For such a small country, St. Kitts and Nevis has a lot of restaurants. The traveler’s online Bible, TripAdvisor.com, lists 104, with many of the top-rated eateries in the capital of St. Kitts, Basseterre. Because so many Caribbean medical school students and travelers are heading to the tropical hotspot as fall and the winter “high season” approach, the UMHS Pulse decided to give an overview of the cornucopia of great places to eat all over St. Kitts for both tourists and students at Caribbean medical schools like UMHS.
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(Left to right) 1st photo: St. Kitts has great island cuisine at such restaurants as Marshalls (pictured). Photo: St. Kitts Tourism. 2nd photo: Ballahoo restaurant in Basseterre. Photo: St. Kitts Tourism. 3rd photo: Bombay Blues in Basseterre. Photo: Facebook
Caribbean medical school students might be on a budget, but sometimes it’s nice to splurge after a long week of studying and dig into St. Kitts local specialties like fresh grouper, conch chowder, goat water, curried lamb or even things you’d never expect to find here like world-class Tandoor Indian cuisine.
DefinitiveCaribbean.com says St. Kitts restaurants just keep getting better. “There is reasonable depth to the restaurants on St Kitts, and with the new development , they are beginning to offer more variety to straightforward international fare and local food,” write authors Deana Bellamy and James Henderson. “There is no tip-top cuisine on the island as yet, but there are some good dining rooms and some of the top hotels offer very good meals. There are plenty of easy-going places to eat on the beachfront, of course.”
“Foodie” websites, locals and Caribbean medical school students will all tell you that the Frigate Bay area has many “tourist” restaurants, from pizza parlors to hamburger joints and more. “These offer simple and satisfying food both at lunch and in the evenings, particularly from Thursdays to Sundays when ‘The Strip’ is the place to party anyway,” DefinitiveCarribean.com says.
In the capital Basseterre, restaurants range from places that cater to cruise ship passengers to local hotspots serving West Indian specialties.
DefinitiveCaribbean.com says on Friday and Saturday evenings, barbecues are held along the streets of Basseterre, “with all sorts of fish and chicken grilled on makeshift kitchens set up on the pavements.”
Caribbean medical students yearning for a taste of home will find such “fast food” American and Canadian standards as KFC, Domino’s Pizza and Subway.
Following is a listing of St. Kitts restaurants (not comprehensive; just a sample of places from which to choose). Please note that these listings are for informational purposes only; the UMHS Pulse in no way recommends or endorses any of these establishments. Visit the St. Kitts restaurant forums on such websites as TripAdvisor.com, Fodors.com and Frommers.com for visitor reviews and ratings. Please contact each restaurant via phone or online for the current menu, prices, hours, and reservations (certain establishments are only open during the winter “high season”). Most restaurants accept major credit cards, but some of the beachside pubs do not, so it is best to phone ahead if you are short on cash. Some restaurants offer discounts to Caribbean medical school students with current student I.D.
St. Kitts Restaurants
Ballahoo Restaurant, Basseterre. (869) 465-4197. http://www.ballahoo.com/
Type of food: Seafood, steak. Daily lunch and dinner specials, plus American and Caribbean-style breakfast.
The Beach House, Turtle Beach, Basseterre. (869) 469-5299. http://www.stkittsbeachhouse.com/
Type of food: Seafood, featuring flavors and textures from French, Spanish, African and Dutch cuisine. Also choose from an assortment of fine rum and cigars.
Bombay Blues, 858 Zenway Blvd., Basseterre. (869) 662-7599. https://www.facebook.com/BombayBluesRestaurant
Type of food: Indian cuisine, with an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet on Sundays.
Bobsy’s Bar and Grill, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-6133. http://www.bobsysbarandgrill.com/
Type of food: Breakfast, appetizers, gourmet burgers, pasta, meat and poultry, seafood.
10% discount for Caribbean medical school students with current student ID.
Blu Seafood Restaurant, St. Kitts Marriott, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-1200. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
Type of food: Seafood served in an oceanfront setting.
Bohemia Beach Pool Bar, St. Kitts Marriott, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-1200. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
Type of food: Salads, burgers, fries, and frozen drinks in poolside setting.
Calypso Restaurant, St. Kitts Marriott, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-1200. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
Type of food: Buffet and à la carte selections, emphasizing local ingredients like fish, mangos, coconut and papayas.
Ciao Ristorante Italiano, St. Christopher Club, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-3735.
Type of food: Italian; rated #3 restaurant in St. Kitts on TripAdvisor.com. The eatery moved from St. Martin in 2004 to St. Kitts. Foodies rave about the lobster ravioli.
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El Fredo’s, Newtown Bay Road, corner of Sanddown Road, Basseterre. (869) 466-8871. https://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Fredos-Restaurant-and-Bar/124425487647170
Type of food: The #1 ranked restaurant in St. Kitts on TripAdvisor.com is famous for lunch and features such Caribbean dishes as conch Creole, codfish, saltfish, mutton, and other local favorites.
Fisherman’s Wharf, Fortlands, Ocean Terrace Inn, Basseterre. (869) 465-2754. http://www.oceanterraceinn.com/dining/
Type of food: Fresh fish, lobster, steaks, all prepared on an open-fire grill.
La Belle Vie, 19 Gold View Drive, Frigate Bay. (869) 465-5216. http://www.labelleviestkitts.com/
Type of food: French cuisine, from duck to rabbit, to seafood (mahi mahi and salmon).
La Cucina, St. Kitts Marriot, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-1200. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
Type of food: Northern Italian cuisine and wines. Weekly Tuesday night event “La Festa Italiana.”
Marshalls, Horizons Villa's complex, Fort Tyson Rise, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-8245. www.marshalls-stkitts.com/
Type of food: Seafood (crab cakes, grilled shrimp, conch fritters), vegetarian, meat and poultry. Kids’ menu.
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Nirvana Restaurant at Fairview Great House, Boyds. (869) 465-3021. http://www.nirvanafairview.com/
Type of food: Island-style infusion of flavors and cuisines from around the world. Open-air dining.
Royal Grille Steakhouse, St. Kitts Marriot, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-1200. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
Type of food: Steak and seafood is the specialty at this restaurant in the St. Kitts Marriot.
Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, St. Kitts Marriot, 858 Frigate Bay Road, Frigate Bay. (869) 466-1200. http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos/skbrb-st-kitts-marriott-resort-and-the-royal-beach-casino/
Type of food: Burgers and beer.
Serendipity, 3 Wiggley Avenue, Fortlands, Basseterre. (869) 465-8999. http://www.serendipitystkitts.com/
Type of food: Caribbean and international. Menu items include conch chowder, curried lamb, fresh grouper and steak.
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Spice Mill Restaurant, Cockleshell Beach. ( 869) 469-6455. http://www.spicemillrestaurant.com/
Type of food: The #2 rated restaurant on TripAdvisor.com in St. Kitts features fusion cuisine influenced by African, French, English, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese, Spanish and Jewish fare.
Star of India, Victoria Road, Basseterre, (869) 466-1537. http://www.letseat.at/starofindia
Type of food: Tandoor Indian cuisine and exotic curries, prepared by Indian chefs.
Waterfalls, Ocean Terrace Inn, Wigley Avenue, Fortlands. (869) 465-2754. http://www.oceanterraceinn.com/dining/
Type of food: Continental and West Indian cuisine (breakfast and lunch). Only open for dinner once a week for the Friday Night West Indian Buffet.
(Top photo) Many great restaurants can be found in St. Kitts. Pictured: Shipwreck Beach Bar & Grill. Photo: St. Kitts Tourism
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Scott is Director of Digital Content & Alumni Communications Liaison at UMHS and editor of the UMHS Endeavour blog. When he's not writing about UMHS students, faculty, events, public health, alumni and UMHS research, he writes and edits Broadway theater reviews for a website he publishes in New York City, StageZine.com.
