From world-class pop-ups to the hottest new restaurant openings around the Caribbean, the region's culinary landscape is fast evolving. Ahead of this year’s regatta, Risa Merl samples French- and Creole-inspired dishes in St Barths, discovering a strong emphasis on fresh, local ingredients at some of the island’s best dining spots.
The Caribbean culinary scene has always danced to its own rhythm – less about white tablecloths and overly formal service, and more about stepping off the yacht to savour a melting pot of flavours with the sound of waves lapping the shore and the sea breeze in your hair. Dining here is relaxed, rooted in place and climate and shaped by centuries of cultural exchange. Stuffy fine dining would feel out of place, and nowhere is that more keenly understood than in St Barths.
Over the years, Michelin-starred chefs and world-class restaurateurs have flocked to this small but influential island, trading rigid mainland concepts for something more playful and intuitive. French-Caribbean foundations are layered with international sophistication, creating a food scene that is polished yet informal, indulgent yet unpretentious. And while St Barths remains the region’s culinary bellwether, this evolution is not confined to its shores.
A meeting of Caribbean cultures
Across the Caribbean, chefs are artfully combining local ingredients, sustainable practices and global influences, redefining what high-end dining in the tropics really means.
“There aren’t really any traditional formal fine-dining restaurants in the Caribbean, and no Michelin stars, but I think that’s because it wouldn’t suit the environment,” says Sam Molyneux, head chef on board 122-metre Lürssen Kismet, exclusively for charter with Cecil Wright. “What’s exciting is you have so many Michelin-starred chefs opening up dining options across the Caribbean in recent years, all altering their concepts to suit the relaxed island environment.”
Nowhere illustrates that better than St Barths. With more than 70 restaurants offering everything from chic beachside bistros to intimate, chef-driven experiences, the island has become a playground for food lovers. What makes it stand out, says Molyneux, is its remarkable concentration of high-end restaurants and beach clubs, many of them transported from famed European locales.
“In St Barths, you are simply spoilt for choice compared to other Caribbean islands,” says Molyneux. “What really sets it apart, though, is the number of familiar brands that are favourites of our clients from the South of France and internationally that have decided to create an island version in St Barths. Beach clubs such as Shellona, La Guerite and Nikki Beach are all here along with Beefbar, Bagatelle and other iconic restaurants. Its essentially like being in the Côte d’Azur while in the West Indies.”
Arriving on the shores of St Barths in 2023, the menu for La Guérite beach club was brought directly from the famed La Guérite on Île Sainte Marguerite, off the coast of Cannes. Fresh, simply prepared seafood is the undisputed star, served family-style and designed for long, leisurely lunches that slide effortlessly into sunset.
“Our chef doesn’t like to overcomplicate things, focusing instead on simple, good-quality ingredients,” says Justina Bakli, general manager at La Guérite, noting that all the fish served comes from local suppliers. This commitment to local sourcing is echoed across the island, where restaurateurs regularly collaborate with fishermen and farmers to blend French technique with Creole flavour.
A new wave of openings
Christelle Hilpron, general manager at Cheval Blanc St Barth, has spent 25 years on the island and has watched the dining scene evolve first-hand. “In the last five years, we’ve seen a lot of different international concepts emerging here, but the island is still the same French paradise we all know and love,” she says, pointing to barefoot service at the resort’s La Cabane restaurant as a deliberate nod to island ease.
“The French influence is what makes dining in St Barths so special. Eating well, enjoying food and time with our friends is in our blood. We call it la douceur de vivre, the sweet life.”
Life on St Barths is getting even sweeter with a wave of new openings and thoughtfully refreshed favourites. Two long-standing local restaurants have recently reopened following renovations and brand repositioning. “The first, Le Grain de Sel, located in Saline, offers a refined blend of seafood and Creole cuisine. The second, La Licorne, situated in Lorient, specialises in traditional Caribbean flavours,” says Alexandra Questel, president of the St Barth Tourist Board.
Other notable additions include Pablo and Casa Coloniale, reflecting a season of renewed energy and diversity across the dining scene. These sit alongside recent arrivals such as Lucali, Nyama, La Charrette, Amnios, Mamo & le Café, each adding its own character to the island’s ever-expanding roster.
One of the most anticipated openings is Bar des Prés Saint-Barth, the latest outpost by Cyril Lignac, blending sushi craftsmanship with Caribbean elegance. For Molyneux, its arrival feels inevitable. “Bar des Prés has opened this season after its success in Mayfair and Dubai from its start in Paris, so it makes sense that it joins the migration of their clients to St Barths,” he says. “It will definitely be a great addition to St Barths’ ever-growing dining scene.”
While new restaurants generate excitement, the island’s established dining institutions continue to book out season after season.
L’Esprit by Jean-Claude Dufour in Saline remains a favourite for its refined tasting menus and intimate garden setting, while Bagatelle St Barth has become an island institution, known for pairing high-level French cuisine with a vibrant, champagne-fuelled atmosphere that often ends with dancing on tables.
“Another favourite is L’Isola, an authentic Italian restaurant located in the heart of Gustavia, renowned for its traditional cuisine, high-quality ingredients and warm, convivial atmosphere that reflects true Italian hospitality,” says Questel.
Welcome to barefoot dining
Yet St Barths’ appeal lies as much in its relaxed local spots as in its headline-grabbing imports. Le Grain de Sel in Saline is beloved for its comforting Creole dishes, while food-truck-style Le Ti Corail serves freshly caught fish of the day, best enjoyed barefoot in the sand beside a tranquil lagoon. “What truly sets St Barths apart is the balance between world-class fine dining and authentic, local food experiences,” says Questel.
“The island offers Michelin-level cuisine and internationally renowned restaurants alongside relaxed beach cafés and barefoot dining spots where quality is never compromised.”
Beyond St Barths, culinary exploration is woven into the pleasure of cruising the Caribbean. “Finding diamonds-in-the-rough – from food trucks to beach bars – is part of the joy of yachting here,” says Molyneux. “If yachting through the BVIs,you have to visit the Cooper Island’s Rum Bar! It’s got one of the biggest rum collections in the world and is a dangerously fun pre-dinner apéritif spot.”
His favourite restaurant in the region is Sheer Rocks in Antigua, where guests can dine in private clifftop spaces complete with plunge pools and sweeping views.
Antigua continues to assert itself as a serious culinary destination. Curtain Bluff has just reopened its signature Sea Grape restaurant following a complete renovation, unveiling a more elevated coastal aesthetic. The refreshed open-air venue features an expansive new bar decorated in blue and white mosaic tiles, surrounded by vibrant stools and positioned as a social centrepiece overlooking the sea.
Highlighting the island’s growing appeal, Wendy Eardley, resident manager at Curtain Bluff, recommends Le Petit Maison, a pop-up dining concept at Hermitage Bay, as well as the relaxed, yacht-friendly dining found along Darkwood Beach and at Pigeon Point Beach in English Harbour.
With the 25/26 season now well under way, the list of restaurants worth stepping off the yacht for continues to swell. As Molyneux notes, Nobu has opened its second Caribbean location on Princess Diana Beach in Barbuda. “It’s one of my favourite beaches and so nice for our guests to tender in and enjoy,” he says.
Meanwhile, in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Palm Island welcomes the barefoot luxury property Voaara Grenadines. Its on-site restaurant, La Plage by Sarrion, led by Spanish executive chef Aleixandre Sarrion, showcases Spanish-Mediterranean cuisine enriched with Asian influences and Caribbean flavours.
Reinventing local ingredients and dishes
Elsewhere in the region, established properties are reinventing their culinary offerings. Eden Roc Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic has launched a gastronomy tour designed to “showcase the richness of the Dominican Republic through food, people and territory”, says Adriano Venturini, executive chef and culinary director. “The Dominican Republic has a remarkable culinary depth that is often underestimated on an international level,” he says.
“Highlighting local ingredients, traditions, producers and chefs is essential to reposition the country as a true gastronomic destination.” Within the resort, Mediterraneo by Eden Roc remains a standout dining experience, set within the tranquil grotto of a cenote, while beyond its gates Venturini recommends Casarré in Santo Domingo for its thoughtful interpretation of Dominican culture through cuisine.
In Jamaica, the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios offers an immersive experience through its Shop & Cook with Chef Maurice excursion. Visitors explore local markets before returning to the Inn for a hands-on masterclass in traditional local cooking, culminating in a shared feast.
The hotel has also hosted acclaimed guest chefs for seasonal residencies, including UK MasterChef 2020 winner Thomas Frake and Jamaican-British chef Denai Moore, who brought her plant-based take on Jamaican cuisine to Teddy’s Beach Grill.
Local ingredients are equally celebrated at The Farm in North Eleuthera, minutes from the pink sands of Harbour Island. The hotel introduces true farm-to-table dining to the Bahamas, with an organic farm supplying the kitchen directly. Produce is harvested from orchards and gardens on site, while free-roaming hens and ducks provide eggs for Sunday brunch. Featuring elevated Bahamian favourites such as Johnny Cake and boiled fish, the brunch has become a magnet for superyacht guests arriving by tender.
From Michelin-starred chef pop-ups to secret rum bars, from Antigua to Jamaica and St Barths to the Bahamas, dining across the Caribbean is making its mark. It’s a region where fine food feels just as natural in sandals as it does in stilettos – and where the most memorable meals often come with salt in the air and sand between your toes.
Kismet's head chef on cooking in the Caribbean
Kismet’s head chef Sam Molyneux shares how he stocks up in the Caribbean
There are outstanding local producers that I have built relationships with and I always try to use when in the area. In Antigua, I take advantage of the fresh fruit and vegetables at Colesome Farmers Market. They can pick my order in the morning, and I serve it by lunchtime. You can’t get fresher than that.
I also call my network of local fishers, who introduced me to local sustainable fish like rainbow and the invasive lionfish. Across the Caribbean, there has been an upward trend in local micro green farms, a great step in the right direction of producers understanding clients’ needs as it’s much fresher to source locally than fly it in from the Netherlands.
For non-local items, work with trusted provisioners and suppliers that understand your clients’ needs, who are willing to pay to fly in the best fresh ingredients. I’ve had everything flown in from fresh Japanese fish from Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo for sushi and sashimi to “the biggest alba truffle anybody’s seen” – a truffle hunter found a 411g one that was flown to St Barths and was on the table two days after it was foraged – to a bread from a Moscow bakery flown in by private jet so the client had it at breakfast after requesting it the previous dinner.