352476 Mon Dec 18 20:23:00 -0800 2006 28 88 South and Central America and the Caribbean 0 2110357 Any recs for good chow? I'm looking for one or two very nice meals and the rest, inexpensive 'hound finds. Mon Dec 18 20:23:00 -0800 2006 10568 Jwsel 1 2110910 Cafe Matisse in Nassau for great Italian or Dune at the One and Only Resort for possibly the best food and atmosphere on the island. For cheap eats try Anthony's Grill right across form the Atlantis resort, or hit the Fish Fry a few miles west of town for some cheap fresh fish and cracked conch. Avoid the places at the Atlants. IMO they are way overpriced and I have been told from an extremely reliable source that almost none of the seafood is fresh. It's almost all previously frozen due to the quantity of food they have to prepare every night. Mon Dec 18 22:24:50 -0800 2006 2110357 17833 toro head 2 2611403 We just got back from a trip to Atlantis and luckily had read this review before we went. Although we enjoyed the resort, we avoided eating there. We ate at each of these restaurants mentioned above and loved them all. My favorite was Cafe Matisse (fabulous atmosphere and food) and my husband's favorite was Dune (although Dune was extremely expensive, it was worth it). We ate at Anthony's Grill for breakfast and a couple of lunches (and my husband boasts that they have the best ribs ever). The Fish Fry was quite a "local" experience and delicious food! The Poop Deck was great too. It was more than worth it to take the cab into Nassau to eat! Being forewarned, we had decided to try the buffet at Atlantis one night and was extremely disappointed in the quality of food, not to mention the price. But we made it up with the dining we did off of Paradise Island. I must say that the little stand on the beach in Atlantis between the Beach Tower and the Lagoon that served lunchtime munchies did have great fish & chips. It was the only thing worth buying there besides the $7 pina coladas! Thanks for the help on making our dining decisions!! Tue May 29 15:32:47 -0700 2007 2110910 101894 cyninco 3 2613759 Glad you saw my thread and ate well in Nassau cyninco!! When I was there, I met up with a friend who was living on island, so he had the inside scoop on the above places and took us out to the Fish Fry. He was my 'extremely reliable source". Wed May 30 11:03:10 -0700 2007 2611403 17833 toro head 2 3381727 Even the sushi at Nobu? We have reservations there next week.... Sat Feb 09 20:33:18 -0800 2008 2110910 14252 sweetpotater 1 2125134 Nassau is a weird town. I'd say that other than Cafe Matisse, everything else is just blah. I always had the feeling, in Nassau, of getting just a little bit less that what I wanted. For instance, the fruity rum drinks are made with essentially, Tang, or some other processessed fake sugar water, not actual fruit juice, and they are weak, so all you really get is a stomach-ache. The Fish Fry is pretty good, however. Expect your fish to come with the head. Sat Dec 23 19:55:11 -0800 2006 2110357 50776 cheesemonger 1 2617991 travellers rest for an early dinner, original poop deck for lunch and the fish fry should give you a flavor for decent food at decent prices. all three bring something to the table. high-end is very subjective. i don't mind wearing a jacket and tie to graycliff but others might. it's expensive but after sailing for a week or so, i want (need?) a "splurge" meal. this place works for me. buena vista is a decent backup but not in the same category. my basic rule of thumb in the bahamas is to always eat local. try the exumas (family islands) next time you visit. Thu May 31 13:14:29 -0700 2007 2110357 10627 steve h. 1 3320081 Having just returned from a weekend in Nassau, my two cents: McPhee's food wagon - this was the unequivocal chow find of the trip, a food truck on the beach, about a 10 minute walk west of downtown Nassau. Phenomenal conch fritters, and a jaw-droppingly good grilled crawfish served with plantains, onion, and tomatoes, in a genuinely spicy habanero lime broth. Poop Deck - good, if not great seafood. The whole red snapper was quite tasty, as were the crab legs. Pretty nice wine list with a good selection of French whites in the $40 - $70 range. Overpriced for what it is; apps and dinner for two and four drinks cost $160 after tax and tip. The Shoal - good Bahamian food, well off the beaten tourist path. Best peas and rice of the trip, very good plantains, well-prepared local fish, and a tasty, meaty okra soup. Business has apparently been seriously hurt since the owner had a religious change of heart in '04 and decided to stop serving shellfish or alcohol. But what remains is good, inexpensive, large portions of local fare served by a really friendly and gregarious staff. Tue Jan 22 08:16:41 -0800 2008 2110357 11344 finlero 2 3366116 I've left a few LONG posts on a couple other threads this morning. Bottom line - Cafe Matisse is our favourite. MUST GO. http://www.cafe-matisse.com/ Poop Deck East (by PI bridge) good - on the water Mesa Grille at Coves Atlantis - excellent, but not unique to here Dune - Phenomenal but really expensive - great brunch - perfect for that really upscale meal Graycliff & the Humidour Churascarrio - wouldn't bother - expensive and not very good Restaurants in Mariner Village - expensive and mediocre, with the exception of Cafe Martinique, with is expensive, but very good. Downtown - Athena - great Greek - sauteed octopus melts in your mouth and the hummus is to die for. PI - Hurricane Hole - Zio Gigis - thin crust pizzas - build your own are the best ones - we have the Margherita and add speck, roasted red peppers, onions, spinach, and goat cheese If you're interested in anything west (Cable Beach and West) let me know. Tue Feb 05 06:35:36 -0800 2008 3320081 11572 Food on the brain 3 3367538 Food on the brain (or anyone else who can answer), I had a question regarding Cafe Matisse. Despite all the good reviews on this site, we actually specifically avoided Cafe Matisse because we live in the Boston area, home to any number of phenomenal Italian restaurants. So my question: How does Cafe Matisse stack up against Italian restaurants in your hometown and/or elsewhere in the world? Or to put it another way, if CM moved to your hometown, how excited/non-plussed would you be? Tue Feb 05 12:48:22 -0800 2008 3366116 11344 finlero 4 3368275 That's too bad you passed up on Cafe Matisse. Even though it is listed and advertised as an Italian restaurant, I don't consider it your typical Italian restaurant, as I would Luciano's or Villagio. While Matisse's menu items are all listed in Italian, I don't feel that all the items or preparations are particularly Italian, but perhaps they are just unfamiliar to me. Some items are very typically Italian, but many are not. They will bring in different meats sometimes, including wild boar and buffalo, which I don't think of in Italian cuisine. Matisse's draw for us is the atmosphere, in combination with the consistent food (95% consistency at a very good to excellent rating), decent wine list, and consistently excellent service, even by North American standards, which would be absolutely fabulous for Nassau standards. The atmosphere in the courtyard is fabulous - a sunny, enclosed, quiet tropical courtyard for lunch, or a candlelit and romantically lit courtyard for dinner; upstairs on the verandah, it is quiet and intimate, and inside there are lots of small dining areas. Outside is best - we rarely go if we can't get a table outside. We live in Nassau, and we think of it as one of the best - actually, the best in Nassau. Over on Paradise Island there is better, but also way more expensive. Matisse's price point is perfect for that casual or important lunch or dinner, and the price point is mid range. If Matisse were located in South Beach, or New York, or Chicago - we would still go often because all the pluses are consistent. Greg and staff always leave patrons feeling like old friends, even if it is your first time, and you can go in jeans, shorts, or tuxes and feel comfortable. There is no pretence. As I said though, it isn't what I would consider a typical Italian restaurant - if I want a really good Italian menu and good Italian food, I have to go away (from Nassau - to Florida at least). Check out the menu: http://www.cafe-matisse.com/menu.php Hope that answers your question! Tue Feb 05 16:18:48 -0800 2008 3367538 11572 Food on the brain 5 3368394 It definitely does. Thanks for such a detailed response! Tue Feb 05 16:50:58 -0800 2008 3368275 11344 finlero 5 3745889 You are right on target. I used to live on Paradise Island having formerly been the General Manager of a major hotel. There is no question about the quality of Cafe Matisse. Greg and Alan try real hard to provide a wonderful dining experience. Don't miss the Calamari appetizer. Not a large portion but overflowing with taste. Also, the Veal Tonnato - just great. Of course, try to get a table outside, especially on a nice night. One little known restaurant is Design Divas on Shirley Street. It is in an old house and the food is really marvelous. Definitely one of my faves. Tue Jun 03 12:28:39 -0700 2008 3368275 119807 Alfred G 6 3746076 What type of cuisine is Design Divas? Tue Jun 03 13:16:22 -0700 2008 3745889 11344 finlero 7 3746097 How would you describe American/Contental? Simple food elegantly prepared. Small restaurant so resv are essential. Tue Jun 03 13:22:45 -0700 2008 3746076 119807 Alfred G 3 3545016 Boy do I dissagree with that. We have had some absolutly fantastic meals at Graycliff. The Fish is incredibly fresh and service is excellent. We thoroughly enjoy Graycliff and consider it the highlight of any trip to Nasau Mon Mar 31 06:52:32 -0700 2008 3366116 155549 Docsknotinn 3 4251380 I'm staying at the Sheraton on Cable Beach from Dec 27 to January 1st and would love to hear your Cable Beach recommendations! Tue Dec 16 12:28:05 -0800 2008 3366116 29879 vikkikaran 2 4117051 Never did find McPhee's Food Wagon . I did find an extremely dubious looking converted U-haul badly painted as "Claudette's Native Food" where I got some shockingly good conch fritters and jerk chicken for the princely sum of $2. Mon Oct 20 16:01:15 -0700 2008 3320081 41272 kaszeta 1 3383291 I'm not a fan of Bobby Flay, but I must say Mesa Grill at the Cove (Atlantis) was fantastic. Sun Feb 10 13:41:44 -0800 2008 2110357 69330 byeCalihelloBahamas 2 3545029 I thought the food at the Atlantis over all was of incredibly high quality for a resort/casino. I certainly wouldn't shy away from any of their establishments because the fish may have been frozen. There is nothing inexpensive about the Atlantis though. I'm not sure I would venture there to eat if staying elsee where but when staying on Paradise Island the only place we have felt worthy of leaving for is Graycliff. Mon Mar 31 06:57:21 -0700 2008 3383291 155549 Docsknotinn 3 3561199 My original post about avoiding Atlantis restaurants due to the fish being flown in frozen was prior to Mesa Grill and Nobu being open. I would assume that these 2 places have exceptional quality seafood and would be an excellent choice for a meal. At a price of course. Fri Apr 04 09:30:35 -0700 2008 3545029 17833 toro head 1 3598450 We just returned from a few days in Nassau. I think the whole town is ridiculously expensive and a tourist trap. Anthony's Grill is especially a rip-off. I don't know why people say go there for cheap eats. They charge $24 for a pasta bolognese!!! We ordered the ribs as per the advice in this post. Although the sauce was good, the meat wasn't tender. Definitely not worth the $30 we paid for it. The Nobu in the Atlantis has prices way more than the original one in New York. The only two places worth going are the Fish Fry and Cafe Matisse. And, I agree with "Food on the Brain." I would go to Cafe Matisse if it was here in New York. The staff was attentive and friendly and the food was excellent. Tue Apr 15 20:23:10 -0700 2008 2110357 146206 gdragon 2 3612731 Hi. Where exactly is the Fish Fry place that everyone recommends? I am going to stay at the Atlantis next month. Anyone have more suggestions for some simple local seafood? I'm particularly looking for just plain fresh grilled fish / seafood. Would really appreciate some good recommendations. Thanks! Sun Apr 20 15:03:41 -0700 2008 3598450 118783 wileen 3 3620834 It's on the main road between the Cable Beach area and downtown. It's basically a strip of seafood restaurants. I would recommend Seafood Haven. Another place that was recommended to me but I didn't have time to try is Three Brothers. Tue Apr 22 19:15:23 -0700 2008 3612731 146206 gdragon 4 3628352 Many thanks!! I will definitely try seafood haven and check out Three Brothers! If anyone else has any suggestions, I would much appreciate it! I have a few more weeks before I leave. Thanks! Fri Apr 25 05:52:40 -0700 2008 3620834 118783 wileen 5 3705371 wileen- How was your trip? Any chow finds? We're going this weekend and would love some recomendations! Tue May 20 11:16:35 -0700 2008 3628352 193847 lil la la 1 4304449 If you like old world colonial charm, then this is the place for you. It is a hotel, restaurant, cigar factory, bar, and an all around place to be in Nassau for old world nostalgia. The food here is great, and served with a marvelous charm. Dinner feels like you are eating in the Governor’s private dining room, with all of the appropriate accouterments, including furnishings and proper service. They even have an in-house cigar factory, and roll their own. Cigar fans claim are just right, but I wouldn’t know about that. Depending on whom you listen to or what you read, they have a wine cellar that houses between 180,000 and 250,000 bottles. They have the third most valuable private wine collection in the word. Our party of 13 consumed about six different wines, and each was delicious and quit reasonable. JetSetWay tip: The wine list here is a book, but they will help you select one that pleases your pallet and accompanies your meal at a reasonable price. Barry Shulman http://JetSetWay.com Wed Jan 07 11:00:52 -0800 2009 2110357 241907 jetetway 1 4313804 Just tried the Mesa Grill: a three restaurant chain located in New York, Las Vegas and The Cove at Paradise Island in the Bahamas. It serves good, dependable high-end Southwestern cuisine in a lovely setting. The quesadilla is more like a small pizza and is as good as you will find. The chili rallano is the best we have ever had, and we have had many. The topper was the dessert of profiteroles topped with Mexican chocolate. It was a chocolate laced with cinnamon, cloves, and what seemed to be a bit of chili pepper. Michael, my son, particularly enjoyed his double espresso when he put in a spoonful of the chocolate. Barry Shulman http://JetSetWay.com Sat Jan 10 10:01:54 -0800 2009 2110357 241907 jetetway 2 5370440 I will also be staying on Cable Beach, at Wyndham, in April, and would love to hear your Cable Beach food recommendations! Also, how long would it take to walk to Fish Fry, Poop Deck or Cafe Matisse from there or should I just take the bus? Any and all recommendations appreciated! Thx! Tue Feb 02 11:16:44 -0800 2010 4313804 230014 monamiestephanie