9 Best Restaurants in Saint Lucia

The terrace restaurant at Ladera Resort has breathtaking close-up views of the Pitons and the sea between them, especially beautiful at sunset. The atmosphere is casual by day and magical at night with a menu that features appetizers like the soup of the day and entrées like grilled island seafood with a choice of flavored butter or sauces, shrimp Dasheene (pan-fried with local herbs), and risotto. Light meals, pasta dishes, and fresh salads are also served at lunch—along with that million-dollar view.

Located on the Rabot Estate, a working cocoa farm, chocolate is infused into nearly every dish. Starters include an organic citrus salad with cashew nuts and white chocolate–coconut dressing as well as sea scallops marinated with cacao, seared and basted in a cacao-citrus sauce. The main course might be cocoa pork tenderloin, a rib-eye steak matured and infused with cocoa nibs, or a handmade cacao linguine with vegetables in an earthy tomato-basil sauce. For dessert, don't resist the Rabot Chocolate Lava, a sponge dome with a molten interior paired with coconut milk sorbet, inspired by the nearby Pitons. In a word: Yum.

For a special evening, head for this Cap Estate restaurant on the premises of BodyHoliday Saint Lucia resort. On a second-floor balcony at the edge of Cariblue Beach, you'll enjoy a pleasant breeze and a starry sky while you dine on fusion cuisine—mouthwatering Asian tastes with a Caribbean touch. The menu includes gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and Ayurvedic dishes for all diets. Fine wines accompany the meal, desserts are extravagant, and service is superb. Seating is limited and hotel guests have priority, so reserve early.

High on top of a cliff at the northern tip of Saint Lucia, the open-air dining room at Cap Maison welcomes diners to what executive chef Craig Jones calls "nouveau" French--West Indian cuisine. True, he incorporates local vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices with the best meats and fresh-caught seafood you'll find on the island; but the technique and presentation—and the service—lean more toward the French. Lucky Cap Maison guests who choose a meal plan get to dine here daily, but nonguests make up about 40% of the dinner clientele. Day or night, this is one of the loveliest dining venues on Saint Lucia. At lunch, the view on a clear day stretches to Martinique; in the evening, twinkling stars and waves crashing far below lend an air of romance. And the Friday night Maison Deli Dinner (wines, charcuterie, and artisanal cheeses) in Cellar Maison—which boasts more than 2,000 bottles—is quite special.

FAYE is a hidden gem, just across the main road from the entrance to Hewanorra International Airport, and the elegant ambiance and fine French dining are nothing short of restorative after a long flight. You enter through their gourmet food and wine shop, where weekly imports from France supply their restaurant and many others in Saint Lucia with fresh seasonal European produce and other specialty gourmet products, including a large selection of wine and cheese. To your left is an expansive glass-walled wine cellar with over 300 labels, and to your right, an open-concept kitchen where chef Jacques Chretien creates "French gastronomie with a Creole touch." Four- or six-course Chef's Menus are available, or the on-staff sommelier will happily suggest pairings for items from the regular menu. Sushi and specialty cocktails are also available. 

It’s not always easy to find a good thick steak outside of a major city—or perhaps Texas!—but Big Chef owners Marc and Rosie Joinville have been delivering mouthwatering steaks (and more) for more than a decade. Chef Rosie trained at Le Cordon Bleu London Culinary School, worked all over the world, and has run several restaurants in Saint Lucia, so she knows what she’s doing in the kitchen. Marc studied hotel management in Switzerland and knows a thing or two about service. You won’t be disappointed.

A man on a mission, chef Orlando Sachell opened his restaurant in downtown Soufrière to present his "Share the Love" (or STL) style of Caribbean cooking. Portions are small, but the flavors and richness of the food make it perfectly filling. Orlando supports local farmers and fishermen by using only locally grown organic produce, local meats, and freshly caught fish in his delicious—and world-class—dishes. And if there's something on the menu that you can't eat or doesn't appeal to you, chef Orlando is very accommodating.

Even when closed, chef Orlando will happily open the restaurant for six or more people.

Popular since it opened in 1968, this tiny waterfront restaurant overlooks pretty Vigie Cove. Come for a light lunch of fresh local fish or enjoy an exquisite French-inspired dinner under the stars. Heartier eaters may prefer duck, lamb, beef, or chicken laced with peppercorns, red wine, mushroom, or Roquefort sauce. Tables are set with the owner's colorful handmade ceramics, and you sit amongst old stone pillars with the water lapping at your feet.

The rather sophisticated beachside restaurant at Cap Maison is tucked into a cliff surrounding a crescent of sand at the northern tip of Saint Lucia. During the day, match a glass (or bottle) of excellent wine to fresh salad or perfectly cooked burger with shoestring fries while staring across the sea as far as Martinique. The atmosphere changes in the evening, when the surf gently laps the sand and candlelit lanterns grace the alfresco dining deck. The dinner menu is a little more substantial but still focuses on excellent seafood. Desserts are rich but mini, which you'll appreciate when negotiating the 92 steps back up to the road.