Food is one of the great pleasures of a Caribbean charter. Your chef will cook most of your meals aboard, often with fresh fish bought from local fishermen, but part of the fun is going ashore to eat what the islands are famous for. Here’s what to look out for in the British and US Virgin Islands.

Drinks

The painkiller

The unofficial drink of the BVI is the painkiller: dark rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and orange juice, shaken over ice and finished with freshly grated nutmeg. It’s said to have been invented at the Soggy Dollar Bar on White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, a bar with no dock, where guests traditionally swim ashore and pay with damp banknotes. Order one there at least once.

Rum punch

Every bar, every crew and every island has its own rum punch recipe. It’s usually some combination of rum, fruit juices, grenadine and bitters, served with a slice of lime and a lot of ice. Your crew will almost certainly have a house version.

Rum from the islands

On Tortola’s north shore at Cane Garden Bay, the Callwood Rum Distillery has been making rum in the same stone buildings for centuries and claims to be one of the oldest working distilleries in the Caribbean. It makes small batches of Arundel rum from fresh-pressed sugar cane. A visit and tasting is a short walk from the anchorage.

In the US Virgin Islands, St Croix is home to large distilleries producing Cruzan and Captain Morgan rums, with visitor centres for tastings.

Beer and more

Local beers from around the region are easy to find, and many beach bars mix excellent frozen cocktails. If anything special is important to you, put it on your preference sheet so the crew can stock it.

Food from the islands

Anegada lobster

The flat coral island of Anegada is famous for its spiny lobster, grilled over half oil drums on the beach at Setting Point as the sun goes down. Order by the middle of the afternoon so the restaurants know how many to prepare. Our guide to Anegada explains how to plan the trip.

Fungi and fish

The traditional dish of the Virgin Islands is fungi (say “foon-ghee”), a cornmeal and okra side, a little like polenta, served with fish stewed in a spicy tomato, onion and pepper sauce. Ask for it in a local restaurant on Tortola or St Thomas.

Johnnycakes and pates

Johnnycakes are fried dough, golden and slightly sweet, eaten with breakfast or alongside saltfish. Pates (pronounced “pah-tays”) are deep-fried pastries filled with spiced saltfish, beef or chicken, sold from roadside stalls and bakeries. Both make a perfect snack on a day ashore.

Conch

Conch (say “konk”) is a large sea snail with a beautiful pink shell, served as conch fritters, in a salad or stewed. It’s a Caribbean classic.

Roti

Brought to the Caribbean from India by way of Trinidad, roti are soft flatbreads wrapped around a curry of chicken, goat, beef or vegetables. They’re filling, cheap and delicious.

Fresh fish

Mahi-mahi, wahoo, tuna and snapper are caught locally and turn up on menus everywhere. Your chef may buy straight from a fishing boat that pulls up alongside.

Beach bars and restaurants

A few classics, each with its own character:

  • Foxy’s, Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke. A legendary beach bar and the centre of the BVI’s biggest New Year’s Eve party.
  • Soggy Dollar Bar, White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. The home of the painkiller.
  • The Willy T, Norman Island. A floating bar in The Bight with a lively reputation.
  • Cooper Island Beach Club. A relaxed beach restaurant with a rum bar and its own microbrewery.
  • Setting Point, Anegada. Lobster on the beach.
  • Saba Rock and The Bitter End, North Sound. Sundowners with a view across the sound.

Your captain will know which are on form this season and book tables when needed.

Eating aboard

Most meals on a crewed charter are cooked aboard, and this is where a great chef makes the week. Expect fresh breakfasts, light lunches at anchor, canapés at sunset and three-course dinners on deck. Chefs often weave local ingredients and island dishes into their menus: ask for a Caribbean night.

Tell us what you love

If food is a big part of your holiday, tell us when you enquire. We know which chefs are exceptional and can match you to a yacht whose cooking suits your tastes. And if you’re celebrating, read our ideas for celebrating on board.

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