Barbados has over 100 restaurants to choose from: from chic international cuisine in upscale dining rooms to the relaxed atmosphere of cafes serving local cuisine, there’s something for every palate and budget. You’ll find Greek, Italian, Indian, Chinese, English, French, and Mexican restaurants spread across the Island. Below is a list of recommended establishments.

David's Place
246-435-9755
The restaurant is south of Bridgetown between Rockley Beach and Worthing, in an old-fashioned seaside house on St. Lawrence Bay. The tables are positioned so that diners enjoy a view of the Caribbean. Pumpkin or cucumber soup might get you going, or you can try the pickled chicken wings. Fish steak, the best choice on the menu, might be mahi-mahi, kingfish, barracuda, shark, or red snapper, served in a white-wine sauce or deep-fried Bajan style.

Bagatelle Restaurant
246-421-6767
This sylvan retreat, one of the island's finest and most elegant choices for French cuisine with Caribbean flair, is in the cool uplands, just south of the island's center and a 15-minute drive north of Bridgetown. Candles and lanterns illuminate the old archways and the ancient trees. The service is the best we've found on Barbados. Try the homemade duck-liver pâté, succulent deviled Caribbean crab backs, or a wake-up-the-tastebuds smoked flying-fish mousse with horseradish mayonnaise. The beef Wellington Bagatelle-style with a chasseur sauce is a favorite, as is the crisp roast duckling with orange-and-brandy sauce.

Sand Dollar
246-435-6956
The name has changed several times, but the spot remains a staple in the minds of frequent visitors to Barbados. Opening onto a masonry terrace extending to the edge of the water, the restaurant's latest incarnation, as Sand Dollar, is less formal than ever. Diners show up in shorts, but not bathing attire, please. The cuisine is more reliable than innovative. At lunch you can get the usual sandwiches and salads, but at night the chefs work harder. Their brochettes of jerk shrimp might be a little overcooked, but not the chicken in honey-and-rum sauce.

Luigi's Restaurant
246-428-9218
The menu might be 1950s retro, but it's still dependable. This open-air Italian trattoria has been around since 1963. The atmosphere is contemporary, airy, and comfortable. Appetizers include pizzas, classic choices such as escargots and Caesar salad, and half orders of many pastas. The baked pastas, such as creamy lasagna, are delectable, or you can go for the fresh fish or veal special of the day. For dessert, try the zabaglione and one of the wide selection of coffees, ranging from Italian to Russian to Turkish.

The Cliff
246-432-1922
Built atop a 10-foot coral cliff adjacent to the Coconut Creek Hotel, this open-air restaurant features a four-level dining room crafted with terra-cotta tiles and coral stone. The culinary technique is impeccably sharp, and the chefs here select only the finest cuts of beef, the freshest seafood, and the choicest vegetables, such as juicy tomatoes. The best items on the menu are grilled snapper drizzled with three types of coriander sauce (cream-based, oil-based, and vinaigrette style), accompanied with garlic mashed potatoes and Thai-style curried shrimp.