Waterfront Cafe in Bridgetown, Barbados, draws both tourists and locals.

Every time I dine at Barbados’ Waterfront Cafe – they serve both lunch and dinner – I have a fabulous meal and a fabulous time. It’s so often the “perfect place” to go. In the past week alone I’ve been three times, each time because it fit the bill:

… it was the perfect place to take visiting friends late one night to listen to jazz;

… it was the perfect place for Greg and me to meet two other couples for lunch last Saturday;

… it was the perfect place to go with my friend Sharon after some serious shopping at the funky outlet store (you might prefer the duty-free shops, of which there are many in Bridgetown).

Colorful boats line the harbor in front of Waterfront Cafe

It’s also lots of fun to be there at noon and 4 in the afternoon when the catch comes in.

Waterfront Cafe has that casual/friendly vibe and so often those places offer good and basic fare. Waterfront is different; it’s casual and yet the food is a cut above — and often exquisite.

I’ve had most things on the menu but I usually start with the gazpacho (it’s cool, tomato-y, and spicy with a lovely balance of garlic and onion and it’s not too smooth and not too lumpy) and I’m especially fond of the salmon as a main course — not that bland farm-raised salmon, but plump and tasty salmon from the wild, covered in Cajun spices and served atop a bed of perfectly seasoned lightly-cooked spinach.

The pepper pot here is also amazingly spiced; it’s my favorite pepper pot on the island.

Of course, you can’t not have flying fish if you’re in Barbados – and Waterfront does this Barbadian specialty well: the fish is boned, washed in lime juice, rolled in spices, and lightly fried.

Across the harbor from Waterfront Cafe you see Barbados' flag flying proud on top of the 350-year-old Parliament building.

At night, Waterfront is even more alive, with different types of live jazz playing on different nights. Like to dance? Here’s your chance! The atmosphere is tons of fun, with waitresses swinging through the crowds serving up food as Waterfront Cafe owner Sue Walcott stops at tables to welcome her guests.

Waterfront Cafe is alive at night with jazz and dancing and people having a great time.

Live jazz is playing most nights.

Waterfront Cafe, Bridgetown, Barbados

At the careenage (the boat harbor)

For reservations, call 246-427-0093

If the Three Tenors had collaborated on a restaurant instead of  “Nessun Dorma,”  they might have founded the popular new Tapas in Barbados.

Instead, three Italians well-known in the Barbados restaurant scene collaborated to make beautiful food together.

Barbados' Tapas serves tapas, of course, as well as full meals.

Located on the new boardwalk on the south coast, Tapas occupies the two-level space Aqua once had. It’s one of the most stunning sea-front locations on the island.

Generously portioned tapas run about $14Bds apiece ($7US). I've had everything listed here and many other tapas ... there's always a party in my mouth at Tapas restaurant.

Aqua offered diners an elegant, quite posh space … that remains so for Tapas as well.  But Tapas isn’t really pricey. Four of us will order every tapas plate that strikes our fancy (and then hoard our favorites when the waiter brings them) and still have spent less than $100US for the table. Paired with a good bottle of white wine, dinner is a true Barbados bargain. (And believe me, paradise doesn’t come cheap.)

Tapas Owners

The trio of Italians behind Tapas is comprised of Alfredo Giovine, from the wonderful Mama Mia; Franco Parisi, formerly executive chef at Lone Star; and, from Dolce Gelato, Franco Diamanti, who makes the best gelato in the Caribbean – at least that’s what my finely tuned sweet tooth tells me.

I caught up with Alfredo one night and asked why, without any advertising, Tapas has been doing so well since its mid-August opening.  As Norah Jones music mixed with the soft music of the waves in the background, Alfredo told me he thinks that Barbadians and tourists alike were hungry for something new and affordable and that word of mouth keeps the place full ‘most every night.

I’m pretty sure Franco and Franco and Alfredo were all born with the restaurant gene. The food is effortlessly good, rare for a restaurant that just opened. The place also feels good; if you’re a local it’s a place “where everyone knows your name” and if you’re a guest to our island, you’re quickly made to feel at home.

In his heavy Italian accent, Alfredo told me, “The restaurant is my home. I feel like people come to my home. At 17, I work receiving tourists at the port (in his home town in southern Italy). I end up taking everyone home for a meal with my mother and father.”

The Food

If you’re at Tapas for tapas, you will start your evening eating tapas and finish eating tapas, not stopping until you’re full.

But you can also order off the full dinner menu for a more traditional dining experience. Starters run from a light and satisfying Beef Carpaccio on rocket salad ($11.50US) to the adventuresome Pan-Fried Goat Cheese in a Panko Crust (with pumpkin, delish!) ($11US) to a hearty Parmigiana (layers of baked eggplant, tomato, and Parmesan cheese) ($9.50US).

I’ve not had the New Zealand Rack of Lamp (with warm pepper and olive salad and spicy potato wedges) but friends who have rave about it ($28US). I have had the Fish of the Day – local fish such as king fish, flying fish, snapper, mahi mahi (which we call dolphin here) – pulled out of the sea just a couple of hours before being blackened or grilled, as you wish, and paired with mango salsa. Now is that a tropical-paradise meal to remember?

I don’t know about you, but it’s enough to make me break out in song.

Tapas, along Barbados' new boardwalk on the south coast.

Tapas: Hastings Main Road, Highway 7. Telephone: 246-228-0704.  Call well ahead to reserve a seaside table. Otherwise, walk-ins are more than welcome. All major credit cards accepted.