stilton cheese and apple salad. It was out of
this world to say the least and I'm hoping you can get the
recipe for me. PLEASE??
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