Caribbean (Fodor's, 2011) - Fodor's Travel Publications [10]
Sebastian’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. | Map
$$$ | ECLECTIC | The waves practically lap at your feet at this beachfront restaurant on Tortola’s North Shore. The menu emphasizes seafood—especially lobster, conch, and local fish—but you can also find dishes such as ginger chicken and filet mignon. It’s a perfect spot to stop for lunch on your around-the-island tour. Try the grilled dolphinfish sandwich, served on a soft roll with an oniony tartar sauce. Finish off with a cup of Sebastian’s coffee spiked with home-brewed rum. | North Coast Rd., Apple Bay VG1130 | 284/494–4212 | www.sebastiansbvi.com | AE, D, MC, V.
1748 Restaurant. | Map
$$$ | CONTINENTAL | Relax over dinner in this open-air eatery at Long Bay Beach Resort. Tables are well spaced, offering enough privacy for intimate conversations. The menu changes daily, but several dishes show up regularly. Start your meal with smoked salmon with green mussels, creamy seafood soup, or a Caesar salad. Entrées include baby back ribs in a tangy barbecue sauce served with peas and rice, plantains and corn on the cob, pan-seared red snapper with vegetables, and for vegetarians, vegetable spring rolls with lo-mein noodles. There are always at least five desserts to choose from, which might include Belgian chocolate mousse, strawberry cheesecake, or a fluffy lemon-and-coconut cake. | Long Bay Beach Resort, Long Bay VG1130 | 284/495–4252 | www.longbay.com | AE, D, MC, V.
Sky. | Map
$$ | ASIAN | The top of a mountain is the location for this casually elegant dining room with a menu that features sushi, sashimi, and similar dishes. You’ll find the usual tuna, sea bass, and shrimp on the sushi menu, but locals like the tropical-style sushi with smoked salmon and mango. If you like some heat, try the Hurricane. If you’re renting a villa in the area, the take-out menu will save you some kitchen chores. | Ridge Rd., Joe’s Hill VG1130 | 284/494–3567 | AE, MC, V | No lunch.
Fodor’s Choice | Sugar Mill Restaurant. | Map
$$$ | ECLECTIC | Candles gleam, and the background music is peaceful in this romantic restaurant inside a 17th-century sugar mill. Well-prepared selections on the à la carte menu, which changes nightly, include some pasta and vegetarian entrées. Lobster bisque with basil croutons and a creamy conch chowder are good starters. Favorite entrées include fresh fish with soba noodles, shiitake mushrooms, and a scallion broth; filet mignon topped with an herb-cream sauce; butter-poached shrimp with creamy polenta; and pumpkin-and-black-bean lasagna. | Sugar Mill Hotel, Apple Bay | 284/495–4355 | AE, MC, V | No lunch.
Turtles. | Map
$$$ | ECLECTIC | If you’re touring the island, Turtles is a good place to stop for lunch or dinner. Sitting near the ocean at Lambert Beach Resort, this casual place provides a relaxing respite from the rigors of navigating mountain roads. At dinner you might find tiger shrimp in a curry sauce or rack of lamb with a raspberry glaze. Lunch favorites include fried shrimp, fresh tuna on a bun, and some vegetarian dishes. | Lambert Beach Resort, Lambert Bay, East End VG1120 | 284/495–2877 | MC, V.
WHERE TO STAY
Luxury on Tortola is more about a certain state of mind—serenity, seclusion, gentility, and a bit of Britain in the Caribbean—than about state-of-the-art amenities and fabulous facilities. Some properties, especially the vacation villas, are catching up with current trends, but others seem stuck in the 1980s. But don’t let a bit of rust on the screen door or a chip in the paint on the balcony railing mar your appreciation of the ambience. You will likely spend most of your time outside, so the location, size, or price of a hotel should be more of a factor to you than the decor.
Hotels in Road Town don’t have beaches, but they do have pools and are within walking distance of restaurants, bars, and shops. Accommodations outside Road Town are relatively isolated, but most face the ocean. Tortola resorts are intimate—only a handful have more than 50 rooms. Guests are treated as more than just room numbers,