Tobago’s best dining & liming spots | Roundtable

Discover T&T talked to our roundtable — Aisha Sylvester, Duane Kenny, Jared Prima, Laura Dowrich-Phillips, Ardene Sirjoo, and Franka Philip — about their favourite spots to lime and dine in Tobago

AISHA SYLVESTER: My absolute favourite restaurant on the island is Seahorse Inn, Restaurant & Bar. The food there is impeccable and consistent. Dinner there is always a treat because you get to dine in the beautiful, rustic, well-appointed open-air dining area and listen to the waves crashing nearby. My favourite meal on the menu is the lamb (yum!) and I’m obsessed with their pineapple cheesecake.

My favourite bar on the island is Glasgow Bar in Parlatuvier. Bago Bar on the drive to Pigeon Point, as well as Renmar’s inside Pigeon Point Heritage Park, are great options. Waves at Grafton has a great location and the perfect beach vibe. If I’m going for a more refined experience, I head to Time to Wine in Shirvan Plaza; the decor is rustic-meets-trendy and you can enjoy a glass/bottle of wine and cheese platter all for a great price.

Other favourite spots of mine are: The Fish Pot in Black Rock, where you get delicious seafood and the best coconut cream cheesecake I’ve ever tasted; Jemma’s Treehouse Restaurant in Speyside where you can get a delicious spread of local dishes, including their amazing breadfruit pie; Traditions Bar at Pigeon Point where I’ve eaten the best curry and paratha on the island (seriously); Suckhole in Charlotteville; and Sunshine Café in Bloody Bay — on Sundays she offers up a Sunday spread that includes some of the best curried shrimp I’ve ever tasted!

JARED PRIMA: I like Café Bistro on Store Bay Local Road; BarCode Sports Bar in Scarborough; and Overhang Bar at Crown Point, which has a nice kerbside grill. Honourable mention: Fairways Restaurant & Golf Lounge at Tobago Plantations is good!

FRANKA PHILIP & ARDENE SIRJOO: La Tartaruga is the best for fine Italian dining. Also check out Shore Things Café & Crafts — the cake is great. Hit Store Bay for some of the best curried crab and dumpling as well as the coo coo and callaloo with ground provisions (yeah, it’s heavy on the carbs but worth it!). 

Delectable vegetarian fare. Photo by Ariann Thompson/MEP Publishers

Delectable vegetarian fare. Photo by Ariann Thompson/MEP Publishers

DUANE KENNY: These days fresh fish cooked with friends on a beach is my favourite, but small restaurants like Shore Things in Lambeau, Caribbean Kitchen in Castara, or Suckhole in Charlotteville are my favourites. You can’t miss Tobago Chocolate Delights at Shore Things, if you are a chocolate fan. Sunset beers at Surfers Restaurant & Bar on Mt Irvine, and later that night Revs Steakhouse & Bar is my go-to.

NIGEL CAMPBELL: Jade Monkey and The Shade are all-night spaces that revel in the energy that comes alive at night. Island Crashers Festival in Pigeon Point is a secret no more, and a must-do fete for a younger cohort.

Courtesy The Shade Nightclub

LAURA DOWRICH-PHILLIPS:Tobago (not Trinidad) is where the top parties take place during the year:  Island Crashers, three days of parties targeted to the 16–24 crowd, and Great Fete weekend which sees performances by top local, regional, and international acts. A great Ash Wednesday cool down is Candy Coated’s Blush.


Editor’s tips

More dining options

Check out Skewers (a halal Middle Eastern grill with a Trini flavour), Rooster’s for yummy fried chicken, and Il Portico Italian Pizzeria for delicious pizza (all in Crown Point); and Bake my Day in Shirvan Plaza for soups, salads, sandwiches, and delicious desserts. If you’re looking to have an event catered, make sure to check Kerry’s (niceandsweettgo.com)!

More liming options

Keep an eye out for what’s on at the Shaw Park Complex (shaw-park.org), and check out Dream Nightlife (Scarborough) — the new club on the block! You’ll also be able to catch the latest films at MovieTowne in Lowlands; live music at various hotels; and the infamous Sunday School street party, every Sunday night in Buccoo from 9pm.


About our Roundtable 

Photo courtesy Nigel Campbell

Photo courtesy Nigel Campbell

Nigel Campbell

Nigel is a music businessman who writes for newspapers and magazines,  including Caribbean Beat (caribbean-beat.com), doing music reviews and covering the music business. He is a producer and promoter of Jazz Artists on the Greens (jaotg.com), publishes Jazz in the Islands magazine (jazz.tt), and co-hosts the Music Matters podcast (iradiott.wordpress.com), which looks at the music industry in the Caribbean.

Photo courtesy Laura Dowrich

Photo courtesy Laura Dowrich

Laura Dowrich-Phillips

Laura has been a journalist for over 20 years, and is currently the Regional Lifestyle Editor for Loop News, a regional digital news platform. She co-hosts the Music Matters podcast with Nigel Campbell (iradiott.wordpress.com). The podcasr looks at the music industry in the Caribbean. She is passionate about positioning the Caribbean on the global stage and educating the world about the region she calls home.

Photo courtesy Duane Kenny

Photo courtesy Duane Kenny

Duane Kenny

Duane is the owner of Zoe Snorkelling Charters (snorkeltobago.com), Stand Up Paddle Tobago (standuppaddletobago.com), and villa rentals at Blue Falls Investments (bluefallsinvestments.com). He’s a life-long lover of the ocean, surfing, diving, guitar, adventure and, most of all, living in Tobago.

Photo courtesy Frank Phillip and Ardene Sirjoo

Photo courtesy Frank Phillip and Ardene Sirjoo

Franka Philip and Ardene Sirjoo

Franka and Ardene both enjoy developing and executing interesting creative projects. Their backgrounds in media and general curiosity led them to co-found Trini Good Media, including the podcast Talk ‘Bout Us and OpedTT, which curates opinion writing. Franka is an experienced journalist who’s worked at the BBC World Service and Guardian Media, and writes the Cookup column for Caribbean Beat. Ardene co-hosts the popular radio programme The Mandate on i95.5FM, is a frequent event host and moderator, and works with the Bocas Literary Festival as the media and marketing coordinator. trinigoodmedia.com

Courtesy Jared Prima

Courtesy Jared Prima

Jared Prima

Jared is a Tobagonian actor, director, writer, and singer currently on a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue a Master’s in Film Production at Florida State University. He runs Triple Spade Studios, and his film work includes the award-winning shorts The Witness and Redman. He is working on two features, Midnight Robber and La Diablesse Lives.

Photo courtesy Aisha Sylvester

Photo courtesy Aisha Sylvester

Aisha Sylvester

Aisha is a digital marketer loving life in Tobago. She spends a lot of her free time exploring the island, who loves being out and about indulging in some of Tobago’s most authentic experiences. She shares her excursions and discoveries through comprehensive guides on her travel blog, Island Girl In-Transit (islandgirlintransit.com).


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