Cuisine on Trinidad and Tobago displays Spanish, Dutch, British, Chinese, African, and Indian characteristics. Dishes tend to be spicy and starchy, often involving chickpeas, bread, pastry, or all three. Street food is common and popular, with roti being a local specialty. The islands have a multitude of bars, clubs and pubs where visitors can dance, listen to live music, or relax over wine, beer, cocktails, or local rum.
Bars and Pubbing in Trinidad and Tobago
Liming is the island term for having a good time with friends. Trinidad’s main entertainment strip is at Ariapita Avenue, which has venues such as the elegant plantation-style Coco Lounge (corner of Ariapita St and Carlos St, Port of Spain, Trinidad) or the cozy thatched Crobar (opposite Coco Lounge, Ariapita St. Trinidad). 51 Degrees (51 Cipriani Boulevard, Port of Spain, Trinidad) is a well-known lounge offering comedy on Tuesday, karaoke on Thursday, and partying the rest of the weekend.
Tobago’s lively party-goers will not want to miss Sunday School (Barcoo, Tobago), which is a cultural treat taking every Sunday evening. The Buccooneers Steel Band orchestra plays steelpan music from 8:00 p.m. until about 11:00 p.m., after which the sound system takes over with dance music focused on soca, hip hop and R&B. There are many other bars on the island, such as D’Lime (Castara, Tobago), which is known for its potent rum punch, or Bar Code (Milford Rd, Scarborough, Tobago), which is where the locals play pool and watch sports.
For those who like to gamble, the fairly new Royalton Casino (next to the Crown Point Hotel, Old Store Bay Road, Crown Point, Tobago) offers slot machines and table games such as roulette and poker, as well as a local game called RHUM32. There is a sports bar on site showing international events and matches including F1 racing.
Dining and Cuisine in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago has restaurant options ranging from street food to fanciful fine dining. On Trinidad, the upscale Waterfront Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency (1 Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad) serves beautifully presented, modern dishes with a Caribbean flair. Another high-end option is Angelo’s (38 Ariapita Road, Port of Spain, Trinidad), which serves Italian classics in a large, regal Romanesque dining room in a converted house. For local flavor, visitors can sit within the colorful artwork covered walls of Veni Mange (67 Avenue, Port of Spain, Trinidad) and sample the goods of West Indian cuisine.
Tobago also has several restaurants to choose from. Those wanting more traditional flavors can try Salsa Kitchen Tapas Restaurant (8 Pump Mill road, Scarborough, Tobago), which serves local favorites in a cozy dining room. Kings Bay Café (524 Main Road, Tobago) is another secret gem, serving up island specialties such as grilled seafood in an old wooden house with lovely sea views. Those who fancy Italian could head to La Tartaruga Italian Restaurant (Buccoo Bay Road, Buccoo, Tobago) for homemade pasta, fish, vegetarian food, or ice cream.