If ordering your favorite rum with a side of traditional Bajan street food and lively local conversation sound like your version of paradise, then check out these favorite spots across the island that will have you basking in local traditions.

Rum Shops

It’s a Bajan ritual to ‘lime’ (Caribbean slang meaning to chill out and relax) at a rum shop. The rum shop is where people from every social and ethnic background go to socialize and discuss everything under the sun. As the name suggests, rum shops mainly sell rum and other alcoholic beverages, as well as local food. With over 1,500 rum shops throughout the island, here are some of the local favorites:

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Mike’s Chicks & Bar – Cnr. Chapel Gap and Two Mile Hill, St Michael

Mustor’s Bar – McGregor Street, Bridgetown, St Michael

Old City Bar – Palmetto Street, Bridgetown, St Michael

Yellow Bird Bar – Dunlow Lane, Bridgetown, St Michael

Super Q (formerly the De Port Hole) – Fontabelle/Cheapside, Bridgetown, St Michael

Pink Star – Baxter’s Road, Bridgetown area, St. Michael

Sawh’s Bar – Westbury Road, St. Michael

Sawh’s Bar – Eagle Hall, St Michael

R A Mapp Bar – Eagle Hall, St Michael

Birds Nest Bar – Bay Street, St Michael

The Bush Bar – Pile Bay, St Michael (off Spring Garden Highway)

Fredericka’s Rum Shop – Corner Chelsea Rd & Dalkeith Rd, St Michael

Street Food

Local Bajan street food includes large portions of fish cutters, rice and peas, jerk chicken and mac pie. Although the best place to grab street food in Barbados is said to be the food stalls outside Paynes Bay Church, here are some other local favorites and what you must try.

Cou cou and Flying Fish at Brown Sugar

Head to Brown Sugar to try the national dish of Barbados, Cou cou and Flying Fish is made with cornmeal grain and fresh okra, accompanied by stewed flying fish prepared with fresh onion, garlic, thyme, tomatoes, and pepper.

Cutter at Cuz Fish Shack or Cutters Deli

Cuz Fish Shack or Cutters Deli serves some of the best cutters on the island. The Bajan cutter includes a delicious salt bread with your choice of filling – egg, fish, cheese, ham, pork – all served with a few drops of Bajan Pepper Sauce.

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Fishcakes at Hot Legendary Fishcakes

Perhaps the most popular food in Barbados, fish cakes can be found on all menus – from 5-star restaurants to street-side vendors, but Hot Legendary Fishcakes is a good place to start. Fishcakes are a savory mix of salted codfish and local herbs and spices, deep-fried to perfection.

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