From Cuba to St. Croix, and beyond to Puerto Rico, we scouted out restaurants all over the Caribbean to find 15 with the most spectacular views. It's hard to go wrong with such a picture-perfect location and we believe that a beachside seafood shack can be just as good, in its own way, as a sleek Michelin-starred establishment, so we've included restaurants of all types and sizes.
15 Caribbean Restaurants with Amazing Views (Slideshow)
Drawn in part from The Daily Meal's recently published 101 Best Restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean, we consulted industry experts, local food guides, reviews, and listings while also compiling our own knowledge from experiences at restaurants in the different regions.
Among our choices for Caribbean restaurants with the most amazing views, many are found near big hotels and popular resorts, others are off-the-beaten track and local favorites. A few are elegant and chic fine dining spots, and some are laid-back beach cafés with idyllic views of the turquoise waters.
Chef Mark Clayton's Da Conch Shack in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, for example, is an open-air eatery adjacent to a parking lot, and serves simple, fresh seafood to beach-goers looking for a no-fuss meal. Then there are a handful of eateries in the small but cosmopolitan St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, that showcase both local food and international dining, all located amid pastel-colored buildings and beautiful promenades.
You won't struggle to find a beautiful beach to enjoy a meal in the Caribbean, but these ones definitely make the most of what's on offer.
The Cliff — Barbados
The waves crash against the rocks, the water stretches out into the distance to meet the night sky, and all around you on the outdoor dining patio candles flicker on the tables and warm light shines down from lanterns above them. Maybe you walked, or arrived by car. Maybe you arrived by yacht (it's situated so that you can, and the restaurant even bears a resemblance to the bow of a ship). However you arrived, if you're at The Cliff in Barbados, you've found yourself at one of the most beautiful and dramatic restaurants in the Caribbean, and you're in for a treat. Liverpool-born chef Paul Owens' menu changes frequently, but you can count on char-grilled meats and seafood including mahimahi and swordfish, and spellbinding dishes like Caribbean shrimp in Thai green curry coconut sauce with coriander rice, foie gras and chicken liver parfait, savory snails in puff pastry with chive cream sauce, and even a spicy Caesar salad with chorizo.
La Guarida — Havana, Cuba
Its appearance in the Cuban film Fresa y Chocolate isn't the only reason that discerning diners head to this hidden gem run by husband-and-wife duo Enrique and Odeisys Nuñez in central Havana. This paladar (a small, family-run restaurant typically located inside a home that gained legal status in Cuba in the early 1990s) is tucked up three flights of rickety stairs at the top of a dilapidated turn-of-the 20th-century residential edifice at 418 Concordia. La Guarida's whimsical setting, which stretches through three small rooms, is adorned with autographed celebrity photos. Start off with the eggplant caviar before moving on to sea bass in coconut reduction, and chicken with honey and lemon sauce. Reservations for lunch and dinner (two seating times) are essential.
