Food on Trinidad

Travelers have many options of dining on Trinidad and Tobago
Many dining options are available on Trinidad and Tobago, with international cuisine providing the inspiration for many of the islands' most popular local delicacies.

Restaurants

Some enjoy the quick comfort of popular street vendors and bake stands that serve hot and delicious sandwiches and rotis. These rotis and shark bake stands provide quick but delicious, and certainly very quintessential Trinidad and Tobago culinary styles.

International and local fast food chains are also available on the islands for quick and affordable meals, including pizza, chicken, and Chinese food. Meals at chains and bake or rotis vendors generally costs less than $10(USD) and can go as low as $3(USD).

Some restaurants allow travelers to enjoy inventive world and local cuisine, serving Spanish, French, Indian, and Chinese-influenced dishes, while American and native Caribbean specialties are also usually featured on most menus. More upscale restaurants serve European and Caribbean cuisine for approximately $30(USD) per person, with soup, starter, main course, and dessert. Many restaurants on the islands feature menus that reflect an array of cultural influences, as well as a wide range of prices. Moderately priced restaurants allow guests to eat for as little as $10(USD) and can also serve dishes that exceed $30(USD).

These price ranges allow travelers on all budgets to sample fare in the islands' many unique establishments.

Travelers should be aware that restaurants on the island are mainly concentrated in tourist areas. Ariapita Avenue in Port-of-Spain in particular is known as "restaurant strip," but Queen's Park Savannah, St. Clair, and Woodbrook also have their share of worth-while restaurants. Finding restaurants can become very difficult when traveling to the underdeveloped areas, but these are also the best locations in which to find the most authentic island fare.

Additionally, many of Trinidad and Tobago's restaurants are located along the coast in old colonial buildings that have been adapted into eateries. These locations are largely unpretentious, and guests needn't feel as though they need to dress to the nines to sit down for a meal. While bathing suits should be kept to the beaches, a pair of slacks and t-shirt won't get you thrown out of the facility.

More and more recently, hotels have been providing the main dining setting for island guests. This is especially true at All-inclusive resorts, where meals are included in the price of the room. Depending upon the resort and the restaurant, this food could range from comfort foods from your hometown to culinary masterpieces with international flavor. Still, adventurous vacationers who are looking forward to sampling local foods may find it best to venture off property, at least for a few meals. If you are still undecided where to stay, you can learn about restaurants at specific hotels in several ways. First, consider visiting our article listing the Best Hotels for Dining Options . Or, select hotels that interest you from our extensive list (A to Z: Hotels in Detail ), and read about their restaurants, as well as other nearby dining options within our detailed discussion of each property.

Culinary Styles

Food

The foodstuff of Trinidad and Tobago are heavily influenced by the islands' immigrant population. Local dishes take bits and pieces from Indian, Chinese, Latin, Creole, and even Eurpoean cultures. The spicier the better is often the motto with food items such as curry, though many vacationers might see dishes like armadillo and opposum stew and think the more adventurous the better is the real motto of Trinidad and Tobago. It's true that the food on Trinidad and Tobago is probably unlike anything you've tried back in your home town. You can avoid being surprised by unique flavors by learning about island eats at our page dedicated to educating visitors on popular Trinidad and Tobago foods: Culinary Styles on Trinidad and Tobago.

Beverages

Like many places throughout the Caribbean, rum is the most popular choice of alcoholic beverage. For something less strong, fruit juices make a pleasant choice, because they are often freshly squeezed from local produce.

Some visitors consider culinary exploration and indulgence a main attraction of a vacation, while others think eating is what you do if there's enough time between surfing and fishing. No matter how you view food, dining on Trinidad and Tobago is a treat for your palate. With a wide range of restaurants that are affordable, as well as an abundant amount of fine dining locales, both active and relaxed travelers alike should be able to enjoy the fruits of this twin-island paradise without problem.

*culled from www.caribya.com