Bridgetown Restaurants and Dining

(Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados)

Dining out is one of the simple pleasures in Bridgetown, and you will find plenty of choice, ranging from casual waterfront seafood restaurants to more formal plantation dinners.

Seafood is ubiquitous at Barbados eateries, and local rum is a favourite treat. Self-caterers have plenty of options, too, thanks to the fishing villages on the fringes of Bridgetown. Whether craving authentic Caribbean cuisine or something a little less exotic, you will find it on local menus.

What to Eat, and Where

Bridgetown cuisine is a fusion of traditional British dishes and Caribbean fare, and there are options to suit a variety of tastes. There is also a heavy dose of African influence to add diversity to local dining menus.

Of course, fresh seafood (and particularly flying fish) is the number-one ingredient at restaurants in Bridgetown. South-east of the city, Oistins Fish Market is where you will see local fishermen bringing in the day's catch. It's a hectic, but friendly atmosphere, and tourists can approach fishermen directly to purchase something for the dinner table. On Friday nights, locals come in droves to eat at surrounding seafood restaurants and enjoy live music staged at the fish market.

Restaurants abound in Bridgetown. Some operate in conjunction with local resorts, but there are just as many privately-run dining operations right on the coast. Don't expect any serious bargains though, since Barbados tends to attract well-heeled travellers. Getting out of town and into local fishing villages brings the price down a bit.

Most visitors are eager to try out the local cuisine, and many Barbadian dishes use spicy chillies and fragrant thyme to craft a unique flavour. Coo-coo is a popular dish of okra and cornmeal. Jug-jug, a stew of beef, pork, split peas and spices, is another popular dish. Of course, no dinner in Bridgetown is complete without a tropical cocktail made with rum from the local Mount Gay Distillery.