Continental / Bahamian · $$$$
Graycliff Restaurant
250,000-bottle cellar, tableside service and Nassau's most storied dining room.
Downtown Nassau · Reservation requiredReserve
Cuisine
8 restaurants
Seafood · $$$$
Fish by José Andrés
Bahamian seafood through a Spanish lens inside Baha Mar's restaurant row.
Cable Beach · Reservation requiredReserve
Bahamian · $
Arawak Cay Fish Fry
Conch salad made in front of you, cracked conch and Kalik at Twin Brothers or Goldie's.
Latisha's Pick
Latisha says · Conch salad made in front of you at the Fry. Skip the first stall you see and walk to the end.
Arawak Cay · Walk-ins welcomeReserve
Italian / Bahamian · $$$
Café Matisse
Hidden garden courtyard behind Parliament Square; strong pasta and local snapper.
Downtown Nassau · Reservation requiredReserve
Mediterranean · $$
Olives Meze Grill
Canal-side mezze and grills — the most reliable family dinner west of Cable Beach.
Sandyport · Walk-ins welcomeReserve
Caribbean · $$
Compass Point Beach Bar
Junkanoo-coloured cabanas over the water and the best west-end sunset on the island.
Latisha's Pick
Latisha says · Sky juice, a plastic chair and the sunset. That's a perfect Bahamian evening, no reservation needed.
West Bay · Walk-ins welcomeReserve
Fusion · $$$
Cinkō Asian Latino Grill
The island's Glatt kosher restaurant at Grand Hyatt Baha Mar — sushi, ceviche and grilled meats under Chabad of The Bahamas. Dinner Sunday–Thursday; Shabbat meals by Thursday noon.
Cable Beach · Reservation requiredReserve
Sandwiches · $
Knosh
Cholov Yisroel dairy food truck on the Baha Mar beach — flatbreads, sandwiches and bowls, open Sunday to Friday daytime.
Cable Beach · Walk-ins welcomeReserve
Eating in Nassau
What to know before you book
Eat the national dish
Conch turns up scorched, cracked, fried in fritters and raw in salad. Arawak Cay's fish fry is where locals eat it — cash, plastic chairs, best after 6pm.
Reservations and dress
The serious kitchens — Graycliff, Café Matisse, the Baha Mar restaurant row — want a booking days ahead and smart-casual dress. Beachfront shacks never need either.
Sundays and holidays
Many downtown kitchens close Sunday or run short hours; resort dining rooms and Cable Beach stay open. Plan the Sunday meal around Cable Beach or Paradise Island.
Bahamian sweets and drinks
Finish with guava duff and custard sauce, sky juice (gin and coconut water) or a Sands beer. Rum cake and John Watling's bottles travel home well.
Tipping and payments
A 15% gratuity is often already on the bill — check before adding more. US dollars and Bahamian dollars trade one-to-one; smaller local spots are cash-only.
Make a night of it
Pair a table with our Bites of Nassau food walk or the Old Nassau history and rum walk for a full evening downtown.