Adventure
Rediscovering St Lucia – Twenty Years On
The magic of St Lucia never quite leaves you
Quite by chance, I found myself rediscovering St Lucia this November, having only been here a few months earlier. This makes me feel incredibly lucky indeed, and add to this, I was here in 2006 filming with ITV’s This Morning (see 2006 blog). Back then, I cooked cassava bread in the rainforest, filmed in Castries Market, cycled around the island and finished each day hungry, sun-tired and happy.
Discover St Lucia’s food, restaurants, sights and recipes in this chef-led travel guide. Authentic Caribbean flavour and honest reviews.
Weather
I recommend visiting between March and April.
Month High / Low(°C)
January 29° / 23°
February 29° / 23°
March 30° / 24°
April 30° / 25°
May 31° / 26°
June 31° / 26°
July 31° / 26°
August 32° / 26°
September 31° / 26°
October 31° / 25°
November 30° / 24°
December 29° / 23°
Finding an old friend: The Coal Pot
One evening on that original trip, the PR team took us out for dinner. I remember very little about the conversation, but I remember the lobster. A small quayside restaurant, beautifully lit, waves lapping beneath the table, and me stuffing my face like a man who knew he might never be back. Food memories have a habit of lodging themselves deep in the brain — this one never left.
Lunch was booked at The Coal Pot, perched right on the harbour. As I walked in, something stirred. The layout. The feel. The sound of the water beneath the floorboards. This, it turned out, was the restaurant from twenty years ago. I didn’t recognise it then because it had been dark, but the moment I sat down, it all came flooding back.
The room was cool, calm and quietly confident — a welcome relief from the 32°C outside. Sitting metres from the water, you can hear the tide gently tapping against the rocks as you eat. It’s the sort of place that immediately slows you down.
A menu that understands its island
The menu read exactly how it should in St Lucia: callaloo soup, crab backs, snapper, escargot, mussels, tuna, lobster. Local produce treated with respect, not tortured into submission.
I foolishly ordered a rum punch. Strong doesn’t begin to cover it. That pretty much finished me off before the starters arrived, but on we went.
The callaloo soup was excellent with a deep, earthy flavour and nice and light. The snails were equally good swimming in garlic and parsley butter. The mussels lacked a bit of flavour and depth, but were okay. My saltfish was excellent, not too salty, and the accompanying greens and salad were very nice. The only thing that surprised me was the green fig element. They were not figs at all, but fried plantain and cooked to perfection. I love the starchy, slightly chewy denseness of fried plantain, and it pairs really well with all meats and fish.
The tuna was like my trip earlier in the year (see blog), different to any tuna I have had back in Europe. The texture is creamier and softer, even when cooked rare, and truly delicious. My mate’s snapper was a triumph, well-cooked and served with a light coconut cream curry sauce, braised rice, lentils, and salad.
Castries Market – still the beating heart
Castries Market remains one of the great Caribbean food theatres. The colours hit you first — piles of green fig (plantain, not figs), breadfruit, mangoes and peppers. Then the smells: saltfish, herbs, frying oil and ripe fruit. I could happily cook an entire series from this market alone.
"Rediscovering St Lucia through memory, markets, rum, sunshine, lobster, flavour, time."
Big Chef Steakhouse
When ambition slightly outruns clarity
Big Chef Steakhouse was not what I expected at all. The menu read beautifully online, but I’ve been here before — impressive descriptions that don’t always translate to the plate.
The menu that keeps on giving
We order (wait for the descriptions): seafood bisque, pork foie gras fungi-ripened fine hazelnut crème, Thai shrimp, scallop corn fennel pollen, vanilla bread stick (that’s one starter), and Coconut balsamic, fermented berries, salted flower seeds, Bourbon, apricot jelly, sourdough. For the main courses: lavender-roasted lamb rack, apricot curry ganache, lemon-glazed carrot, cherry-beetroot apple focaccia, blue cheese, blueberry espagnole, and Big Chef craft butchered rib eye, tender truffle butter. Two sides: charred corn teriyaki mayo, salted ricotta and a weird sort of salad that wasn’t a salad at all.
I have no intention of explaining all the dishes in detail, purely because you would either fall asleep or get incredibly bored. Let’s say, at some point, restraint left the building.
My honest take
Everything was cooked competently and looked amazing. The foie gras brûlée had an exquisite texture but lacked flavour. The bisque was deep and rich. The lamb and rib-eye were good quality. But the dishes were so complex and over-constructed that I struggled to understand what they were trying to say.
I’ll go again. It may well be me. But the phrase “Emperor’s new clothes” did drift quietly across my mind.
Final thoughts
St Lucia still delivers exactly what it always has — warmth, generosity and deeply satisfying food rooted in place. Twenty years on, the island hasn’t lost its soul, and neither have its kitchens. That’s something worth celebrating.
must see places
Pitons Management Area
The iconic twin volcanic peaks are St Lucia’s defining image. Whether viewed from land or sea, they are genuinely awe-inspiring.
Website: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1161/
Castries Market
A sensory overload of produce, spices and local life. Go early, talk to stallholders and taste everything you’re offered.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castries_Market
Sulphur Springs, Soufrière
The Caribbean’s only drive-in volcano. Slightly surreal, wonderfully smelly and utterly unique.
Places to Eat
The Coal Pot
A St Lucian institution with superb seafood, classic local dishes and one of the best dining settings on the island. Timeless, relaxed and consistently excellent.
- Location: Castries Waterfront
- Cuisine: Caribbean / Seafood
- Instagram: coalpot.restaurant
Big Chef Steakhouse
Bold, ambitious cooking with premium ingredients and theatrical presentation. Not for the timid diner, but certainly memorable.
- Location: Rodney Bay
- Cuisine: Contemporary / Steak & Seafood
- Website: https://bigchefsteakhouse.com
Pink Plantation House
Elegant Caribbean cooking in a colonial-style setting, with a menu that celebrates island flavours beautifully.
- Location: Choc Estate
- Cuisine: Creole / Caribbean
- Facebook: The-Pink-Plantation-House
Inspired Recipes
Some recipes inspired by my brief trip to St Lucia
St Lucian Callaloo Soup
Callaloo soup is a Caribbean dish made from leafy greens like callaloo or spinach, cooked with seasonings, onions, garlic, and sometimes seafood or meat, creating a hearty, savoury stew.
View RecipeCoconut-Curried Salt Fish with Rice & Peas
A Caribbean-inspired dish of gently curried salt cod simmered in coconut milk with kidney beans, served over fluffy long-grain rice and peas for a rich, comforting one-plate meal.
View RecipeGrilled Whole Red Snapper
Grilled Whole Red Snapper is a tasty and healthy seafood dish. Marinated with herbs and spices, the fish is grilled to perfection, resulting in a juicy and tender meal.
View Recipe