Trinidadians love food – to eat food, cook food, share food. As diverse as the people and history are, the culinary landscape is almost beyond “fusion”, and just its own thing.

Imagine the culinary traditions of four continents blended with Trinidadian flamboyance and handed down from generation to generation. And people who love nothing better than to lime over a good meal, enjoying food like they do company. That gives you some idea of the culinary culture Trinidad offers. Food, and sharing it with friends, is a favourite local pastime.

Flavours from India, China, Africa, the Middle East and Spain complement recipes from across the Caribbean to create a truly cosmopolitan cuisine. From up-scale fine-dining establishments with elegant ambience and superb fare, to delicious street food, our ethnic diversity has given rise to many different places to eat.

There is an increasingly sophisticated restaurant culture in Trinidad, offering dining experiences where the atmosphere is as great a draw as the food. In recent times “Nuevo-Caribbean” establishments, whose speciality is Creole fusion dishes – blending local ingredients with haute cuisine techniques to create unique taste experiences. Especially on the outskirts of Port of Spain (Ariapita Avenue has become somewhat of a mecca), you’ll find exquisite places – Asian, American, Creole, European, Middle Eastern – often true to their themes but nuanced by Trinidadian influences. Tip: make reservations, especially for dinner.

Enjoy local and international cuisine at Battimamzelle (Cascade), Veni Mangé (Woodbrook), the Verandah (St Clair) and Bougainvillea (Point Lisas). Indulge yourself with delicious pastries, desserts and coffees with spectacular views at the Caffe del Mare (Chaguaramas). Venues like Sweet Lime (Woodbrook) and Zanzibar (MovieTowne), meanwhile, offer varied menus while doubling as sports bars. 

The more laid-back experience, cheaper but equally tasty, is best sampled at home-style restaurants offering filling Creole food. Here ground provisions, macaroni pie, breadfruit oildown and rich stews mean you’ll certainly leave full.

Trinidadian taste favours a base of green seasoning: chives, onion, garlic, thyme, pepper, and chadon beni. Locally-made Angostura bitters is another favourite ingredient.  Food often will be offered with hot pepper sauce and an array of condiments: garlic sauces, chutneys, pickled things, fresh salad toppings, even fruit. Trinis also put ketchup on most everything.

Some of the best and most distinctive food you’ll find is on the street. Doubles is a breakfast and post-party staple. At Maracas Bay, the feature attraction is bake and shark. Once night falls in St James, the streets are lined with food vendors: souse, roti, grilled fare, burgers, corn soup, doubles, ital food, home-made ice-cream. Head to central and south Trinidad for more East Indian savouries and sweets. Consider oysters, coconuts, and roasted corn from around the Queen’s Park Savannah. Our world-famous roti is often imitated but seldom equalled, and is a must-try. For breakfast, sada roti with tomato or pumpkin choka, a variant on the regular dhalpouri and paratha roti served for lunch, is delicious. Most street food is very safe to eat: vendors are required to display food badges from the Health Authority; but one street delicacy it’s wise to avoid is oysters.

International fast food chains and local budget buffet restaurants offer large portions and quick service. But don’t expect much help here with a “low-carb” diet: once it’s got flour, cornmeal or rice, we’re in. If you are trying to eat healthy, try Adam’s in Maraval and Subway outlets nationwide for lighter sandwiches, soups, and salads.

Vegetarian visitors won’t have a hard time satisfying their hunger here. There are two major groups of vegetarians in Trinidad, devout Hindus and Rastafarians, and almost every restaurant has a selection of meatless dishes on its menu. If not, ask the chef to whip up something special for you — most will oblige happily.

Make sure to wash it all down with some freshly squeezed tropical punches (rum optional); a beastly cold, locally-brewed Carib or Stag; or some of the island’s fine rums, including the vintage Angostura 1919.

Taste T&T

This annual event showcases some of the island’s best and favourite foods and chefs. Venues like the Jean Pierre Complex and Adam Smith Square are converted into massive restaurants, hosting signature events like the T&T Recipe and Cooking Competition, the community-oriented Pot Spoon Throwdown, and the Demonstration Kitchen with gourmet chefs. During the subsequent Restaurant Week, featured restaurants offer specials and coupons.

Taste This…

• Bake and shark: fried bread – slightly crisp on the outside, light on the inside – sandwiching thick slices of fried shark
• Buljol: shredded saltfish mixed with onions, tomatoes and olive oil, often served with coconut bake
• Callaloo: soup made from dasheen leaves, coconut milk, ochroes, pumpkin, and sometimes salted meat or crab
• Doubles: curried chickpeas between two discs of soft fried bread
• Pastel: seasoned meat, lentils or soya with olives, capers and raisins in a cornmeal casing and steamed in banana leaves
• Pelau: one-pot dish of rice and pigeon peas with meat
• Pholourie: seasoned fritters made with flour and split peas, dressed with chutney sauces
• Roti: curried meat, shrimp or vegetables folded into a soft dough wrapping (roti skin). Dhalpurie roti skin is filled with ground split peas. Doughy buss-up-shut (paratha) can replace roti skin and be served on the side
• Sancoche: soup made from split peas, with dumplings, carrots, potato, ground provisions, meat, and anything else that inspires the cook
• Souse: pork boiled and served cold in a salty sauce with lime, cucumber, pepper and onion slices
• Sno-cone: shaved ice drenched in syrups or kola and condensed milk (on request)
• Sorrel: deep red drink made from fruit of the same name, popular at Christmas
   

Where to start

• Caffe del Mare (Chaguaramas): 634-4384
• Sweet Lime Restaurant (Woodbrook): 624-9983
• Adam’s Bagels (Maraval): 622-2435
• Battimamzelle Restaurant (Cascade): 621-0541
• Subway (nationwide): 662-5716
• The Verandah (St Clair): 622-6287
• Veni Mangé Restaurant (Woodbrook): 624-4597
• Zanzibar (MovieTowne): 627-0752
• Cocos Hut Restaurant (Blanchisseuse): 669-2963
• Driftwood Restaurant & Bar (San Fernando): 652-9463
• Hyatt Waterfront Restaurant and Lobby Lounge (Port of Spain): 623-2222
• Ithaki Restaurant and Skyview Lounge (St Ann’s): 623-3511
• Mt Plaisir Estate Restaurant (Grande Rivière): 670-8381
• Muscovado Restaurant and Sandbaggers Sports Lounge (Trincity): 640-8337
• Tiki Village Restaurant and Bois Cano Bistro & Bar (Maraval): 622-5765
• Waterfall Bistro & Bar (St Ann’s): 623-0883