9 Best Restaurants in St. Kitts and Nevis

The wildly diverse experiences of peripatetic English owner Gillian Smith inform every aspect of this restaurant, which is set in a classic plantation greathouse she herself painstakingly built and decorated with an array of items: colonial pith helmets, carved pineapple chairs, calabash chandeliers, dressmaker dummies, Turkish kilims, and Moroccan lamps. From bourbon-glazed guava ribs to lobster linguine in saffron cream, the dishes are equally eclectic, and the selection of aged rum—from Appleton to Zacapa—is sterling. The property, which is surrounded by extravagant gardens, also features an art gallery in a faux chattel house.

After cocktails in the antiques-filled parlor, head to the verandah for a dinner featuring dishes often made with ingredients from the inn's herb garden, fruit trees, and livestock collection. The scrumptious cured meats, baked goods, preserves, and ice creams are homemade, and the traditional wood-burning oven yields incredible thin-crust pizza. Wednesday night pig roasts are an island must; Friday night pizza and Caribbean cicchetti (small side dishes) are quite popular. The ever-growing wine list is exceptionally priced, and the entire evening is spiced with bon mots and bonhomie from a scintillating mix of locals, expats, and guests.

Focusing on Caribbean flavors with heavy influences from Africa, the Middle East, and a bit of Italy, this spot is situated in a courtyard surrounded by a lush tropical garden. Begin with tapas-style dishes like the seafood au gratin and wild mushroom tartelette shine, before moving on to exciting entrées like the fire-grilled local lobster seasoned with star anise and cinnamon, served with saffron rice and lobster butter sauce.

This sophisticated beach bar at the Four Seasons is a perennial hot spot thanks, in part, to an outdoor deck overlooking the illuminated water and a farm- and sea-to-table menu (half of which is gluten free) showcasing local ingredients—many grown by the staff. Dishes might include cornmeal-dusted soft shell crab over curried black beans and shishito peppers in coriander-lime sour cream, slow-roasted goat tamale, lobster fritters with lime aioli, or mango-Myer's rum baby back ribs.

The newest restaurant at the Four Seasons, On The Dune is an upscale poolside spot with stunning views of the ocean and the entire property. Guests can nosh on local queen snapper tiradito, conch fritters, and seafood paella at lunch and dinner. In the evening there's a bar bites menu featuring easy hand-held dishes (like mahimahi tacos and smoked Nevisian chicken wings) that pair well with the extensive wine and cocktail menu.

The Hoffman family presides over a scintillating evening: canapés and cocktails in the Montpelier plantation's great room, followed by dinner on the breezy west verandah above the lights of Charlestown. Executive chef Halva Brown uses produce from the inn's organic herb gardens and fruit trees to full advantage on the changing three-course menu, which might start with melt-in-your-mouth tuna tartare or pork belly with curry and apple chutney; segue into gossamer wahoo with artichoke, carrots, and pickled onions in fennel-turmeric sauce; and end with decadent desserts like lemon tart with milk chocolate corn flakes and strawberry coulis. Wines on the exemplary list pair perfectly with the cuisine, and infused rums make the perfect finish. You can take a taste home with you: M Boutique sells homemade jams and sauces.

This stylish restaurant occupies an old Creole home whose charming enclosed patio offers lovely views of Basseterre and the bay. The interior lounge is even more conducive to romantic dining—with cushy sofas, patterned hardwood floors, porcelain lamps, and African carvings—and the ambitious menu reflects co-owner-chef Alexander James's peripatetic postings: crispy fried Brie, spring rolls with plum dipping sauce, mahimahi with a cheese-and-basil crust, teriyaki-glazed tiger shrimp.

The cuisine at this beachfront beauty references the Caribbean's melting pot of African, French, English, Iberian, Asian, and Dutch influences. But the kitchen and barefoot-chic bar, which is open daily and serves light snacks, also adopt a locavore philosophy, sourcing as much as possible from Kittitian farmers and fishermen (who might troop through the restaurant with 30 just-caught snapper). Hibiscus lovers enjoy the spirits made on-site with local sorrel found throughout the drink menu. Lunch is considerably cheaper and more island-flavored, albeit often overrun by cruise ship passengers.

Imagine a semi-alfresco cathedral of raw limestone coral overlooking a sandy, palm-fringed crescent: that's this ritzy Christophe Harbour beach club (open to nonmembers for dinner only), whose soaring interior contrasts a curved exhibition kitchen, streamlined bar stools, and abstract pendant lamps with sea fans and driftwood, antique settees, and 19th-century black-and-white photos of island scenes. The kitchen similarly combines tradition with innovation, juxtaposing textures, flavors, and colors so that even "traditional" fare like conch fritters is goosed with pickled ginger, passion-fruit coulis, and swirls of jerk mayo. The wine list features some surprising bargains, especially among white varietals, and you can finish your meal in style with one of a dozen aged rums.