Best restaurants in Port of Spain

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Port of Spain

This tiny place is a favorite locals' spot – many Trinis claim it makes the best rotis in Port of Spain. Fillings are fresh, succulent and generous (try the curried duck). There are lots of veggie choices and fabulous traditional breakfasts such as sada roti with choka (eggplant or tomato, chargrilled till tender and laced with garlic).

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Port of Spain

Under an awning right on the water, this is the place to go for Trini tastes and great views over the Gulf, with stalls arranged around an open-air, picnic-benched eating area. The large servings of local fare include fish or chicken with macaroni pie, callaloo soup, stewed beans, plantain and rice. Breakfasts include saltfish buljol or smoked herring with fresh coconut bread.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Port of Spain

West Indian flavor, art and enthusiasm infuse this vibrant restaurant. Serving classic Caribbean cuisine cooked with love, it’s one of the best spots for authentic Trini food in Port of Spain. Try the oxtail with dumplings, the grilled fresh fish with tamarind sauce or the excellent veggie options. From coconut ice cream to rum-laced trifle, the desserts are equally delicious.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Port of Spain

Set in a gorgeous old stone building, with a courtyard that's ideal for evening cocktails, this is one of Trinidad's best restaurants. The Italian chef cooks authentic antipasti and pasta (from crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms to pork fagottini with gorgonzola and walnuts), plus superb mains such as squid-ink gnocchi with lobster and shrimp or Marsala chicken. Pizzas are equally sublime. Booking advisable.

Top ChoiceRestaurants in Port of Spain

Fabulous family-run place, with truly friendly servers and a fun, casual atmosphere. Breakfast runs from pancakes, eggs and waffles to sada roti and saltfish. For lunch, there's an excellent roasted beet salad, plus substantial burgers (including a fish one with herby remoulade) and memorably crispy fried chicken; the 'sandwich of the month' is always good, too.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Set in secluded St Ann's, this is Trini fine-dining at its best. The gourmet creations of local superchef Khalid Mohammed might include pepper-jelly glazed pork with sweet potato hash, pineapple chow and tamarin jus; or guava-barbecue kingfish with garlic yams, callaloo fondue and pumpkin essence. Prices reflect the high quality, but the set lunch menu is a great deal.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Make a detour to Maraval for this favourite, either for baked goods and Lebanese/Trini snacks from the takeaway counter, or a sit-down meal. There's all-day breakfast, from pancakes and omelettes to saltfish accras (fritters); a huge range of excellent salads, from mezze to Mexican; plus burgers, wraps and a daily soup. Lots of veggie and gluten-free options, and great coffee.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

The paved section of the Savannah has taken off as a cool spot to enjoy some Trinbago street food. Hunkered under white tents, stalls sell everything from fresh fruit juices and smoothies to roti, pholouri (chickpea-flour doughballs with tamarind dipping sauce), bake and fish or corn soup, plus barbecued meats, Lebanese-style gyro wraps and Jamaican jerk chicken.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

The outside patio has lovely tropical wood tables and a lily-pad pond, while the inside is quiet and cool. Highlights include Tom Yum soup, red and green curries, and signature dishes like Thai-spiced baked lamb stuffed with shrimp and chicken, or fish with salted plum, ginger and mushrooms; sushi (from TT$70) and a few Japanese dishes are also on offer.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

A perfect lunch-stop after exploring the National Museum or downtown sights, with all the profits channelled into charitable works. Canteen-style seating and a fresh, reliable roster of breakfast items (saltfish buljol, omelettes and bacon/sausages) and lunch staples, from Creole fish or stewed beef with sides like corn and pumpkin pie, pigeon peas and steamed veggies. Get there before it's all gone.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

The best choice of the many restaurants surrounding MovieTowne's Fiesta Plaza courtyard, this Brazilian-style churrascaria is nirvana for meat-lovers, with waitstaff circling the tables dispensing cuts of grilled chicken, beef, pork, sausage and lamb. You can also eat well from just the huge 'salad' bar, which runs from veggie delights to sushi, soup, black beans with pork and French cheeses.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

This popular wine bar serves up excellent sushi, with all the familiar rolls, plus local flavors such as the spicy Maracas – all made right in front of your eyes. Japanese and Thai mains are also on offer, the wine list is excellent and it’s a great spot for a cocktail. Daily specials and an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet on Tuesday evenings.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Named after the dancers of the court of Indra, who could move freely between heaven and earth, Apsara is a stalwart Port of Spain restaurant, popular with a well-dressed business crowd. Specializing in North Indian cuisine, its curries and tandoori meats and fish will melt in your mouth, and there are plenty of vegetarian options. Pricey, but weekday lunch specials are good value.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Part wine bar, part upscale bistro, overseen by local chef extraordinaire Khalid Mohammed, this is a lovely spot for lunch, perhaps seared salmon with lentils, kale and a tomato concasse, or seven-vegetable tagine. The pasta (including gluten free) is always delicious. Great for evening drinks, with good cocktails and wine, and tasty tapas-like small plates. Solid weekend brunch offerings, too.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

For a quiet romantic dinner, take a table on the pretty terrace and enjoy excellent service and great food that blends Caribbean staples with world flavours: fresh fish in a wine and caper sauce, Asian-style BBQ pork, chicken in a mushroom-cream sauce. Lighter burgers and salads at lunchtime, too. Every second Sunday, there's a nice Soul Food brunch; kids under eight eat free.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Whole-wheat roti? Yes, it exists here, as do dairy-free desserts (including a showcase of ice creams) and deliciously healthy vegetarian dishes from the local repertoire. The fresh-pressed or squeezed natural juices, from barbadine to sugar cane, are delectable; you can also build your own drink from the display of fresh fruit and veggies.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Right on Independence Sq, Hosein's is a Port of Spain institution, hugely popular with hungry workers queuing up for the tasty and generously sized lunchtime rotis, from veggie to beef, goat, shrimp and duck. It also does a brisk trade in Indian snacks such as aloo (potato) pies and pholourie, plus local breakfasts.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Maybe not the most inspired cooking in the world, but a decent option for inexpensive Jamaican-style jerk chicken, pork, lamb and fish, plus daily specials like curry goat, oxtail or Trini chicken pelau. Sides include festival (a sweetish fried dumpling), sautéed plantain and cassava, green fig salad or bhaji (spinach) rice with saltfish. Jerk burgers, too.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Much frequented by the local Chinese community, this is a great spot for Szechuan cuisine, with excellent seafood (try the steamed shrimp wontons) and a lavish dim sum spread on Sundays – there's also a smaller dim sum selection throughout the week. It's open very late, so ideal for soaking up the alcohol after a heavy night on Ariapita Ave.

Restaurants in Port of Spain

Sister-restaurant of a renowned Tobago pizzeria, Port of Spain's branch is in an airy old building, and cooks up scrumptious fish, chicken and beef platters alongside the real stars: the pizzas. Thin-crust and wood-fired, they come with all the classic toppings; lunchtime burgers are pretty good, too. There's a kids' menu.