Eating and drinking on Antigua is as varied as the coastline of this lovely little island. From Lonely Planet Caribbean Islands
On Antigua, life is a beach. It may seem like a cliché, but this improbably-shaped splotch of land is ringed with beaches of the finest white sand, made all the more dramatic by the azure waters, which are so clear they’ll bring a tear to your eye or a giggle to your holiday-hungry throat.
Guitar-picker Eric Clapton, rag-trader Giorgio Armani and tastemaker for the masses Oprah all have winter homes here. Some of the Caribbean’s most exclusive resorts shelter in the myriad bays and inlets. But don’t worry, mere mortals thrive here as well. No matter your budget, you will find a beach with your name on it.
Antigua’s myriad craggy inlets and corrugated coasts hug scores of perfect little beaches, while the sheltered bays have provided refuge for boats, from Admiral Nelson to pirates to sun-scorched yachties.
There’s a distinct English accent to this classic Caribbean island, with its narrow roads punctuated with candy-colored villages. You can explore most everything quickly, although the superb sights of historic English Harbour will steal hours from your day. Take the time to savor the sand and sea: the former bright white, the latter beguiling blue.
St John’s
Intriguingly shabby, St John’s is worth a day’s exploration. Good cafes, idiosyncratic shops, a grand cathedral, a cute little museum, a thriving market and more line the busy streets of the fairly compact center. There’s a mélange of buildings ranging from 19th-century survivors to modern-day horrors.
Almost half of the island’s residents live in and around St John’s, which is busy during the day from Monday to Friday and on Saturday morning. It all but shuts down at night and on Sundays.
Bananas, limes, mangos, eggplant – you’ll find mountains of them at this covered market that is at its most vibrant on Friday and Saturday mornings. Keep an eye out for produce you’re unlikely to find at the supermarket back home, including black pineapple, the reddish flowers of antioxidant-rich sorrel and black tamarind pods. It’s a fun place for a browse, snack or people-watching.
The amiably bombastic painted bust outside the market entrance depicts Sir Vere Cornwall Bird. Follow your nose to the fish market across the street, next to the bus station. Upon request, vendors will fillet
your selection.
Papa Zouk
This casual bistro turns out some of the most sophisticated seafood dishes on the island. The menu always reflects what’s fresh, and you can specify your preparation. The bar stocks 200 kinds of rum; insiders ask for a P’tit Punch, an addictive concoction with marinated rum. If you have more than one, take a cab home.
Hemingways
Enjoy fine casual fare on the breezy 2nd-floor veranda at this popular restaurant-bar in an 1829 building. Start the day with cinnamon-scented banana pancakes, move on to salads and sandwiches at lunchtime and finish the day with conch fritters, rock lobster and other fine Creole cuisine. Service is cheery and the rum punch respectable.
Cafe Bambula
This flowery courtyard cafe is a lovely escape from St John’s downtown hustle. Watch the staff buzz around the open kitchen behind a long bar as you anticipate mouthwatering bouillabaisse, homemade foie gras or juicy steak au poivre.
North Shore
Antigua’s northern reaches between Dickenson Bay and the airport boast posh residential areas, a golf course, fancy restaurants and surf sports off Jabberwock Beach. Nearby, a catamaran shuttles anyone with villa or restaurant reservations to the private Jumby Bay Resort (www.jumbybayresort.com) on off shore Long Island. The newly revamped retreat regularly wins plaudits for being one of the Caribbean’s top resorts.
Cecilia’s High Point Cafe
There are few places more conducive to a leisurely lunch than this cozy beachfront cottage presided bover by the formidable Cecilia, a former Helmut Newton model (scan the walls for photographs). The blackboard menu is progressive Italian paired with a couple of Swedish dishes from Cecilia’s homeland. Free wi-fi, beach chairs, a kiddie playground and swoonworthy desserts make it even harder to leave.
Le Bistro
This little beacon amid the scrubland not only draws the Hodges Bay swells but gourmets from across the island. Owner and top toque Patrick Gauducheau leads a talented team in orchestrating flavors into culinary symphonies that sound simple but are not. Case in point: linguini tossed with lobster. Presentations are exquisite.
Harmony Hall
Harmony Hall commands stunning views of Nonsuch Bay from its hilltop perch. Set amid the sturdy stone structures of an old sugar mill, it’s a quiet six-room hideaway where conches line the garden paths and local art is sprinkled throughout. The garden setting of the restaurant is the perfect foil for the upscale Italian fare, including homemade pasta and osso bucco. Reservations are advised. In recent years, Nonsuch Bay has seen some development, most notably the Nonsuch Bay Resort, a cluster of ritzy villas and condos built into the hillside.
