Beautiful Barbados

Barbados – A culinary paradise
28 January 2009

The Barbados Tourism Authority has launched the Barbados Gourmet Card to celebrate 2009 as the ‘Barbados Year of the Gourmet’, an initiative promoting the outstanding quality of cuisine and the excellent dining offered in Barbados.

Endorsed by restaurant critic, film maker and columnist, Michael Winner, The Barbados Gourmet Card, valid from 15 April to 14 December 2009, will offer an amazing 25 percent saving on meals at participating restaurants across the island. Presented in a stylish wallet, it will be available to all visitors travelling to Barbados, who can apply for the card by visiting the dedicated website, barbadosgourmetcard.com, which will also feature recipes of favourite signature dishes and general information about the island, its cuisine and Chef of the Month.

Restaurants offering the 25 percent discount include, on Barbados’ south coast, the Aqua Restaurant & Lounge, Josef’s, Luigi’s, Apsara & Tamnak Thai, Simply GiGi and the uniquely Polynesian, Wytukai while on the platinum west coast are Daphne’s Barbados, Elbow Room, Scarlet and Il Tempio, favoured by the late Luciano Pavarotti. Near Bridgetown, Brown Sugar, offers an authentic Bajan Brunch while the Lighthouse at The Hilton is an ideal place to watch Barbados' magnificent sunsets.

As a destination of only 166 square miles, but with over 100 fabulous restaurants of every genre, Barbados has a world-class reputation for the quality of its food. Indeed, the range and choice of exquisite restaurants is one of the primary reasons Barbados attracts visitors back to its shores time and time again, with repeat visitors accounting for 40% of arrivals.

Barbados is also the only country of its size in the world to have a dedicated Zagat guide, which is an indispensable guide to the many types of fine food available including Italian, French, Chinese, Indian and, of course, Bajan.

One of the highlights of eating in Barbados is Oistins Fish Fry, where the freshest fish is cooked to order on flaming barbeques for locals and visitors to enjoy together in the open air. Each October, Barbados also holds its own Taste of Barbados Food Festival, where Bajan and international Chefs share their skills and offer cookery demonstrations and delicious tastings over a week long event featuring the very best in food and drink. In October 2008 the festival played host to the renowned chefs, Shaun Hill of The Walnut Tree, John Williams of The Ritz and celebrity Indian Chef, Madhur Jaffrey.

Equally appealing are the many rum shops, where locals congregate to play a mean game of dominos and generally chat about putting the world to rights. Well known for their friendliness, Bajans welcome visitors to join them, indeed 2009 will see the launch of a special Rum Shop Trail around the island.

Petra Roach, BTA European Vice President, Marketing and Sales, said ‘We are tremendously excited about the Barbados Gourmet Card, which follows on from the success of Barbados being the only Zagat rated Caribbean island, and we warmly thank Mr. Winner for his fantastic endorsement. We take food very seriously, which is why our small island has so much variety and choice and to quote Mr. Winner, “The place is a culinary paradise.”

Visitors to Barbados in 2009 can make even greater savings with the Barbados VIP Card, which offers one free place for every place paid for (to a maximum of four places - two free for two paid) on a range of top attractions and tours, plus other exclusive on-island offers. This exclusive card is obtained only via bookings made with a participating tour operator and will be valid from 15th April to 30th June and 1st September to 14th December. A full list of participating companies will be announced soon on visitbarbados.com.