Two for Tapas – new restaurants in Barbados

Two new restaurants, one on the South Coast and the other in the thick of the action on the West Coast of Barbados, have opened recently and become hotspots for the season. They have gone for a ‘light’ formula. While sushi and tapas have been available over the years in Barbados, these two new restaurants have revamped the theme of small eats on the island.

Nishi is right on the corner in Holetown. Set on the site the old Olives, which sadly closed in 2009 after many years of lively service, the new restaurant offers bistro and sushi. Nishi’s owners have completely redecorated, in a new colour scheme of burnt orange and pale grey. The dining room upstairs is now enclosed and has a menu of sushi and sashimi. Downstairs is the bistro, which serves a mix of Caribbean and international dishes. Their very pretty courtyard contains the bar, where it is possible to eat outside as well.

Tapas has opened on the site of the former Aqua restaurant, which has a cracking setting overlooking the boardwalk on the South Coast. Their chosen style, as the name would suggest, is tapas, and among the general tapas there is a good range of seafood, including mussels and eel as well as the regular calamari. Tapas is owned by three Italians, including Franco Parisi, who until recently was chef at the Lone Star.

Other spots around the island where you can get sushi include Café Luna at Little Arches Hotel, Zen at Crane Beach and at Fusion in Accra. For tapas you can try Scarlet on the West Coast.

For more information about where to eat on the island, see our Definitive Guide to Barbados Restaurants.