The peaceful, beautiful atmosphere of the Exuma Islands is the perfect place to enjoy a good meal. Fortunately, there are a number of dining options that will provide that – a good meal – and better. The food is excellent on the islands.
Club Peace and Plenty serves fine quality Continental, Bahamian, and American fare on Queens Highway. This restaurant prides itself on using the finest ingredients possible to carefully create classic dishes that are authentic and original dishes that are creative. Among the appetizers are conch salad, a salad made from the heart of an artichoke, and another featuring hearts of palm. Some of the lunchtime favorites are homemade soups, conch burgers, chef's salad, and deep-fried grouper. Popular dinner entrees include Bahamian steamed grouper, simmered with onions, sweet pepper, tomatoes, and thyme and a roasted herb-flavored Cornish game, and, of course, fresh seafood dishes. At breakfast time, the full range of traditional favorites is usually available, including the traditional Bahamian breakfast of boiled fish and grits. Reservations are essential for dinner and the hours are from 7:30am to midnight, every day.
Sam’s Place is another special dining establishment. Located on the second floor, this restaurant and bar enjoys a clear, beautiful view of the capital city’s harbor. The atmosphere is a truly tropical type of laid-back cool. The food is excellent, and offerings range from morning breakfast foods to delicious curry chicken to roast lamb to pan fried grouper. The dinner menu changes daily, but diners can always be assured that something tempting will be there. Sam’s Place is open daily from 8am to 9pm and is right on Main Street.
Coconut Cove serves Italian and Mediterranean cuisines, in addition to some Bahamian dishes, from its location in the Coconut Cove Hotel in George Town. The appetizer list includes such things as seafood salads, linguini marinara, onion soup, jalapeño peppers, breaded mozzarella sticks, and breaded calamari with oregano and parsley sauce. The dinner menu rests heavily upon seafood, with some of the more remarkable dishes being prepared with stone crabs or crayfish. Steaks and pizzas are also served. The prices are definitely fair at the Coconut Cove, and the days and hours of operation are Tuesday through Sunday, from 6pm to 9pm. Reservations are necessary to ensure a table.
Fisherman’s Inn is yet another unique dining experience on this island. Hidden far away in the countryside, this restaurant is about an hours drive from the capital. Reservations are essential, as that’s a long way to travel without being sure that there will be anything left to serve you and the hours of operation tend to be a bit unpredictable. The menu is made up of hearty traditional and authentic local fare and the food is absolutely excellent, well worth the drive. Credit cards are not accepted, so it is important to remember to bring cash. In the most general sense, the restaurant is open every day from 7am to midnight.
There are some very special eating establishments in this part of the Bahamas. If at all possible, you should try to visit each one mentioned above. Those will be culinary experiences that you’ll remember for a long time to come.
