Just like many Caribbean nations, fresh seafood is prevalent in the homes and restaurants of the Bahamas. The Bahamian food embraces an exciting mix of culture and history. The main dishes are seafood-based and combine various heady spices fromWest Africa and beyond. If you fancy a change of scene and just so happen to be anchored close to any of the following recommendations, pop in and savor their daily specials.
THE GRAYCLIFF RESTAURANT The first five-star restaurant in the Caribbean, The Graycliff Restaurant, is steeped in three millennia of history. The dining experience is a culinary journey in itself. Graycliff was once a private home with the staterooms expected in such grandeur. Dining in Graycliff begins in the lavish parlor with delicious signature cocktails. The restaurant has four dining rooms, a garden for balmy alfresco evenings under the stars, private dining in the wine cellar, and an interactive chef ’s table. Choose from the library or the gallery and enjoy a variety of award-winning sumptuous Bahamian and European dishes. The dinner menu takes you through five leisurely courses of locally sourced food like conch and lobster. After dinner, enjoy a cognac or a cigar from the collection from the in-house cigar makers. CAFÉ MATISSE Eponymously named and slightly eccentric, Café Matisse takes inspiration from Henri Matisse and his bold yet whimsical art. The colorful menu is a seamless combination of Italian and Bahamian cuisine. The spicy shrimp and mango salad and the local lobster salad with avocado, fennel, orange, and passion fruit sauce are great dishes to start dinner. Try the grilled mahi-mahi with sweet peppers, eggplant, and spicy tapenade sauce for mains and dessert; their grandma’s lemon tart with pine nuts is a must. FLYING FISH GASTRO BAR Ask about Flying Fish, and you’ll get nothing but rave reviews. The gastro bar has a feeling of an upmarket English bar on the water’s edge. The chef and sommelier owners are passionate about the environment; they bottle their own still and sparkling water in recyclable glass bottles, which saves up to 10 bags of single-use plastic waste each week. They only serve fresh in-season sustainable seafood on their menu. They are aware that mismanagement of the ocean will destroy the Bahamian way of life and its economy. Their menu contains favorites from around the world. Sweet chili and lime conch bites, a fish burger made with cornmeal beer-battered mahi-mahi, coleslaw, avocado tartar sauce, served with fries and for dessert, save space for the local pineapple and coconut cheesecake.
1648 Freshly caught seafood and locally grown produce are served at this Bahamian waterfront restaurant, 1648. It overlooks Cupid’s Cay and Governor’s Harbor and enjoys spectacular sunsets most evenings. The Catch menu has deliciously local dishes such as grouper, mahi-mahi, or ahi tuna served with hearty portions of Bahamian peas n’ rice, sweet corn, fried plantains, coleslaw, and house remoulade. THE FISH FRY For rustic appeal, try the Fishy Fry. Chefs in modern- day fish fry shacks and pop-up stands prepare traditional Bahamian food, everything from conch salad to guava duff and fried chicken to fish stew. Arawak Cay is home to a diverse array of restaurants to suit every taste. Some of the most popular eateries are Goldie’s, Oh Andros, and the Twin Brothers. The tradition of grilling local catches over fire pits dates back to when European settlers introduced iron cauldrons to the thriving fish trade. The European appetite for salt cod was insatiable, meaning ships were sailing back and forth, and bustling ports emerged on the islands. The Fish Fry has grown from being an alfresco fish market to a recognized and authentic dining experience. Feast on conch, grouper, and snapper preparations, alongside traditional plantain and rice and pea sides. Wherever you are in the Exumas Islands, be sure to explore beachside pastel-colored wooden villages, savor homemade artisanal food, sip iced rum or rub shoulders with the celebrities that come and go. Enjoy sailing around the islands and walking on footprint- free beaches. REMEMBER, “IT’S BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS”.
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