Even if you’re not staying at Peter Island, Little Dix Bay, or Biras Creek, you don’t have to miss their superb dining. The just-updated menu at Peter Island’s Tradewinds(284/495-2000; dinner for two $130) has been given an Asian spin. Guests wrote, “We moored at Peter Island for the night and had a spectacular meal. The service, wine list and food presentation were top-notch. Our group tried caviar, lobster spring rolls, Mahi, Halibut, pork chop, coconut chicken, blackened cod and wild mushroom risotto with truffle oil. Every dish that came out was delicious! Would absolutely return.” Trip Advisor
Virgin Gorda
Brightly colored murals, a New Orleans—inspired menu, laconic service (be warned), and a jazzy sound track conspire to make Chez Bamboo (Spanish Town; Virgin Gorda 284/495-5752; dinner for two $75) Virgin Gorda’s biggest sleeper. “We traveled to Virgin Gorda with some friends, who had been many times and were told we had reservations at the best restaurant on the island. I laughed when we walked up, because it doesn’t look like a top restaurant from the outside, but WOW. Did I ever eat my words, and happily.”
Little Dix has a number of restaurants; try the Sugar Mill (284/495-5555; dinner for two $130) for wahoo, swordfish, and snapper drawn from the water minutes before being served. “I had the salmon and pasta for my entree and the lobster risotto for an appetizer. The salmon was so fresh and not overdone at all. Combined with the pesto linguine this was the most fulfilling meal of our stay. The view and the breezes were fabulous. A number of people stopped by our table to ensure we were enjoying our evening and each person was kinder than the last. We can not WAIT to return!” Trip Advisor
Tortola
If you develop a craving for carpaccio, Brandywine Bay Restaurant (Brandywine Estate, Tortola; 284/495-2301; dinner for two $90) just outside Roadtown serves bella Italian. Beautiful views…. See dinner menu here.
Once you make a dinner reservation at Mrs. Scatliffe’s (Carrot Bay, Tortola; 284/495-4556; dinner for two $56), the lady herself goes to market to buy food for your meal. She might even sing some gospel tunes and advise on curative herbs.
This is the most comfortable West Indian restaurant on the island. It’s in the Scatliffe family’s home. A flight of stone steps leads from the garden (where the fruits, vegetables and herbs are grown) to the second floor, where dinner is served. There are starched tablecloths, candles and flowers on each table and a great view of the water too. One of the daughters will seat you while her husband fixes you the best fruit daiquiri on the island. Although the menu varies, you can count on spiced papaya soup and coconut bread. Steaming hot chicken in coconut is served in the shell and curried goat, pot roast pork and Cornish hen are favorites. Desserts include coconut pie, soursop sherbet and tart lime pie. A lively fungi band often plays at dinner. You must reserve for dinner early in the day and that is when you order your food. Mrs. Scatliffe cooks only to the house count so you can’t just drop in. Lunch is less formal.
The homespun Northshore Shell Museum Bar and Restaurant on Tortola’s north coast (Carrot Bay, Tortola; 284/495-4714; dinner for two $40) is literally encrusted in seashells. Everyone swoons over the curried goat—but it’s barbecue nights (Tuesday and Saturday) that really make mouths water. Conch, beef, ribs, and chicken are cooked over an open flame and doused with a tangy house-made sauce.
It’s not much to look at, but C&F Restaurant (Purcell Estate, Road Town, Tortola; 284/494-4941; dinner for two $56) dishes out the hottest curry in the B.V.I.
The West Indian equivalent of a burrito, rotis are a local staple, and Roti Palace(Russel Hill, Road Town, Tortola; 284/494-4196; lunch for two $20) serves ’em up king-sized.
Anegada
Despite the plastic tables and chairs, a meal at the Big Bamboo (Loblolly Bay, Anegada; 284/495-2019; lunch for two $50) is an extravagant experience. An endless supply of hulking Anegada lobsters are cooked to order on an open grill, with the ocean rippling a few feet away.
Potters by the Sea is another excellent restaurant on Anegada, as well else can you eat massive amounts of lobster, “the true Caribbean delicacy….”
For details on yacht charters in the Caribbean, please contact Shelby Nicholson or Sylvia Weston at 1-800-662-6066 or email us at nikyacht@comcast.net.
