Where to Eat in Guadeloupe

"Le Rivage, specializing in Creole cuisine, is a charming place to stop for lunch on the way back from hiking Guadeloupe National Park. This casual, family-friendly establishment has a wood-floored dining room with shutters opening onto views of Bananier Beach, welcoming in a constant breeze. The local drinks are made to order. Pick your rhum of choice from the display table and sip on a ti' punch before savoring typical plates like cod fritters, fresh lobster stuffed with spices, and goat stew."

"Set on a craggy Atlantic coastline in Saint Francois, La Rhumerie du Pirate restaurant is perched over a beautiful, wild, golden-colored beach dotted with large conch shells and battered by crashing waves. Creole dishes are served in the casual veranda-style dining rooms. In addition to the usual appetizers, there’s a special set menu with varying options for sides and desserts, named after each of the Guadeloupe islands. You can also expect all the traditional rhum cocktails here. While waiting on your meal—service can be slow when the restaurant is busy—step down to the beach and explore its beautiful shells and rocks."

"This long-time food truck and roadside eatery, with plastic chairs and tables with beach umbrellas, faces the popular Sainte-Anne Beach. It is known for serving excellent, cheap bokits –the traditional Guadeloupean sandwich. It’s like a johnnycake stuffed with your choice of meat or vegetable, fried, and usually consumed beachside, day or night. Marius et Sylvie’s place also serves cod fritters, salty and sweet crepes, and ice cream. It’s an easy pick for a quick bite between beach swims and naps."

"This long-time food truck and roadside eatery, with plastic chairs and tables with beach umbrellas, faces the popular Sainte-Anne Beach. It is known for serving excellent, cheap bokits –the traditional Guadeloupean sandwich. It’s like a johnnycake stuffed with your choice of meat or vegetable, fried, and usually consumed beachside, day or night. Marius et Sylvie’s place also serves cod fritters, salty and sweet crepes, and ice cream. It’s an easy pick for a quick bite between beach swims and naps."

"Le Reflet de L'île Set on a quiet residential street on Marie-Galante island, entering cozy Le Reflet de L'île (island reflections) is like walking into a Guadeloupean family home. The chalkboard menu usually lists local specialties like conch-filled shell, chicken fricassee, grilled fish, and banana flambé. These freshly cooked Creole meals take time to ready but fill the casual dining room with an appetizing aroma that's perfect for whetting the appetite. Try the restaurant’s own fruit rhum mixes—simply pick one from the various glass pots lined up on the bar counter."

"In a lush rain forest setting north of Guadeloupe National Park and part of the upscale Tendacayou Ecolodge, Le Poisson Rouge (the red fish) offers an ultra-creative mix of Creole and French specialties on a menu that changes daily. Its interior décor is just as eclectic, filled with Asian motifs and red mood lighting. Specialties include smoked marlin, Asian steak salad, blood sausage kebab, and veal—but the menu is shaped by the day’s available fresh produce."

"With a casual wooden veranda overlooking the popular white sand of La Datcha Beach in Le Gosier, and with the Gosier Islet in the near distance, Entre Ciel et Mer truly is, as its name suggests, between sky and sea. The menu focuses on traditional local dishes, particularly seafood. Expect octopus fricassee with vegetable gratin, grilled crayfish, fritters, and plenty of other fish options. There is a wide choice of dessert, too, including fresh fruit. Service can be slow, but the panorama of sea and sand is worth it—and can be enhanced with a cocktail while you wait."

"Ti Kaz' La (small house) easily ranks among the top five restaurants in Guadeloupe. It's partly down to the setting on picturesque Terre-de-Haut in Les Saintes, with an open-air, ground-level dining deck with steps leading onto the soft white beach along the bay. But it's also the surprising menu, a fusion of French and Creole plates. Try the seafood platter with five types of crustaceans seasoned with local spices. Alternatively, go for the roasted lobster, tuna tempura, pig feet with rice and truffle sauce, or coconut chicken. Save space for dessert and order a mango soufflé ahead of time so you don't have to wait."

"La Canne a Sucre Set over the water on the edge of a Pointe-a-Pitre harbor pier and with views of neighboring islands, La Canne à Sucre specializes in southern French cuisine and select Guadeloupean dishes. A little off the beaten track, it makes for a quiet and romantic option when in Guadeloupe’s largest and liveliest city. Save room for dessert—chocolate fondant and coconut sorbet are among the temptations."

"David Vigneau Maître Chocolatier Patissier David Vigneau’s patisserie is a dessert lover’s dream. Located inside a commercial shopping center on Grande-Terre, the haute dessert and pastry shop boasts Guadeloupe’s finest artisan chocolate, as well as housemade pastries, desserts, ice cream, and more. The macaroons are island-famous, with flavors including passion fruit, chocolate, vanilla, and champagne. There’s even a tea salon."