Going the Bahamas way

The Bahamas form a 100,000-sq-mile archipelago that extends over 500 miles of clear water. Its 700 islands, including uninhabited cays and large rocks, were once home to some of the most notorious pirates. Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, is on New Providence Island, neighbor to Paradise Island. This pair of islands have a blend of international glamor and tropical ease, giving travelers freedom to do everything or nothing at all.

In the Bahamas eating out can be an eclectic experience. According to concierge.com, for local cuisine, a must-try is Rock House on Harbour Island which has big windows looking out over the water and the food is based on local ingredients: conch chowder; grilled yellow fin with tomato and eggplant napoleon and anchovy dressing; cider brined pork tenderloin with goat cheese mashed; the popular “almost boneless” chicken; and Bahamian rum cake.

For fresh island lunches try Sip sip (the word means gossip). The menu offers grilled shrimp, conch curry, and coconut cake and island residents like Elle Macpherson are known to drop in. The other in place is The Landing. Described as a “red-walled den of glamour” by concierge.com, it also offers good food. The menus offer salt and pepper squid with lime mayonnaise; lobster tempura with sushi rice and seaweed salad; steamed grouper with chermoula and marinated lemons; braised pork belly with soy, ginger, and star anise; and a superior Black Angus burger. 

Blue at Grand Cayman has the master of all things fishy, chef Eric Ripert, the owner of New York’s Le Bernardin. His list of awards includes Michelin’s highest honor: three stars in the new guide to New York. His latest venture is Blue, a sleek space at the newly opened Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. The menu adheres to strict eco-standards: No endangered fish are served here. Hand-caught local lobster arrives in a light coconut-ginger soup with avocado and mango. There is sautéed mahimahi in a sweet sauce with an apple, cucumber, and caper salad. Sample all the restaurant has to offer by ordering the tasting menu, which changes monthly but might feature standouts such as the tuna foie gras or the pan-roasted swordfish. A more low-key option is available at Periwinkle, Blue’s casual sibling, also at the Ritz-Carlton. Blue prix fixe, $100; Periwinkle entrées, $13–$28.

The two main shopping areas on the island are the International Bazaar and the Port Lucaya Marketplace.  However, there are local arts and crafts to be found in the numerous straw markets. The International Bazaar has colorful archways along cobblestone paths that lead to restaurants and shops representing countries from around the globe. France, India and Japan are just a few of the countries you can “visit” here.  

Port Lucaya Marketplace features numerous shopping and dining opportunities in a waterfront setting with live entertainment in the Count Basie Square with an array of luxurious yachts anchored at the marina. There is also fine shopping to be found in the downtown area. Most stores in Freeport/Lucaya are open from Monday-Saturday, 10:00am – 6:00pm.