Stay in Antigua - A Guide to Eating Out
When looking to eat out in Antigua, you'll find menus and
choices to suit all tastes and desires. You'll also find
something to suit all budgets.
This is Stay-in-Antigua's mini-guide to our favourite
restaurants and eateries on this beautiful Caribbean island.
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Restaurants and eateries in Antigua offer a wide range of
cuisine to suit most palates. Those located in tourist areas or
hotels offer mainly European, American and fusion options, with
a few local and traditional dishes thrown in for good measure.
Dishes are made largely from local ingredients.
As with all of the Caribbean islands, seafood choices are
plentiful, with Antigua being renowned for its Red Snapper,
Lobster and Mahi-Mahi.
Outside resorts and tourist areas, restaurants are generally
low-key and laid back. Service is friendly, but can be
exceedingly slow. On the upside, you'll have lots of time to
sample island life and mix with the charming locals while
waiting for your meal to arrive.
Although variety is somewhat limited for vegetarians, the
choices are growing and most menus will carry one or two
vegetarian dishes, made from ingredients such as Okra,
Breadfruit and Pumpkin. Just to be careful, it is advisable to
ring ahead, or even stop in at your chosen eatery to check out
the vegetarian options.
If you're staying in a hotel or resort and want to try something
truly different, why not ask the hotel staff where you can go to
sample some local 'Ital dishes' - the traditional fare of the
Rastafarians. Ital food is natural and vital, and very
delicious. It is free from chemicals and contains no animal
products. Ital dishes can contain rice, peas and beans,
vegetables, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, soups, cabbage,
cornmeal, pumpkin, cinnamon, bananas, okra and a multitude of
other natural ingredients. They are ideal for vegetarians and
vegans.
Most restaurants in Antigua open for lunch from noon, with
dinner menus becoming available from 6pm-7pm. Many smaller
restaurants operate based on how busy they are, and may close
early if business is slow, so do bear this in mind. It is
advisable to make reservations at restaurants, up to 2 days in
advance.
In restaurants, you should tip between 10% - 15%. Service
charges are not included on your bill.
Here is Stay in Antigua's personal recommendations for places to
eat in Antigua.
Vyviens - The Blue Waters Hotel
For a wide choice of Caribbean and International dishes, try
Vyviens restaurant, upstairs in the Blue Waters Hotel, St Johns.
Offering an al a Carte menu, and some of the friendliest staff
we've met, Vyvien's offers a truly elegant evening. The d