There's a sign on the wall in Mr. Busby's Beach Bar on the Dutch side of St. Maarten that reads, "Welcome to Paradise. Glad you could make it." Everyone who reads it smiles and nods in assent.
I remember having an unforgettable lunch at Mr. Busby's with William, my guide to St. Maarten. William was flirting, in that harmless and matter-of-fact way that Caribbean men have perfected.
We were sitting under the shade trees at a plain table, the beach a few feet away, and beyond that the blue water of the Caribbean.
"Canadian women are the most dangerous of women," William opined. "Their charm is subtle and it sneaks up on you before you know it." I think it was a compliment, and I was quite happy to consider myself part of this dangerous group, but it wasn't the conversation that made the moment so memorable.
It was the lobster salad. And the conch chowder. And maybe the quiet wash of waves on the beach or the sounds of children swimming nearby. Perhaps it was the fact that I was having lunch in my bathing suit with my bare feet in the sand, or maybe it was the whole package.
Such is the charm of the Caribbean beach bar. It's the kind of memory you take out of your pocket to warm you on a cold December day.
I have eaten my way around the Caribbean, and spent hours in the gym to remove the results. Many of my best meals were the ones I had in authentic island restaurants, the smaller the better. While the all-inclusive resort is convenient and affordable, by its very nature its cuisine often falls short. It can't compare in freshness and real Caribbean flavour to the food made in the idiosyncratic beachside bars beloved by the locals and serendipitously discovered by visitors.
At these little tables, you consume more than food. You have history on the plate - the mingled flavours influenced by the French, Swedish, British, Dutch, African and many other nationalities that left their imprints on the islands. Married to that is the dark history of sugar, the unique blend of spices that made the Caribbean a centre for trade and the production of rum.
Combine that with the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood and you have a multilayered cuisine that never runs out of energy. Fragrant roti, fresh lobster, aromatic curries, flying fish and pepperpot stew with a side of coo-coo (the polenta of the Caribbean), or cool juices made from freshly picked fruit - all wonderful reasons to step outside the resort and get to know the local food scene. Here's a list of some of the best. It barely skims the surface, but many of these are family institutions run by the famous and infamous local characters whose personalities are part of the draw.
Antigua
There are three little beach bars on the sunset-facing beach between Johnson's Point and Crabb Hill: Turner's, OJ's and Gibson's, each with its own character and devotees.
Turner's Beach Bar Johnson's Point, St. John's; 268-462-9133. Great fresh fish and lobster salad, with a relaxed atmosphere. It can get busy on cruise-ship days.
OJ's Restaurant and Beach Bar Crabb Hill, St. John's. There's a sand floor, plastic chairs and marine decor on walls and hanging from the ceiling. Local seafood such as whole red snapper is a specialty, and at sunset you get breathtaking views of Montserrat.
Gibson's Beach Bar Crabb Hill, St. John's; 268-562-2218. Gibson's is a small beachfront restaurant offering local dishes, at the opposite end of the beach from Turner's. Same great views, different angle.
Coconut Grove Restaurant and Bar Dickenson Bay; 268-462-1538. This beachside restaurant and bar is part of the Siboney Beach Hotel, which has one of the nicest private gardens on the island. Tony Johnson, owner of the hotel, used to run this bar but now leases it out. The food is delicious, the view of Dickenson Bay is gorgeous and on Saturday nights there is often a barbecue on the beach. If Tony is around, buy him a drink and get him to tell you some of the stories about his exploits. Try the Coconut Grove shrimp with coconut sauce.
Barbados
You know that Barbados is an island that is very particular about food when you discover that it is the only place where a McDonald's had to close for lack of customers. Stop in at one of the island-grown Chefette fast-food shops for a curry roti and you will understand why.
Suga Suga (formerly Mullins Beach Bar) Mullins Beach, St. Peter, 246-419-4511. Suga Suga serves breakfast, lunch and dinner beachside. When you want something, you raise a little flag on your lounge chair. Heaven forbid you should exert yourself. There's a noon buffet on Sundays and in the evening, the dining moves to a Japanese/Thai style.
Carib Beach Bar Christ Church, South Coast; 246-435-8540. This spot on Sandy Beach sells Carib beer and lots of local seafood at reasonable prices in a lively beach setting. The bar is built in the shape of Barbados. There's music on weekends, and happy hour on Sundays features live music on the beach.
Oistins Fish Fry Oistins Village, Highway 7. Friday nights at Oistins are famous all over the Caribbean. The small fishing village is the place where fishermen bring in their catch for the market. On the weekends, tiny stalls serve fresh fish, curries, coo-coo and fish cakes. Enjoy super-fresh grilled marlin with a lime and butter sauce from Crystal's Place, paired with a cold Banks beer. There's live music and dancing and a real laid-back party atmosphere.
Dominican Republic
Captain Cook's Restaurant Playa el Cortecito, Punta Cana; 809-552-1061. At the end of the day you can watch the fishermen bring in their catch, from your palapa on the beach, while mariachi musicians play. Try the langostino creole style with a locally made El Presidente beer.
Soles Chill Out Bar Los Corales Beach, Bavaro, 809-729- 4371. With beach lounges, interesting people watching, good food and live music on Monday nights, this is a fine place to dine in the sand.
St. Maarten
Island Flava Restaurant The Boardwalk, Philipsburg. If you haven't been to Philipsburg on the Dutch side of St. Maarten for a while, the new beach boardwalk will amaze you. There's a broad sandy beach now, and many restaurants. One of the best is this mellow place, run by local chef Sherman Martin. The rotis and curries are freshly made and delicious, and you can take your food and drink across the boardwalk to sit on the beach and watch the cruise ships.Mr. Busby's Beach Bar Dawn Beach; 599-543-6828. This is a beach bar with a double identity. For breakfast and lunch, it is laid-back Mr. Busby's, but at night it transforms into an Italian restaurant called Daniels By the Sea. The creation of restaurateur Daniel Jurczenko, the daytime menu embraces lobster salad, conch and mahi-mahi, and the atmosphere is relaxed and unrushed.
Gus' Beach Bar Baie Rouge. A quiet beach with pink sand and a great view of Anguila, with good barbecue, cold beer and rum drinks. It's a good place for snorkelling.
Chez Raymond Baie Rouge. This friendly beach establishment serves grilled grouper, grilled mahi-mahi sandwiches, and has a conch shell that is sounded to call people in for happy hour. There's usually reggae music on weekends.
British Virgin Islands
Foxy's Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke. Foxy makes his own beer in his microbrewery and throws the most famous Old Year's Eve party in the islands. Most people sail their boats to Foxy's, but you can get there by ferry from Tortolla.
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