9 Best Restaurants in Saint Lucia

This pair of small rustic restaurants are two of the most popular spots to enjoy a Creole lunch when touring the natural sights in and around Soufrière. Bamboo offers à la carte options at both lunch and dinner, while the Creole Pot serves breakfast daily. Nearly all ingredients are locally sourced. Wash it all down with a local fruit juice or evening rum punch, and finish with something sweet such as coconut or banana cake. Private dinners by candlelight are offered at The Creole Pot. The à la carte menu often features a choice of seafood, chicken, beef, and pasta dishes with a local twist—pepper pot, for example. Most people who come for lunch also take the Heritage Tour of the estate and learn about how the cacao growing on the plantation is turned into delicious chocolate, which you can purchase at the gift shop. 

Cacoa Sainte Lucie's second-story restaurant sits perched above their chocolate shop and processing facility with rainforest views of the surrounding hillsides. The menu is, of course, chocolate inspired, with cocoa inventively worked into sauces and seasonings. Burgers, wraps, salads, and entrees like cocoa-crusted grilled mahi are available, as are milkshakes, smoothies, and desserts. Downstairs, a tantalizing display of chocolate bonbons and bars flavored with local spices, nuts, and fruit tempt you in. Cacoa Sainte Lucie also does chocolate-making and tasting workshops. 

Walk down a garden path to Chateau Mygo (a colloquial corruption of "Marigot") or sail up on your boat, pick out a table on the deck of this popular dockside restaurant, and soak up the waterfront atmosphere of what may be the Caribbean's prettiest bay. The tableau is mesmerizing—and that's at lunch, when you can order a sandwich, burger, roti, fish- or chicken-and-chips, and salads. At dinner, owner/chef Shaid Rambally draws on three generations of East Indian and Creole family recipes. Beautifully grilled fresh fish and local lobster in season are embellished with flavors such as ginger, mango, papaya, or passion fruit, and then dished up with regional vegetables—perhaps callaloo, okra, dasheen, breadfruit, christophene, or yams. This is a very casual restaurant with reasonably priced meals. And, oh, that view! 

Named for the protagonist in the original (1967) Dr. Doolittle movie, part of which was filmed in Marigot Bay, this indoor-outdoor restaurant at Marigot Beach Club and Dive Resort is on the north side of the bay. You'll have a beautiful waterside view—watch yachts quietly slip by—as you enjoy a light menu of sandwiches, burgers, grilled chicken, pizza, and salads; dinner items feature seafood, steak, chicken, and Caribbean specials such as curries and stews. Take the little ferry (complimentary for diners) across the bay to get here. During the day, bring your bathing suit; the beach is just outside.

In the evening, it's a great spot for drinks and entertainment.

As you're traveling south to Soufrière, watch for this tiny bakery in Anse La Verdure, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot on the West Coast Road between Anse La Raye and Canaries. Cinnamon, cherries, raisins, coconut, and other flavorings are added, then the dough—13 varieties in all—is formed into small buns, placed on banana leaves, and baked over hot coals. Plas Kassav (Creole for "Cassava Place") began as a small family bakery in 1998 and has grown into a popular local enterprise simply by word of mouth. There is a small sign, but taxi drivers all know where it is and will not hesitate to stop so you can try a warm mouthwatering treat that is a staple of St. Lucia's traditional cuisine.  If you're there early enough, you can see the cassava roots being grated and processed into flour using traditional methods, as well as the cassava bread dough being mixed in huge copper caldrons.

Situate yourself at a table under a shady tree for breakfast, a casual beachside lunch, or just chill with drinks and snacks. The café is part of The Reef complex, which includes four tiny rooms for overnight stays and a popular kitesurfing and windsurfing venue.

Poolside at the Coco Palm hotel, this alfresco bistro and bar attracts mostly hotel guests for breakfast but a wider clientele for lunch and dinner—and happy hour—especially when there's live entertainment. The dinner menu focuses on Caribbean favorites, and the BBQ is always fired up for rich smokey flavors. Lunch is a good bet if you're poking around Rodney Bay, need a break from Reduit Beach, or are just looking for a good meal in an attractive spot. For dessert, try the key lime pie or chocolate cake.

Stop in for a chat and a cup of coffee—and, of course, Zaka's rather brilliant artwork. In his studio, artist and craftsman Simon "Zaka" Gajhadhar (and his team of local artists and woodcarvers) fashion totems and masks from driftwood, branches, and other environmentally friendly wood sources—taking advantage of the natural nibs and knots that distinguish each piece. Once the "face" is carved, it is painted in vivid colors to highlight the exaggerated features and provide expression. Zaka also offers hand-carved and painted fish and sea creatures.