NASSGuide
The Best Restaurants In Nassau, Bahamas
photo credit: Grace Wiley
Sure, Nassau has mega-resorts like Atlantis and Baha Mar, plus hordes of rabid cruise day-trippers that simply must take a yoga class with flamingos. But you’re missing out on all The Bahamas has to offer if you solely park it on Paradise Island and eat burgers. Many of the country’s staple dishes are inspired by African cuisine and recipes you’ll find in the neighboring Caribbean islands, like curry chicken, pigeon peas and rice, and plantains. There are plenty of other local favorites that you should be on the lookout for, too, including crispy hot chicken in da bag, souse, and just about every preparation of conch known to man. Use this guide to experience it all, whether you’re looking to walk up in your flip-flops to sample some roadside mollusks or eat at a fancier spot where you’ll actually have to put on some pants.
THE SPOTS
This quaint French bistro on the far west side of the island in Lyford Cay is the best restaurant in Nassau. And that’s not just because they have what are quite possibly the greatest shoestring fries in the Western Hemisphere. You’ll find a long list of great French wine, really attentive service, and an atmosphere that's particularly suited to debating the pros and cons of dating a coworker. So reserve a table on the twinkly-light patio for a group, order some of the creamiest and richest beef stroganoff you’ll ever eat, and linger for a while over at least three rounds of fries.
POWERED BY
Kyma is where you should go with friends to be loud, spend money, and eat tender calamari. There’s live music, great Greek food, and waiters who act as your personal hype men—they’ll try and get you to order everything on the menu, and you should listen. Go with the octopus dumplings, a lamb gyro, and the Bahamian lobster if you’re here when it's in season (which is between August through March). Kyma does the best version in Nassau, as theirs is paired with a sweet sojazu, butter sojazu, and spicy mayo. They have a great open dining area with a second level and a small outdoor patio that might be our favorite place to eat lobster on the island.
photo credit: Gregory Watkins
Cricket Club is where you should try some of The Bahamas’ most traditional breakfast foods: tuna and grits, stewed conch, and sheep tongue souse. We love coming here for a number of reasons, including (but not limited to) downing a bowl of souse to cure a hangover or to watch our favorite soccer club lose, again. The 1960s colonial decor and royalist trinkets make it feel like it’s trapped in time. Post up on the balcony, which overlooks a literal cricket pitch and gives you a perfect view of Arawak Cay across the street.
photo credit: Travis Bastian
There are plenty of chill Bahamian party spots outside of New Providence, where you can hang out, drink, and feel like you're at something resembling a family cookout. It used to be hard to find a similar spot in Nassau, until The Pink Shack opened. It feels like a party in da backyard—the last time we were here, we were sipping guava radlers and Kalik Platinums at 12:45am when the staff packed up, shut down, and told us to clean up after ourselves on our way out. That was after we had taken down their excellent burger that comes with two thick and dripping patties and buttery caramelized onions, all on a squishy sesame seed bun. They also do really good Bahamian dishes like the conchiest conch fritters and a bunch of cheap cocktails.
photo credit: Grace Wiley
Chef Marcus Samuelsson, who you probably know from TV or Red Rooster in NYC or Miami, has a spot right here in Nassau in the Baha Mar hotel. Chop House does upscale Bahamian dishes really well, like conch croquettes and island seafood rice, served to the background of a beachfront location that’s perfect for romantic dinners. It generally feels like a typical resort hotel—you know, lots of people wearing flowing kaftans and airy indoor spaces where the salty breeze somehow makes the food taste better. The best views are on the upper level, which is sometimes reserved for private events, but they host fun DJ sets on Fridays and Saturdays, watch parties, and other ticketed events you can check out even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
Built in the 1700s, the building where the Graycliff is located is one of the oldest in Nassau. It was originally a pirate’s mansion (yes, Nassau was ruled by informal pirate code for a bit), but nowadays, it’s all lobster bisque and bread pudding here. This fine dining spot has some of the freshest ingredients on the island, and old-world colonial decor to match. What makes this place so special, though, is the excellent service, how perfectly the rooms have been preserved, and the fact that you’ll probably eat tuna tartare and center-cut beef tenderloin next to the who’s who of Nassau. After your meal, you’ll get the option to enjoy a cigar that’s hand-rolled on the property and some chocolate from the on-site factory you definitely won’t want to share.
photo credit: Gregory Watkins
As simple as it may seem, a lot goes into the perfect conch salad: fresh mollusks, crisp vegetables, and lots of lime and pepper. There are so many conch salad vendors in Nassau, and while we wish that we could name them all, Dino’s is a clear standout. Located off of West Bay Street, this spot claims to be the originator of the tropical conch salad. But we couldn’t care less about that official designation—we just appreciate the addition of pineapple, mango, and apples to this classic. The wait can definitely be long, especially if you’re there during a holiday, but part of the experience is mingling with the crowd while you drink a cold Sands or Kalik beer while you wait for your order.
There’s no better place on the island than Solemar to scarf down ceviche tacos and a couple of crab cakes. They call themselves a Mediterranean restaurant, but they excel at all types of seafood, including sushi. Their house roll topped with battered Bahamian lobster can easily feed three people and is the perfect combination of crunchy and sweet. The sun-soaked patio is great for some romantic drinking and snacks, where you can sit on a cushy couch and make your way through a seafood tower.
Yellowbell, which might be the best poolside restaurant in Nassau, is owned by the same team behind the snack-and-drink spot Bon Vivants. And both of them have our hearts for different reasons. For Yellowbell, it’s their brunch. Located in the Island House hotel, it’s somewhere to tap into your inner Bali influencer over gorgeous plates of tropical fruit salad, a salmon, edamame, and mango poke bowl, and a very solid plate of brioche french toast. This restaurant group knows what they’re doing with cocktails, so order whatever looks good—we drank a ridiculously refreshing off-menu drink called the Green Machine with cucumber, lychee, and gin.
photo credit: Gregory Watkins
The London is one of the newer cocktail bars on the Nassau scene, and it’s already becoming a nightlife staple. It’s on Charlotte Street downtown, with a hard-to-miss red London phone booth outside. You can either settle in for the night and try some rum duck lettuce wraps with a thyme and whiskey-infused lemonade they call their Day Thyme cocktail. Or, use it as a pre-party spot for a quick drink before you explore the rest of downtown.
photo credit: Travis Bastian
Oasis is an ideal lunch spot in Palmdale, especially when you need an excuse to roll yourself off that hammock you’ve been parked at for days. Stick primarily to the Bahamian dishes, like a seafood dip brimming with conch, lobster, and shrimp, but know the restaurant has also mastered the art of the rack of lamb. Theirs has just the right amount of scorch that tastes great bathed in the garlic reduction and topped with homemade mint jelly. It’s a fun place where you can probably walk in and appreciate some Bahamian art and music over a plate of those perfect lamb chops.
photo credit: Gregory Watkins
This family-owned coffeehouse and restaurant gives you a peek into what the French Quarter would feel like if it sat cozily in the Caribbean. Louis and Steen’s is the first specialty coffeehouse in The Bahamas and does New Orleans dishes with recipes that have been passed down through generations. The best thing here is the Caribbean Creole bowl with Louisiana red beans and rice, andouille sausage, plantains, stir-fried vegetables, and blackened shrimp. Head here for breakfast, brunch, or lunch—they even have a French Quarter-themed market if you want to pick up goods for later.
Located in the East Street Plaza, Bask is a great Happy Hour spot with some of the best burgers in Nassau. We’re huge fans of their messy lamb burger with sauteed mushrooms, vegetables, yogurt mint sauce, and bacon, all on a brioche bun. Their Happy Hours run from 4-7pm Sundays through Thursdays, with buy-one-get-one half-off specials—perfect if you want to escape your all-inclusive on a weekday.
photo credit: Travis Bastian
We’ve already told you that souse is the perfect hangover dish. Gold’s, a restaurant and bar located off Soldier Road, does some of the best you can find on Nassau. What separates their version from the rest are the bricks of buttery johnny cake served alongside your choice of tender sheep tongue or chicken. Squirt a dash of pepper sauce and a squeeze of extra lime to tie the whole souse together. Come here after you partied a little too hard last night, throw in some extra crispy wings for good measure, and take your whole order to go.
photo credit: Gregory Watkins
Chicken in da bag has been a go-to in Bahamian society for longer than anyone can remember. Since 1990, Bamboo Shack has been serving this exceptional takeout meal of chicken thighs and conch with onions, mayo, and ketchup to locals and tourists alike. They have seven locations across the island, but if you’re staying in the western part of the island, go to their West Bay spot. They happen to be one of two locations that also serve some grilled items. Wash it all down with a Goombay soda.
