8 Best Restaurants in Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago

The Sardinha family has been serving the best local lunches at their home since the 1980s. The ebullient Alison entertains and hugs diners while her husband, Ken, does the cooking. The only bad news is that the restaurant is primarily a lunch spot; the good news is that you may not have room for dinner afterward.

Recorded steel-band music plays gently in the background at this romantic, candlelit spot in the Kariwak Village complex. In a bamboo pavilion that resembles an Amerindian round hut, Cynthia Clovis orchestrates a very original menu. Whatever the dish, it will be full of herbs and vegetables picked from her organic garden, and there is always a vegetarian option. Be sure to try the delicious house-made ice cream and the reasonably priced but potent cocktails. Friday and Saturday buffets, with live jazz or calypso, are a Tobagonian highlight. Those really taken with the food can even purchase the restaurant's cookbook, Cooking Kariwak Style.

Milanese owner Gabriele de Gaetano has created the island's most prominent Italian eatery, serving everything from basic but tasty pizzas to elaborate northern Italian pasta dishes to carpaccio with a delicious Tuscan sauce. Sitting on the large patio surrounded by lush foliage with Gabriele rushing from table to table chatting in Italian-laced English is all the entertainment you'll need.

With a dramatic setting over the ocean on the Milford Road between Crown Point and Scarborough, this is a good spot to stop for lunch or a coffee break. Survey the view from the deck tables while sipping a variety of freshly prepared juices (the tamarind is particularly refreshing) and nibbling on excellent sandwiches or enjoying a hearty callaloo soup. The whole-wheat pizza is great, and owner Giselle Beaubrun takes special pride in her indulgent desserts. The menu also has a good selection of vegetarian and vegan choices. While waiting for your meal, you can shop for local crafts in the lovely and comprehensive gift shop.

Beautifully presented dishes made with the freshest of fish is the big draw at this cozy eatery. The surf and turf, featuring Caribbean spiny lobster, is excellent, and the bar is usually lively and populated with regulars who consider this an essential Tobago dining experience.

This eatery seats 200, but it's divided into multiple levels, so there's still a sense of intimacy. Statuary is strewn about with carefree abandon, and the sound of flowing water permeates the room.

At the elegant Coco Reef Resort, you can select contemporary dishes with an island twist from a menu that changes seasonally (the fish dishes are always worth special attention, though). The peach walls and whitewashed wooden ceiling make the resort's restaurant feel airy and light, and island breezes waft through the palm-lined terrace. A dress code is enforced, but casual chic is fine, and men are not required to wear jackets for dinner.

This tiny gem specializes in hearty servings of beautifully prepared pasta dishes (the spaghetti alla carbonara is comfort food done right). It's on the main road to Pigeon Point Beach, within walking distance of most Crown Point hotels, and has three outside tables and about an equal number inside, so dining here makes you feel as if you're at a small dinner party with friends. Many of the pieces of local art displayed on the walls are for sale.