Beyond
the Beach:
Idyllic Anguilla Offers Over 70 Gourmet Eateries
Nearly
As Many Dining Options Per Acre as New York City
The serene and secluded island of Anguilla, world-renowned
for its magnificent collection of 33 unspoiled beaches,
crystal blue waters, year-round perfect weather and luxury
lodgings, also offers discerning travelers a robust variety
of gastronomic diversions with more than 70 dining experiences
ranging from glamorous, intimate gourmet restaurants to
elegantly casual beachfront bistros and affordable festive
roadside grills.
Like the rest of Anguilla, there is something for everyone,
whether the dining table is candlelit or canopied by a colorful
beach umbrella. Chefs from around the world can be found
here, creating the eclectic flavor of the island's cuisine.
Choices range from Caribbean to French, Mediterranean to
Continental, Creole to Italian, and American to Indo-Chinese.
And given the abundance of fresh seafood, there are plenty
of options for creative cookery, with most menus offering
some variation of the delectable local lobster or its smaller,
sweeter cousin, crayfish. To whet your appetite, here is
a sampling of fine dining choices:
According to Bon Appetit, "Great seafood and a spectacular
view cap the dining experience at Straw Hat Restaurant,
bringing you the best in casual fine dining in Anguilla's
only restaurant built in the sea." Straw Hat was also
named to Conde Nast Traveler's "Hot List" as one
of the top new restaurants worldwide offering fine foods
casually, with a panoramic setting by the sea.
For lobster lovers, the new Hemingway's at Cinnamon Reef
Resort (formerly the Palm Court), located in Little Harbour,
selects live lobsters straight from their lobster pond to
create the freshest seafood cuisine around. The eclectic
menu also features dishes from Havana, Kenya, Key West,
and Italy.
CuisinArt Resort & Spa hosts three innovative dining
spots: the Hydroponics Café, a healthy low-calorie
cuisine, Mediterraneo, which serves fresh pasta, grilled
fish and meats, and Santorini, a five-star gourmet restaurant.
CuisinArt's renowned chefs incorporate the freshest of ingredients
grown in their very own Hydroponic Farm.
Wine connoisseurs will also be happy to note that Anguilla
is home to two of the region's largest wine cellars. The
ultra-chic Malliouhana Restaurant, winner of Wine Spectator's
Grand Award, houses over 25,000 bottles of wine and offers
the Caribbean's most ambitious French menu. At KoalKeel
Restaurant, in the Olde Valley, which maintains over 35,000
bottles of wine, guests will enjoy a Caribbean/Continental
menu in an old plantation house that creates a charming
island atmosphere, complete with rum-tasting for the ultimate
after-dinner experience.
For an elegantly casual, intensely fashionable restaurant,
diners should head to Mead's Bay where they will discover
sophisticated food with a Caribbean flair at Blanchard's,
located on a garden-swathed pavilion by the sea, or stop
off the main road in South Hill for the mouthwatering delicacies
prepared by Chef Dale at Tasty's Restaurant.
Johnno's and the Pumphouse Bar & Grill on Sandy Ground
are known for late night music and dancing and their barbecued
spare ribs, grilled chicken and fresh fish for lunch and
dinner. Uncle Ernie's on Shoal Bay, perhaps the most casual
place on the island, offers fresh finger food, good times
and delicious ribs. And for a really special dining experience
the grilled lobster, crayfish or chicken at Scilly Cay is
simply divine. |
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Anguilla
At A Glance
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Language:
English
Government:
British Dependent Territory
Capital:
The Valley
Size:
35 sq. miles, 16 mi. long & 3 mi. wide at widest point
Location:
Eastern Caribbean, most northerly of the Leeward Islands
Temperature:
80°F Monthly Mean Temperature
Rainfall:
35 inches per year
Electricity:
110 Volts AC
Currency:
Eastern Caribbean Dollar (US currency widely accepted)
Driving:
On left, license required
Vehicle Rentals:
Car, jeeps, scooters & bikes are available
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