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.

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.