7 Must-Try Dining Experiences in Antigua

Make your next Caribbean vacation truly an epicurean holiday.

 

What elevates a meal from an ordinary dinner into a treasured vacation memory?

A mix of surprise, unquestionable quality and a setting that is both breathtaking and unique.

Here are seven such dining and culinary experiences in Antigua that you will never forget.

• #1. Lighthouse Restaurant at Hammock Cove Antigua
• #2. Cooking with Michelin-Star Chef Marco Festini
• #3. The Art of Presentation at Hammock Cove Antigua
• #4. Sheer Rocks, Mediterranean-Inspired Dining
• #5. Le Bistro, Authentic French Cuisine
• #6. Gauguin Restaurant at Galley Bay Resort & Spa
• #7. Irina’s Bar at Hammock Cove Antigua

 

#1. Lighthouse Restaurant at Hammock Cove Antigua

Writer Virginia Woolf would approve.

Just as the namesake of her book, “To the Lighthouse” stood for each character’s unique desires, so too does the signature restaurant of Hammock Cove Antigua.

Offering a different experience to each diner depending on their tastes and preferences, Lighthouse Restaurant is a culinary adventure mixed with gastronomy and innovative techniques.

Start with the fact that Michelin-Star Chef Marco Festini creates three distinctly unique dishes every evening based on whatever inspires him that day, be it seasonal produce, an abundance of local catch or just simply, a wave of experimentation.

Hailing from Italy, he showcases his heritage nightly with different flavors of risotto and handmade pastas.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Imagine a sous vide pork belly plated with sweet potatoes and licorice.

Or picture this…

A fall creation duo of smoked fish brined overnight with salt and sugar, then smoked at a low temperature to create a product akin to sashimi or carpaccio. The end result is a butter soft richness of delicate flavor that melts in your mouth.

Want to bring a bit of the flavor home?

Not only is Chef Marco a culinary master, he is also an amazing teacher.

#2. Cooking with Michelin-Star Chef Marco Festini 

It feels as if you’ve walked into a ‘Food Network’ show when watching Chef Marco in action. Leading a cooking demonstration at Hammock Cove Antigua, he loves to talk about his passion—food.

Plus, he’s funny.

“The main reason you are here is you want to see that we can actually cook,” he says with a smile.

Amid jokes and small talk, Chef Marco guides you through the process of creating hand-kneaded gnocchi. The trick is the wooden gnocchi maker sourced from his hometown in Italy.

Not a cook? Not to worry!

The wine flows freely from our sommelier at Lighthouse Bar as Chef Marco demonstrates a Thai dish of fish with julienne vegetables and a light curry sauce.

Of course, the real highlight is sitting down, banquet style, and tucking into a pair of dishes you just learned how to make while meeting fellow foodie travelers.

Want to recreate the magic at home?

Refer to the recipe card gifted to you at the end of your cooking demonstration and wow your friends and family with a spectacular Michelin-Star dish.

But don’t forget, as the ‘Food Network’ stars always say: “Presentation is Key!”

#3. The Art of Presentation at Hammock Cove Antigua

You may not give much thought to the dishes your appetizer, entrée and dessert are served on, but you might change your tune upon learning that each plate is hand-selected by Chef Marco prior to him even putting on his apron.

Part of every menu item he creates is first choosing the perfect canvas.

Dining at Lighthouse Restaurant becomes even more elevated when you consider why each plate was chosen.

Notice the colors.

A black ceramic plate serves as the base for black squid ink pasta with creamy tomato sauce. That black plate also accents the golden hues of the expertly-prepared oysters, making them pop off the canvas.

It’s also worth mentioning, that when Chef Marco can’t find the right plate to deliver his culinary creations, he makes it. 

Like this ice sculpture hand crafted from scratch.

“I wanted to serve snails, but I couldn’t find the plates I needed,” he says.

Undeterred, he kept turning the problem over in his mind until he woke up with the solution. Salt.

“I baked plates from salt, molded with six holes,” he said, speaking not only to the problem-solving techniques needed when living on an island but also his own nonstop creativity to continually offer new experiences at a resort known for its next-level food.

Just ask the Chef to walk you through it. It’s a bit like listening to an art gallery curator discuss his paintings.

But your culinary adventures don’t have to end at the resort’s border. Downtown St. John’s is a must-visit for any foodie visiting Antigua, whether it be for the first, third or hundredth time.

 #4. Sheer Rocks, Mediterranean-Inspired Dining

You can’t go wrong when visiting Sheer Rocks—but the best way to enjoy everything it has to offer is to request a private plunge pool perched on the cliffs, overlooking the water.

The setting brings a Swiss-Family-Robinson-meets-Africa vibe with its thatched roofs and raw-wood fencing sectioning off individual dining nooks. Best of all, every table faces that turquoise water that Antigua is so famous for, so you’re instantly relaxed as you peruse the menu of tapas, wines and cocktails.

Flavors merge Caribbean and African influences, so there’s plenty to surprise and delight. The grilled pumpkin with chermoula, a mix of Moroccan spices, is a perfect fit for those looking to experience something new and exotic. Several staff members named the Antiguan goat curry a favorite, served with plantain chips and mango chutney. The meat is tender enough to convert anyone into a goat aficionado, even if you aren’t already.

For a sweet ending to a memorable experience, you absolutely MUST try the banana and rum cake, garnished with dulce de leche ice cream and vanilla Chantilly.

But don’t fill up on sweets too early. You don’t want to miss out on the amazing French cuisine at Le Bistro.

#5. Le Bistro, Authentic French Cuisine

When exploring the downtown streets of St. John’s, you can’t pass by Le Bistro without the smell bowling you over.

This quaint French-style restaurant, set inside a former island residence, brims over with the scent of butter, mushrooms, garlic and sherry. Tuck into just-made bread and herb butter and enjoy the atmosphere while choosing what to order.

Hint: The mushroom raviolis are to die for.

Windows pushed open reveal palm tree gardens and a backdrop of a painted Eiffel Tower. Inside, the countryside decor creates a warm, inviting Paris-in-the-tropics vibe.

Then the food comes.

The puff pastry with seafood and a tomato basil sauce is a standout, as is the veal in a wild mushroom sauce.

However, the piece de resistance is easily the dessert cart, heaped high with a new daily assortment of apricot cake and chocolate tart to Mille Feuille and Pavlova.

Didn’t we tell you not to fill up too early on sweets?

If you already did, not to worry! Downtown St. John’s is just a short taxi ride away from any of our all-inclusive, luxury resorts in Antigua, like the stunning Galley Bay Resort & Spa.

#6. Gauguin Restaurant at Galley Bay Resort & Spa

The culinary highlight of Galley Bay Resort and Spa is easily Gauguin Restaurant.

The setting, with its tiki torches and thatched-palm individual palapas just steps from the sand of a sunset-facing beach, is every bit as exotic as the French Polynesia experienced by the acclaimed painter.

The stunning views are only exemplified by the restaurant’s ever-changing menu. Unlike typical all-inclusive dining experiences, you can enjoy a different island-inspired meal every night of your visit.

Curry regularly appears on the menu, as a roti accompanied by a fruit chutney, be it banana, mango or pineapple.

Of course, the menu does include mainland favorites as well, such as beef tenderloin and porcini ravioli, so you always have the option to venture into more colorful menu territory or opt for an upscale take on a familiar favorite—all before heading back to Hammock Cove for a classic cocktail at Irina’s Bar.

#7. Irina’s Bar at Hammock Cove Antigua

When ordering a cocktail from Irina’s Bar at Hammock Cove Antigua, it’s hard to say what’s more fun—the performance or the finished product.

Just ask for the Bloody Mary and see for yourself.

It’s a dance of ingredients, from the shake of salt and pepper to the swirl of tomato juice, finished with strained pickle juice, more swirling and voila. Bartenders are equally committed to taste and presentation, crafting lemon twist and fruit garnishes to create a visually enticing tipple.

The best part? You don’t have to stick to the repertoire of drinks you know.

At the Lighthouse Bar, bartenders start by requesting that you “name your poison—rum, vodka or tequila?” Then, if you prefer “fruity, tart, sweet or citrus?”

Prepare to be amazed as they pull from their stash of passion fruit juices for tart, guava for creamy sweetness or locally grown mint for a crisp twist. The results are more perfect than you could imagine.

Just look at that view. Perfect for sipping a glass of wine or enjoying a classic old fashioned before dinner.

The Bottom Line…

…is there is no limit to the expert dining options available to you in Antigua.

Whether you plan to dine on property or venture off and explore the myriad of island eateries, you can be sure that you will leave happy and ready to come back for more.

Click here to book your next all-inclusive stay and experience the best authentic cuisine the Caribbean has to offer.