The Best Places to Eat in St Lucia: A Foodie’s Guide
Craig Jones’ guide to his favourite spots for a bite of St Lucia
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Craig Jones is Executive Head Chef at Cliff at Cap and The Naked Fisherman, and here, he picks his favourite places to eat in St Lucia.
Craig’s Pick: The Best Places to Eat in St Lucia
Dukes in Gros Islet
“This is my fisherman’s restaurant which is directly on the beachfront in the small fishing village of Gros Islet and is always packed with great fish. The conch & lobster are not to be missed!” facebook.com
Rituals Sushi
“Located in Rodney Bay marina, Rituals Sushi is great and always consistent. I love to sit at the bar and watch the chefs working in the open kitchen.” facebook.com
Castries Market
“I love to take guests to the roadside markets and the Saturday market in Castries. The variety always surprises them, even the most sophisticated travellers who have grown accustomed to seeing exotic products in their upscale city markets. I’ll introduce them to a farmer who’s got his own land and maybe has two grapefruit trees and some vanilla pods, or a grandmother with sugar apples she’s picked herself and a cocoa stick she’s handmade herself. Some of them are bringing goods from 30 miles away and, that may not sound far, but in the mountains, they might be traveling on horseback.”
More about Craig’s restaurants:
Cliff at Cap
Hailed as one of the most highly sought-after tables in St Lucia, the Cliff at Cap is named after its dramatic location, perched at the edge of a cliff on the most northern tip of St Lucia, formerly the site of an old sugar estate. Multi-level decks and seating areas provide unobstructed views towards Martinique to the north and Pigeon Island to the West and provides one of the island’s best spots to watch the sunset from.
Executive Chef Craig Jones has created a French West Indian-inspired contemporary menu based on fresh local products and fresh seafood. His signature dishes include butter poached Caribbean lobster served with mascarpone enriched gnocchi parmesan tuile, as well as a roulade of “jerked” chicken breast plated with caramelized ripe plantains and creamed sweet corn. Chef Jones has also created a healthy Children’s menu that focuses on organic, fresh and wholesome foods that go beyond the ubiquitous chicken fingers and fries. thecliffatcap.com
The Naked Fisherman
Situated down at Smuggler’s Cove, The Naked Fisherman opened in 2013 and offers a more casual and quintessentially relaxed Caribbean beach bar experience. Named after the locals that were often seen fishing for their supper nude off the rocks in front of Cap Maison, the Naked Fisherman offers great drinks, cocktails and simply prepared grilled food and salads. Menu highlights include Crispy calamari with chilli laced salsa, Grilled island catch, Pumpkin & coconut curry and Caribbean chicken roti. nakedfishermanstlucia.com
About Craig Jones:
“My culinary career started when I was a barrow boy in the markets of Manchester, where I would polish copper pans. From there I went on to work as a waiter in a small luxury hotel in Cheshire, UK, where I was eventually granted an apprenticeship with the chef. I went on to work at a number of Relais & Chateaux properties and Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, including Longueville Manor, Gravetye Manor, Inverlochy Castle, Charlton House and the famed Michelin-two-star restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, under the legendary Chef Raymond Blanc. After much training at Michelin starred kitchens, I came to the Caribbean where I worked at Cobbler’s Cove on Barbados, Point Grace on Turks & Caicos and then Royal Rex Hotel on St. Lucia. In 2008, I joined Cap Maison where I head up the Cliff at Cap and Naked Fisherman.”