Caribbean (Fodor's, 2011) - Fodor's Travel Publications [25]
Foxy’s Tamarind Bar & Restaurant.
$$$–$$$$ | ECLECTIC | The big draw here is the owner, Foxy Callwood, a calypsonian of fame who will serenade you with lewd and laughable lyrics as you fork into burgers, grilled chicken, barbecue ribs, and lobster. Check out the pennants and postcards adorning every inch of the walls and ceiling of this large, two-story beach shack as you sip one of Foxy’s own rums or draft microbrews. The most popular time to come here is on Old Year’s Night (New Year’s Eve), when hundreds of yachties drop anchor in the harbor and party the night away. Foxy’s also hosts a madcap Wooden Boat Race in May and throws big parties on April Fool’s Day and Halloween. Reservations for dinner are required by 5 PM. | Great Harbour VG1160 | 284/495–9258 | www.foxysbar.com | Reservations essential | AE, MC, V | No lunch weekends.
Harris’ Place.
$$–$$$ | ECLECTIC | All-you-can-eat lobster in a garlic butter sauce on Monday; freshly caught seafood on Thursday; pork, chicken, and ribs on Saturday: three good reasons to make your reservations early in the day at this quaint restaurant with the distinctive red roof and picnic tables underneath. Owner Cynthia Harris is as famous for her friendliness as she is for her food. Live music on Monday and Saturday evenings turns dinner into a party. Breakfast and lunch are served, too. | Little Harbour VG1160 | 284/495–9302 | AE, D, MC, V.
One Love Bar & Grill.
$$–$$$ | ECLECTIC | It’s a toss-up whether Seddy Callwood’s magic tricks or the finger-lickin’ ribs and johnnycakes will draw you in. The Food Network’s Alton Brown sought out this beachfront eatery and featured its stewed conch on a 2008 flavor-finding trip. Flotsam and jetsam decorate the walls and ceilings, but it’s the children’s toys in the corner and outside that mark this as a family place that closes when the sun sets. There’s live music Thursday through Sunday afternoons in season. | White Bay VG1160 | 284/495–9829 | www.onelovebar.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V.
Soggy Dollar Bar & Sandcastle Hotel.
$$$ | ECLECTIC | Candles illuminate this tiny beachfront, palm-lined dining room during the four-course, prix-fixe dinners served in season. Although a road was cut past here and around the island a few years back, you’ll still get that delicious Robinson Crusoe feeling while dining here, though only if you can imagine Robinson with a personal chef in tow. The menu changes frequently but can include West Indian–style ginger-carrot soup, pan-sautéed fish with a creole sauce, and key lime pie for dessert. Reservations are required by 4 PM for the single dinner seating at 7 PM. There’s a barbecue beach buffet on Saturday night. For lunch you can get flying-fish sandwiches, hamburgers, chicken roti, and conch fritters at the Soggy Dollar Bar, famous as the purported birthplace of the lethal drink called the Painkiller. | Sandcastle, White Bay VG1160 | 284/495–9888 | www.soggydollar.com | Reservations essential | D, MC, V.
Sydney’s Peace & Love.
$$$ | ECLECTIC | Here you can find great lobster, caught aboard owner Sydney Hendrick’s own fishing boat, as well as barbecue chicken and ribs with all the fixings, including peas and rice, corn, coleslaw, and potato salad. All are served on an open-air terrace or in an air-conditioned dining room at the water’s edge. The find here is a sensational (by BVI standards) jukebox. The cognoscenti sail here for dinner, since there’s no beach—meaning no irksome sand