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Dining Out and the Night Life is part of the whole holiday experience and Antigua is no exception. For sailors, the main destinations are the marina areas of English Harbour, Falmouth and Jolly Harbour and there is plenty of activity in all those areas for both those seeking late night entertainment or a quite dinner on the waterfront. Price, style, distinctiveness and ambiance will vary greatly from local fare to nouvelle cuisine and everything in between including local vegetarian food. It is easy to eat and drink well in Antigua particularly with the local brew, rum, being, measure for measure, the same price as coke. Visitors should not restrict themselves to the marina areas as there are plenty of interesting bars and restaurants in all parts of the island particularly in the island’s capital, St. John’s. Overlooking Nelson’s Dockyard are some of the island’s best restaurants such as Catherine’s, HQ2 and the Admiral’s Inn with it’s historic setting. Just outside the Dockyard is Abracadabra’s where the entertainment is as good as the food and, opposite, is LIFE which juts out into the water on its own jetty. A little further from the Dockyard is Club Havanna and closer to Falmouth are Grace Before Meals, the Cap Horn and Trappas. From the opposite side of English Harbour, the Inn on English Harbour overlooks the Dockyard whilst Calabash rests almost on Galleon Beach with views out through English Harbour entrance. Atop the hill is the Shirley Heights Lookout, famed for its Sunday and Thursday live bands and the sunset viewable from the cliff edge. On the corner of Falmouth are the Spotlight bar and the very popular Mad Mongoose. Opposite is a good breakfast bar, Jackees Quik Stop. The high quality Antigua Yacht Club Marina has a first floor view over the mega-yachts to complement its fine cuisine and, for those with more modest tastes, below are Skullduggery and Sea Breeze. Nearby, Cloggys at the Yacht Club has a waterside setting and serves great lunches and dinners. For an inexpensive but superb pasta meal try Pasta Rite Ya in Falmouth, a restaurant which can be accessed by both land and sea. Opposite and upstairs is the Waterfront Bar with a view over Falmouth Harbour. Further out from Falmouth Harbour, Famous Mauro claims to produce the best pizzas on the island and fresh bread and croissants but if your tastes run to a local flavour the Ital Shack is almost opposite. Chinese and Thai are both catered for along this stretch of road together with burgers and a wide selection of ice creams at Sweet T’s. At the Catamaran Marina is La Mia Cucina, a traditional Italian restaurant and the Captain’s Table which serves pan-European food in a quiet waterfront setting. The dining area is covered but open to the sea breezes. A spacious indoor bar serves drinks and cocktails. A drive to the east side of the island or a trip by boat will take you to Harmony Hall, opposite Green Island, where you can dine in style amongst local works of art. By road or by sea around the west side of the island brings you to the Carlisle Bay resort which has two. East serves a selection of Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes and Indigo serves pan-European food. Travelling on towards Jolly Harbour, Turners Beach Restaurant serves the best rum punch on the island and OJs is widely respected for its menu. 3 Martinis tells its own story. For possibly the best food on the island dine at Sheer@Cocobay. You will need to make a reservation but ensure you do it early not only to assure yourself of a table but also to be in time for a view of the sunset which is amongst the best in the Caribbean. The table is yours for the evening so there is no need to feel rushed. Jolly Harbour is a modern, well planned development which combines holiday resorts, a marina, shopping centre, casino and restaurants, all clustered around the waters edge. Inside the complex itself Peter’s Steakhouse and Melini’s along with the Dogwatch Tavern bar. The casino contains both a bar and a restaurant. Yet another beach front restaurant is Castaways. Dickenson Bay is the ‘playground’ of the all-inclusive holiday resorts and many of them ‘escape’ for some entertainment at places such as the Beach. Friday night party night with a variety music including R&B and Reggae. St John’s is a mine of small and large bars and restaurants from the famous such as Hemmingway’s to Shamaroonies Irish Pub. Night life in St. John’s is mainly for the young unless you want a flutter at Kings Casino but a wander around the capital during the day can produce some good lunch time venues. If you are coming by boat you can tie up free of charge for a few hours (see our Marinas Section). In the old dock area the Commissioners Grill is a popular daytime and evening restaurant and bar. One advantage of St. John’s is that there is so much going on in a relatively small place. Live local bands play at Coast on Heritage Quay. Big Banana is a popular venue and, for the ‘chilled’ atmosphere, try C & C Wine Bar. Outside of town, Le Bistro at Hodges Bay is worth a visit in Runaway Bay are the Lobster Pot, Sandhaven and the Rush Night Club. Fish and chips can be found on the north of the island where Chippy Antigua with his fish and chip van is parked near Dickenson Bay on Wednesday and Friday evenings. For a selection of restaurants around the island see a few listed below. 3 MARTINI Situated on the west side of the island close to Jolly Harbour this cocktail lounge overlooks the azure blue waters of the Carribean and the smoking volcano of Montserrat. 460-9306 ABRACADABRA Now celebrating 25 years in Antigua, ‘Abras’ is the trendiest spot in English Harbour and by far the most popular, Abracadabra is located in a 17th century building surrounded by a lush tropical garden. The restaurant serves 100% Italian food accompanied by a long list of wines and tropical drinks. Experience their delicious Menu. Start your gourmet tour at the Passion Fruit Café serving Breakfast and Lunch from 8 am to 4 pm. The main Restaurant opens for Dinner from 7 pm to 11 pm. On weekends and special events nights snacks are also available after midnight. If you like pork, try to pick a day when they are serving suckling pig. After dinner this Italian restaurant transforms itself into the Late Night Capital of English Harbour with it’s ever changing line up of both national and international D.J’s. Come and celebrate 25 years of Abracadabra. Did you have good time at Abras? Download party pictures www.theabracadabra.com. You could be there. 460-2701 ADMIRAL’S INN An historic Georgian (1788) Inn featuring terraced dining in a romantic setting overlooking the harbour. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the varied menu offers freshly prepared food and the "Yachtsman’s Special". Somewhere to visit even if it’s only for a lazy gin and tonic. 460-1027 AYC MARINA RESTAURANT Upstairs at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina is one of Antigua's finest restaurant, distinctly Italian in flavour with elegant mahogany furnishings overlooking Antigua Yacht Club Marina. The service is excellent, attentive and courteous and seafood starters, fresh fish and meat entrees are accompanied by wines from an extensive collection. 460-1797 FAMOUS MAUROS Over 30 different Pizzas to choose from, all made fresh to order by the Famous Mauro himself in his wood-burning brick oven. He uses only authentic Italian and freshly grown local ingredients including fresh vegetables and ruccola salad organically grown in their garden served with fine wine from Italy. At the roadside bakery bread, croissants & pastries are baked fresh daily. Special orders welcome and major credit cards are accepted. Pizzeria closed Wednesdays. 460-1318 HARMONY HALL Located at Brown’s Bay Harmony Hall is an old plantation property comprising a terrace restaurant with stunning vistas of Nonsuch Bay. Simple food prepared with the finest fresh ingredients mixing Italian and Caribbean flavours with strains of classical music accompanying diners. There is an art gallery, gift shop, villas available for rent and a pool. Open daily for lunch and Fridays and Saturdays for dinner. Day trips to Green Island can also be arranged. 460-4120 SHEER@COCOBAY Set amongst the western slopes of the island overlooking azure waters, Sheer at the Cocobay Resort offers excellent Sheer’s South American-Pan Asian cuisine, whether one of their mouth watering eclectic innovations or a comforting “Sheer Classic”, dining is accompanied by the hypnotic lullaby of the floodlit surf below. With anchorages a stones throw away, sheer is a perfect stop for the Caribbean cruiser looking for that spot one wants to return to on any visit to Antigua. Tues. to Sat. sunset to midnight, reservations required. 562-2400 SHIRLEY HEIGHTS LOOKOUT Enjoy great food in these magnificently restored 18th century buildings which overlook Nelson's Dockyard and English Harbour and on across Falmouth. There can be few prettier or more photographed views anywhere in the world. On a clear day Montserrat, 25 miles away, is visible with its smoking volcano and Guadeloupe. Watching the sun set from Shirley Heights is a must. Live band on Thursday & Sunday nights. 460-1785 VHF 68 WARRI PIER The completely unique Warri Pier offers an unparalleled dining experience sitting amongst the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Romantic Warri Pier serves as the á la carte restaurant for the Rex Halcyon Cove Hotel guests but is frequented by other tourists and resident Antiguans. To get there, you enter the reception area of the hotel and walk through to the beach. A long ramp leading from the sand up to the restaurant/pier. 462 0256
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