WHERE TO EAT
Eating out in Barbados can be very expensive, and food costs can exceed those of accommodation. Happily, though, there are plenty of good inexpensive eateries on both sides of the island.
SAND DUNES BAR AND RESTAURANT, WINDY HILL
This restaurant on the island’s rugged east coast is one of my favourites. The food is unpretentious but full of flavour. The menu changes daily and consists of local favourites such as breadfruit coucou (mashed with butter and milk), salt fish with gravy, and a salad or side vegetables. There may also be fried flying fish served with rice and peas, and macaroni pie. A full meal will cost around Dh57 a head.
Ermy Bourne Highway, Windy Hill, +1 246 422 9427
ANIMAL FLOWER CAVE, NORTH POINT
Aside from the delicious, if slightly pricey, food – rotis from Dh63, salads from Dh40 – what makes this restaurant stand out is its location on the cliffs of North Point, where between December and April humpback whales can be spotted playing in the surf. Beneath the restaurant is the island’s only accessible sea cave, Animal Flower cave, known for its fascinating sea anemones (animal flowers). Guided visits adult Dh37, child Dh9.
+1 246 439 8797, animalflowercave.com
ORANGE STREET GROCER, SPEIGHTSTOWN
Bajans are not big coffee drinkers, but a handful of places serve really good coffee, and this cafe, with a large terrace overlooking the ocean, is one of them. It serves salads, pizza and other light fare, but I find these a little pricey, so usually stick to coffee and one of their desserts, which cost around Dh28.
theorangestreetgrocer.com
CUZ’S FISH SHACK, NEAR PEBBLES BEACH
Even if you’re not staying on the south coast, pay a visit to this colourful and somewhat ramshackle Barbadian equivalent of a food truck. Cuz first became a favourite among divers and surfers on nearby Pebbles Beach. The ‘cutters” – the local term for any sandwich made using a bun known as salt bread – are filled with fried steakfish, tomato, lettuce, Bajan pepper sauce and mayo, with optional toppings of cheese or a fried egg. They cost Dh9 to Dh24 and are delicious with a Plus, an energy drink made from sugarcane.
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Even if you’re not staying on the SOUTH COAST, visit the colourful and somewhat RAMSHACKLE local equivalent of a food truck called Cuz, for its fried steakfish and BAJAN PEPPER SAUCE sandwiches