ST. LUCIA: DINING

Creole food is the order of the day in restaurants across St. Lucia. Spices liven up beef, chicken, pork, and lamb dishes, all served up with favorites such as rice and peas, dasheen (a root vegetable similar to a potato), and plantains. Enjoy it with a taste of local spirits such as La Belle Creole, Bounty Rum, and Piton beer.

Jimmie's
Vigie Cove, Castries
758-452-5142
Dress code: casual
Reservations: optional
$$-$$$

Tucked right beside Vigie Cove, this open air hillside restaurant offers saltfish, black pudding, souse, green fig, and plenty of other local favorites. If you're a little less daring, you can fall back on seafood dishes such as conch (reputed to be an aphrodisiac), scampi, sautéed scallops, or even T-bone steak.

The Great House
Cap Drive, Gros Islet
758-450-0450
Dress code: casually elegant
Reservations: suggested
$$$$

On Friday nights, save time before the jump-up (see Nightlife) for a run by this elegant plantation-style restaurant, located at Cap Estate. Enjoy a candlelight dinner of lime grilled dorado, rack of lamb with mint sauce, jerk pork, or a local favorite, curried chicken and mango with rice. Finish off with truly sinful desserts: coconut cheesecake with tropical fruit toppings, passion fruit mousse, or soursop ice cream in filo pastry.

Auberge Seraphine
Vielle Ville Bay, Castries
758-453-2073
Dress code: casually elegant
Reservations: suggested
$$-$$$

This seafood restaurant, with a sprinkling of French and Caribbean dishes, serves both lunch and dinner. Start with grilled calamari or Gros Islet-style fish cakes served with tamarind sauce, then try the breadfruit vichyssoise or Caribbean fish chowder. Entrees range from curried shrimp with coconuts to Caribbean lobster to St. Lucian style chicken, stuffed with green bananas and served on a bed of callaloo.

Bang
Soufriere
758-459-7864
$-$$

What a location! Tucked between the magnificent mountains, this waterfront restaurant specializes in jerk barbecue. Reservations are suggested; call .

The Treehouse
Anse Chastanet, Soufriere
758- 459-7000
Dress code: casually elegant
Reservations: suggested
$$$

Like its name suggests, this restaurant sits perched, tree level, on a steep hillside. Fortunately, the view is matched by the food here. We started with coconut crusted local crab backs, then moved on to a creamy celery and bacon soup. Entrees include pork medallions with a light mustard sauce, vegetarian roti on curried lentils, grilled dorado, St. Lucian beef pepperpot, and other dishes using local products. The wine list here is excellent as well.

The Still
Soufriere
758-459-7224
Dress code: casual
Reservations: no
$

This is one of our favorite St. Lucian diners, a delightful local eatery that dishes out tasty local cuisine. Family-owned, the service is friendly and if you see something that you don't recognize, just ask. We dined on Creole chicken served with mango salad, rice, beans, and yam pie. Don't expect anything fancy here, but this is the place to come for lunch or dinner for a true taste of Creole cooking at a very reasonable price.