The Grenadines – a culinary flight

Banana - Guava Colada @ Firefly Plantation

We enjoyed our stay in St. Vincent & the Grenadines - a lot! Not only did we enjoy the islands' natural beauty, the friendly people and the clear turquoise water but also the culinary experiences we've had. We had some of the best food the past four weeks of our whole one year journey! Here is a short list of our Top Five favourite places (or people):

1) Carriacou / Tyrell Bay: The Slipway Restaurant, see what they say on Trip Advisor

We didn't even know it existed till we stumbled over it by accident. The restaurant is furnished and decorated in a simple but lovely way. On a blackboard you’ll find written the menu which might look limited but the food was excellent: we had tuna, mahi-mahi and cornish hen - all was cooked to perfection and accompanied with some local vegetables and potatoes. There was just one dessert to choose from - a New York cheese cake - and it was to die for. The service was surprisingly attentive and charming... something you start to appreciate again after some time in the Caribbean. The best value for money we’ve got since a long time!


2) Bequia / Lower Bay: Fernando's Hideaway, top rated by Trip Advisor
 
We went to check out the location of this restaurant by day light as it is (like the name says) "hidden away" up the hill in Lower Bay. It is only open for dinner and a reservation is needed at least one day in advance. It looks like Fernando turned the outdoor terrace of his private house into a restaurant. A simple kitchen, tasteful furniture and decoration and a great service - finish is a hidden gem with a cozy ambiance! The owner goes out fishing in the morning and that's what he serves you for dinner. Our perfectly cooked fish was served with a variation of veggies seasoned with tasty herbs. The prices for food and drinks were very reasonable especially given the unique location. Too bad there was no space left for a dessert!


3) Union / Chatham Bay: Tim's shack

Tim was one of the "boat boys" that came out to Habibi while we've been anchored in Chatham Bay. These guys sometimes can really be a pain in the a... But we learned quickly that Tim was different. In a charming way he introduced himself and chatted with us. He mentioned that he runs a shack on the beach (means he offers a BBQ dinner with the choice of lobster, fish or chicken) but there was no pushing as it's often the case. One day he even brought Marco some bait so he could go fishing - this was literally cutting his own business! We then decided to give it a try and went to his "restaurant". It's located at the far North side of the beach – it’s recommended to take a flash light with you as the path from the beach to the place is not well lit. The ambiance of the restaurant, the selection of drinks, the food and even the washroom left us with surprise – it was much nicer than we expected it to be. Amazing how an inventive person like Tim can perform magic without running water, electricity or a road that connects him with the “civilization”!


4) Bequia / Spring: Firefly Plantation 

This beautiful Hotel is located in the middle of a lush plantation with an amazing view over Spring Bay. We just stopped there for a drink - the food sounded appealing but was a bit on the pricy side. Nevertheless the service was very friendly and we even were welcomed by a committee of dogs and a cat ;-) Just sitting there and enjoying the view was priceless. If someone is looking for a luxury holiday this is the place! And you could even combine it with a stay in its sister hotel over on Mystique!


5) Bequia / Admiralty Bay: Joseph in his little power boat "P'nut"
 

This is not about a place, this is about a person. Sometimes in the late afternoon you see (or better hear) a little wooden motorboat cruising the bay. The boat’s name is “P’nut” and in it sits Joseph, sometimes rowing sometimes running his noisy outboard (depends on the wind). He is always smiling and almost excuses himself that he can only come out in the evening to sell fruits and vegetables from his own garden. We bought a papaya, some passion fruits and spinach from him and everything was absolutely gorgeous. Joseph is very honest and will not tell you that the bananas are ripe enough where they aren’t. He even is very cheap so we’ve been happy to learn that this is not the only job to earn his living! 

From paradise with love

Rahel