The best local restaurants in St Lucia are top spots for experiencing the island country’s unique heritage in cuisine. Drawing on French, Creole and British influences, must-try foods include the national dish, green figs and saltfish – though the figs in question are green, unripe bananas. Saltfish, usually cod, is also a key ingredient in Accra fish cakes, which is chopped, combined with spices, coated in batter, then fried.
Another firm favourite with the locals is Lambi, which consists of tiny pieces of conch meat cooked in a spicy Caribbean sauce. Bouyon is another must: a filling soup that pairs pork with potatoes, yams, pumpkin, beans, lentils and dumplings. Try all these and more at these top local St Lucian restaurants spread across the island.
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Flavours of the Grill
One of Gros Islet’s long-established restaurants
- Budget
- Couples
- Food
Flavours of the Grill has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Gros Islet serving St Lucian soul food. The dishes created by its owner and chef are as mouthwatering as they are beautifully presented.
On Fridays, barbecued meat takes centre stage. You can feast on steak, chicken and smoky ribs accompanied by breadfruit, mac and cheese, corn on the cob, plantain or rice and peas. King crab legs, garlic octopus, juicy shrimp, grilled snapper, and Lambi (conch) feature on seafood Saturdays.
Location: Bois D'Orange Gros Islet, St Lucia
Open: Monday–Thursday from 11 am to 11.30 pm, Friday from 11 am to midnight, Saturday from 11 am to 11.30 pm, Sunday from 11.30 am to 5 pm
Phone: +1 758-284-7906
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Hardest Hard Restaurant & Bar
A no-frills roadside spot serving delicious St Lucian cuisine
- Budget
- Food
Hardest Hard Restaurant & Bar is a no-frills roadside joint that’s all about good food and friendly service. Trees shade its rustic indoor/outdoor terrace and cool breezes waft in from the ocean.
The menu is written on a whiteboard and changes regularly. Find St Lucian favourites such as salted pig snout or lamb neck bouyon alongside stewed turkey or grilled pork chops. Wash down your meal with refreshing coconut water or a chilled glass of passion fruit juice.
Location: La Toc Rd, Charlotte, St Lucia
Open: Monday–Saturday from 7 am to midnight (closed on Sundays)
Phone: +1 758-452-4047
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Martha’s Tables
Lunch with great food and a splendid view
- Families
- Food
- Group
Martha’s Tables is a family-run restaurant close to Malgretoute Beach in Soufriere Bay. It’s casual – the roof is tin, the floor’s concrete and the chairs are plastic – but, from its terrace, there’s a clear view of the famous Pitons.
The food here is Creole-style, served in generous portions – don’t come on a full stomach. The menu includes freshly caught seafood and grilled chicken with typical accompaniments like macaroni, rice and beans or plantains. Try the green figs and saltfish, which is a house special at Martha’s Tables.
Location: Malgretoute, Soufriere Post Office, St Lucia
Open: Monday–Friday from 11.30 am to 3 pm (closed at weekends)
Phone: +1 758-459-7270
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Gros Islet Jump Up
The biggest party on St Lucia
- Budget
- Food
- Nightlife
Gros Islet Jump Up is a popular Friday night tradition in St Lucia that goes back 5 decades and shows no sign of dying out. As the sun sets, the grills come out and the streets are filled with the aroma of barbecued chicken, pork and seafood.
This is the ideal place to sample St Lucian Lambi. Grab a chilled Piton beer to complement the spicy sauce and, as the DJ cranks up the volume, dance on the street until the small hours.
Location: Castries-Gros Islet Hwy, Rodney Bay, St Lucia
Open: Fridays from 6 pm until late
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Castries Central Market
St Lucia’s largest market is a feast for the senses
- Budget
- Food
- Shoppers
Castries Central Market, right at the heart of the St Lucian capital, is packed with produce including fruit, vegetables, spices, meat and fish. It’s where you can wander around at an unhurried pace and chat to stallholders for a lesson in Caribbean food.
Just to the north of the market, you’ll find Mokocho Veg Cuisine – a basic place specialising in tasty Ital food true to its Rastafarian roots. Vegetarians and vegans welcome its breakfast and lunch menu, which features everything from Jamaican ackee to flavoursome vegetable stews.
Location: 55 John Compton Hwy, Castries, St Lucia
Open: Daily from 7 am to 6 pm
Phone: +1 758-460-5596
Mapphoto by David Stanley (CC BY 2.0) modified
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Liz Roti
Authentic home-cooked meals
- Budget
- Food
Liz Roti is a Rodney Bay institution that’s long been a fixture on Reduit Beach, serving signature roti flatbreads. Its namesake Guyanan chef-owner brought her love of cooking to this part of the Caribbean in 2003. And locals and hotel guests have been dropping by for her signature servings crammed with beef, seafood, chicken or vegetables ever since. People also often come just for the fresh fruit juices.
Liz also hosts groups of diners at her home nearby, cooking up a feast featuring dishes such as lamb curry, baked pork chops, and fish in cucumber gravy.
Location: 1 Boisorange, Rodney Bay 00024 St Lucia
Phone: +1 758-723-2911
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Fedo’s
Fast, friendly, authentic and affordable food in St Lucia
- Budget
- Food
Fedo’s is a popular local restaurant in St Lucia that specialises in Creole cuisine. It delights diners with unpretentious fare served in big portions. In this rustic setting, traditional dishes such as fried fish, roti, Creole-style chicken and curries share the menu with steak and burgers.
If you’re travelling to St Lucia on a budget and looking for local flavours, Fedo’s is a great spot to hit if you want to fill up without having to break the bank. It’s a 15-minute walk from the beach in Soufriere but worth seeking out.
Location: VW5X+724, Palmiste, St Lucia
Open: Monday–Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm (closed on Sundays)
Phone: +1 758-459-5220
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Mama Tilly’s Bar
A Laborie institution serving grilled delights
- Budget
- Food
Mama Tilly’s is a local St Lucian spot for seafood grills where tables often fill up fast. You can either get here early or call ahead to secure your seat. Dine on chicken, pork chops, locally caught fish or lobster, all cooked to perfection and served with whatever sides are on the day’s menu – plantain, rice, potatoes or salad.
Like Laborie itself, this place is low key and welcoming. The unfussy decor enables the food to shine. Staff members are chatty and down to earth, so order a rum punch and wait for the conversation to flow.
Location: Dame Pearlette Louisy Dr, Laborie Village, St Lucia
Open: Daily from 8 am to 10 pm
Phone: +1 758-719-9911
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Marie’s Local Cuisine
Try a little of everything at the buffet
- Budget
- Families
- Food
Marie’s Local Cuisine is handily located beside the Diamond Botanical Gardens in Soufriere, making its lunch offering especially convenient after a visit to the scenic park. Food is served buffet-style, meaning you can heap your plate with a wide variety of local dishes.
Accompanying the meat and fish are side dishes such as rice and beans, Accra and also taro, known locally as dasheen. Save room for the chocolate cake and banana-flavoured ice cream. If there’s a large enough group, Marie sometimes opens for dinner services, too.
Location: Soufriere, St Lucia
Open: Daily from 8 am to 4 pm
Phone: +1 758-461-6832
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Jambe de Bois
A no-frills beach shack combining excellent food with stunning views
- Budget
- Food
- Photo
Jambe de Bois is a beachside café inside Pigeon Island National Park that offers a simple, rustic setting and a crowd-pleasing menu. There’s a decent selection of salads, sandwiches, and other snacks such as dips and chips, rotis and fried calamari.
One of the most authentic Caribbean dishes that you’ll find here is callaloo soup. Enslaved Africans brought this dish to the region. It uses the leaves of the callaloo plant (sometimes substituted with taro) as its anchor ingredient. Here, it’s served with homemade soda bread. It’s a great lunch stop after a visit to Fort Rodney to its west.
Location: Rodney Bay, St Lucia
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