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A bit of history: after slavery was outlawed on St. Lucia in 1838, thousands of indentured workers were brought over from India, and many eventually settled here. Apsara, the candlelit beachside restaurant at the Anse Chastanet resort, reflects this diversity, with a menu that’s primarily Indian with local influences. Most of the meat and breads are prepared in a tandoor oven; I particularly enjoyed an appetizer of coconut-and-mint-marinated mahimahi and an entrée of ginger garlic and yogurt-spiced chicken served with curried breadfruit and a miniature Bloody Mary Lassi. Dessert might include tandoori-baked pineapple and masala coffee mousse. The easiest way to get to the restaurant (it’s open to nonguests) is by water taxi; reservations are recommended.

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Situated in an open two-story dining room on a wooden deck overlooking Marigot Bay, the main restaurant at the Discovery resort has one of the island’s prettiest settings. French chef Frederic Wagnon, who arrived on St. Lucia from Antigua’s Jumby Bay resort only a few months ago, is adapting the menu to feature a mix of French- and Caribbean-inspired dishes, many made with organic ingredients from St. Lucia’s farms and plantations. A nice touch is the “local cuisine menu,” a nightly prix fixe that showcases Caribbean cooking in dishes like breadfruit-crusted shrimp with pickled papaya and mango salad, rabbit served with sweet potato and plantain, and tropical fruit gratin. The rest of the menu has a more classic Continental slant, but is heavy on fresh seafood. Save room for such beautifully presented desserts as piña colada Caribbean steamed pudding and a tangy tarte citron that will make you think you’re in Paris.

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Short of scaling the Pitons, the open patio at Dasheene is as close as you’re going to get to the two mythical rocks that jut out of the Caribbean Sea like ancient natural pyramids. Part of the Ladera resort situated 1,100 feet above sea level, Dasheene has been in the capable hands of chef Orlando Satchell since 1998 (he was the first St. Lucian chef to be invited to cook at New York’s James Beard House). I didn’t get a chance to try the restaurant, opting instead for an afternoon tea, a holdover of the island’s British colonial past found at many resorts. But the West Indian menu, which focused on local ingredients and seafood, sounded promising, and the breezy setting is one of the Caribbean’s most romantic. Come early enough for cocktails at sunset, when light pours into Dasheene and tints everything the color of melted amber.

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The BodyHoliday is an all-inclusive resort on St. Lucia’s north coast, but one of its fine dining restaurants is open to the public and worth the trip up to Cariblue Beach, a pretty enclave with perfect sunset sea views. I had heard mixed things about Tao’s East-meets-West menu, created by chef Daniel Echasseriau, who has headed the restaurant since the resort opened in 1988, but the night my husband and I ate here, the food was delicious, and the service professional and friendly. Dishes included wok-seared shrimp on a coconut risotto, mahimahi served with papaya salad and, for dessert, a creamy chocolate fondant with homemade mint-tea ice cream. The atmosphere is intimate and the views lovely, especially if you can get a table near the front of the balcony. Reservations are essential.