14 Best Restaurants in Anguilla

A charming owner, a gorgeous oceanfront location, sophisticated and original food, and friendly service are why this stylish restaurant on the beautiful Meads Bay has been in business since the mid-1990s. Whether for breakfast, lunch, late afternoon snack, or dinner, you will find appealing, tasty, and fresh choices to mix up or share. Try the lobster johnnycake benedict for breakfast, the bigeye-tuna flatbread carpaccio for lunch, and the curried goat for dinner. Fish of the day is truly caught that day, and vegetarians and kids find many options, too. The coconut curry cauliflower comes highly recommended. The view of the stunning beach just a few feet away makes it difficult to leave this restaurant after your meal. The good news is that you don' t have to. Take a lounge chair and umbrella and stay for drinks, where the friendly beach service makes sure you won't have to lift a finger. 

This spin-off on the sands of Meads Bay Beach is the perfect antidote to high restaurant prices. Right next to Blanchards, this chartreuse-and-turquoise cottage serves delicious lunches and dinners of mahimahi BLT, all-natural burgers, tacos, and terrific salads and sandwiches, and there are lots of choices for children and vegetarians. Frozen drinks like mango coladas and icy mojitos please grown-ups, while kids dig into fresh-made frozen-yogurt concoctions. Organic produce and happy smiles are always on offer. You can dine at picnic tables or rent a beach chair.

Diners are welcome to hang around on the beach.

Dining at this locally owned, fine dining restaurant on the pristine beach at Crocus Bay is a delight. A semi-open design allows the sounds and smells of the ocean to tantalize your senses while you dine on exquisite Asian-Mediterranean fusion dishes like mushroom and kale risotto and pan-seared miso grouper with lemongrass beurre blanc. Start your evening at the lounge adjacent to the main dining room with tapas and drinks before heading to your table, or make it a fun night of handcrafted cocktails and bites like the lobster spring roll and the "No Long Talk" tequila concoction.

Da'Vida Bayside is a nice, more relaxed lunchtime alternative to neighboring Da'Vida. Sitting on the stunning, calm beach at Crocus Bay, this spot is perfect for a stress-free day complete with delicious lunch options and a comprehensive cocktail and mocktail menu. Lounge under swaying palm trees or rent snorkeling equipment and fall in love with the underwater world here. Pedal boats and kayaks are also offered to take a tour of the bay on, or even make the short trip to nearby Little Bay. Da'Vida Bayside is known for great pizza with unique toppings; the Shrimp Caesar Salad pizza is a must-try.

Serious Italian cuisine and warm and attentive service are provided in a romantic beachside pavilion in Sandy Ground. It all starts with meticulously sourced seafood and freshly made pasta, which stars in classic lasagna, linguine with clams, seafood risotto, and a meatless eggplant parmigiana. A carnivorous quartet can pre-order suckling pig or sample first-quality chops and steaks. Italian wine fans will discover new favorites. There's live music on Friday.

Now operating at lunch on Thursday to Sunday, Johnno's offers some of the best seafood on the island. Enjoy succulent fried, boiled, or steamed fish with sides like rice and peas, French fries or funchi (a hearty polenta). This is the classic Caribbean beach bar, attracting a funky eclectic mix (especially on Sunday), from locals to long time visitors. Johnno's continues to have a daytime lunch outpost on Prickly Pear Cay, with excellent snorkeling---it's a short boat trip from their Sandy Ground location.

This casual, feet-in-the-sand bistro right on beautiful Shoal Bay East is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The soups, salads, and simple grills here are served in generous portions with a bit of French flair, and the delicious pizzas are cooked in a stone oven. Come for lunch and stay to lounge on the beach chaises ($20 for two includes umbrella). In the evening, the restaurant has an intimate, romantic ambience with ocean waves providing the soundtrack to your simple yet tasty dinner. 

Sparkling-fresh fish specialties have starring roles here. Sit in this semi-open-air restaurant on beautiful Barnes Bay and enjoy the salty breeze and sounds of the waves rolling in as you dive into light and healthy dishes like spicy grilled whole snapper and Cruzan rum–barbecued chicken. The warm apple tart and coconut cheesecake are worth a splurge. Sit on the Adirondack chairs overlooking the ocean while you sip on a glass of wine from their extensive wine list. Lunch features sandwiches and salads. 

It's nonstop every day from lunch until late at this relaxed and friendly restaurant, great for salads, burgers, grills, pasta, and fresh fish. A couple of times a week there is live music as well as the possibility of dancing with an excellent island cocktail in hand. Take a seat at one of the beachside tables and enjoy the view.

This casual, wildly popular bright-red roadside Caribbean taquería, opened by a young California couple, serves huge, tasty burritos with a choice of fillings, fresh warm tortilla chips with first-rate guacamole, huge (and fresh) taco salads, seafood enchiladas, chipotle ribs, and tequila-lime chicken grilled under a brick. Passion-fruit margaritas are a must, and there are some serious tequila options. The creamy Mexican chocolate pudding and a bananas Foster chimichanga make great choices for dessert. Seating is at picnic tables; the friendly proprietors cheerfully supply pillows on request. Reservations are highly recommended as this spot usually has a line out the door. 

Roy's is comfort food heaven, whether you crave red snapper fish-and-chips or a hamburger with all the fixings. Come any time of day for good cooking and a friendly vibe. At Saturday and Sunday breakfast try chocolate chip pancakes or a full breakfast with johnnycake. At lunch enjoy the beachfront and an assortment of grills, salads, and more sandwiches. Some of the island's best grilled lobster is served here, along with lovable home-style cooking. Every Friday from 5 pm to 7 pm locals and visitors join the happy hour fun with specials on drinks and food. Sunday is brunch day at Roy's but every day is a special day here. There's free Wi-Fi, too.

A not-to-be-missed restaurant where Caribbean flavors steal the show, Sharky's is a result of Chef Lowell Hodge's perfectionism. He does a few things here and does them well, as a usually full house well attests ("house," by the way, is an operative word---you'll dine on the front porch of a private home). The very creamy cinnamon spice soup is a great prelude to the Anguilla lobster cakes, mingled with red pepper. An outstanding entrée is the jerk shrimp served with creamy mashed potato or the chef's famous lobster stir-fry. Leave room for dessert because the black cake, a recipe that has been passed in the chef's family from generation to generation, is a must try. If you prefer your dessert poured into a glass, try the island flavored coconut mojito.

Cash only; reservations are a must.

Satisfying everyone's taste buds since 1999, this roadside restaurant in South Hill is a well-known spot for locals and visitors alike. You'll find that breakfast, lunch, tapas, or dinner at Tasty's is, well, very tasty. The restaurant is open from 9 am all the way through to 10 pm, making it the perfect first stop if you land hungry, and it's just a few minutes' drive from the airport or the ferry terminal. Chef-owner Dale Carty trained at Malliouhana, and his careful, confident preparation bears the mark of French culinary training, but the menu is classic Caribbean with a creole edge. It's worth leaving the beach at lunch for the seafood salad. A coconut crusted fish with spicy banana rum sauce is superb, as are the Thai inspired coconut curry chicken and the garlic-infused marinated conch salad. Don't be stuffy—try the goat stew. Yummy desserts end meals on a high note. Don't miss the specials, happy hour on Tuesday and Friday, or the Tasty's Sunday brunch. There's live music on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

The island's beloved beachfront Italian restaurant (open for lunch only) features a serenade of soft jazz on the sound system and gently lapping waves a few feet away. Pastas are homemade and served in a dozen ways. Try the spicy penne all'arrabbiata with crushed red pepper or grilled duck breast arugula salad. Wander in after a swim for lunch (casual dress is okay) and be treated to the an impressive menu. Hang out on chairs on this spectacular beach before or after your meal. You might do some stargazing here too: celebrities including Liam Neeson and Lionel Richie have been known to visit, among many others.