Oh look, they have Conch Fritters!
We recently came back from a trip round the BVI in Artemis, our Lagoon 46 catamaran in charter with TMM Yacht charters. As is typical on these trips we spent a decent amount of time checking out restaurants/beach bars and various local foods ashore.
We found some new places to visit, and we checked on some old favorites. There are local staples wherever you go: Conch fritters, Mahi Mahi (regularly the catch of the day) and Lobster, the spiny lobster variant common to the warm waters of the Caribbean.
New places we came across were the Lobster Trap on Anegada which was good, both for the food and the vibe. We have been regulars at the Wonky Dog for years so the Lobster Trap was an experiment, but a good one and we will go again. While on Anegada we hired Mini Mokes from Anegada Amazing Rentals and explored the island, visiting Cow Wreck beach for lunch, but tried Tipsy’s bar there instead of the normal beach bar. Again, a good experience, and worth a look.
When you go to White Bay, Jost van Dyke, we can recommend Hendo’s Hideout for lunch as an alternative to the Soggy Dollar Bar next door. Nothing wrong with the latter apart from the crowds some days, and Hendo’s can be a good quality and relaxed option. Further down the beach to the East is Ivans Stress Free bar which is almost completely ignored by the Soggy crowd. Worth a visit!
Our favorites continue to be Coco Maya on Virgin Gorda, the Buoy Room or the Clubhouse at Bitter End Yacht Club, the restaurant at Cooper Island Beach Club and Pirates Bight at Norman Island.
Other than the ubiquitous Conch Fritters and the fish options above I can well recommend trying the Chicken Roti if it shows up on the menu. This is a curry dish of sorts, wrapped in a non oily Roti bread and is excellent. Also - if people come by in boats trying to sell you beef or chicken patties made locally, buy them for the crew. They will love you for it.
And those Conch Fritters, any good? Well, pair them with a cold bottle of Carib and a special sunset over the islands to the west… and they are not half bad!