One of the top restaurants in Barbados, Champers is proof that the south’s dining scene is catching up to that in St. James. The building is a former private home and first floor’s outdoor terrace is just feet above the shoreline, while the elegant upstairs room gives the feeling of floating above the Caribbean. The contemporary Caribbean dishes include grilled dolphin (the fish, not the mammal), scallops served in a red Thai curry sauce and the Parmesan-crusted barracuda, the most popular item on the menu.

Since the 1960s, Daphne’s in London has been attracting luminaries, and its Barbados offshoot similarly draws (mostly British) celebrities, like Sir Richard Branson, whenever he is in town. Decor is simple and stylish—with teak walls and a hip bar/lounge area in the front—and the menu, like that of the restaurant’s U.K. parent, is primarily Italian. Naturally, you can also expect great seafood dishes, like grilled mahimahi and the smoked marlin carpaccio appetizer.

There is a cachet attached to the venerable hotel's restaurants, and most chefs have been trained in such cities as New York, Singapore and Las Vegas. The menu at l'Acajou is Continental, while some dishes, such as the spicy beef noodle salad and the chicken tempura appetizer, show an Asian flair. The signature restaurant of the hotel, l'Acajou is dignified and fairly formal, and long trousers and collared shirts are required for men.

A favorite beachside restaurant, Lonestar is set in a former repair garage and is the Caribbean equivalent to St.-Tropez's Club 55. Recently renovated, the spot has fresh, breezy decor, delicious food and fun music.

The hardest table to snag in high season is at the Cliff, an open-air St. James restaurant where fans come for the setting as well as the food. Dishes are contemporary Caribbean, menus are prix fixe. Stairs lead to the beach for the incoming yachts, and, as is the case with Daphne’s, you can expect a lot of high-profile Brits.

Located inside the Little Good Harbour Hotel in a little fishing community called Shermans, the Fish Pot is a bit north of the west coast's main drag. Reservations are recommended, however, as word has gotten out about the “eclectic Caribbean" cuisine. Be sure to request a table in the back overlooking the water—a few in the front are too close to the street.

One of Holetown's hottest eateries, The Tides is located in a former villa. Chef Beasley prepares the contemporary Caribbean menu (the specialty is seafood) while his wife, Tammie, a native of Trinidad, is responsible for the pretty décor. Most notice the tree house and gazebo dining areas where casuarina trees grow right though the ceiling.

Those staying on the West Coast frequently head east for the sushi and curries at Zen, a Crane Hotel restaurant. There are two menus—Thai and Japanese—and the atmosphere is hip: servers wear traditional kimonos and groups or super-private couples can dine in traditional Tatami rooms. Per Thai custom, open-toed sandals are not permitted, but the waitresses, who wear socks with their flip-flops, seem to be the only ones abiding by this rule.