A friendly country inn and restaurant run by Eric and Cindy, their children Clint and Catie and Cindy’s sister Kathy. The family has been at the helm of the Tamarind for two years and enjoys making the Tamarind Club a home away from home. ”We just love having fun,” says Cindy, “We serve great food, three meals a day, seven days a week, and we often have live music in the evenings. Our ‘dinner and dance’ nights are often fully booked.”

The inn features a large pool with swim-up bar, a terrace lounge and a roomy restaurant on the lower level. The bar itself is a one of a kind, and it shimmers in the evenings with the same Caribbean blue as the sea. The single and double rooms and suites are situated around the perimeter of the pool, and lush grounds are planted with lofty trees, palms and tropical flowers.

The restaurant is very popular with locals and visitors alike and “Sunday Brunch at the Tamarind” is almost an island tradition. “All our dishes are homemade,” says Chef Suzy proudly, “even our salad dressings and sauces.” The lunch menu features more than 20 selections, ranging from char grilled peel n’ eat shrimp with chipotle mayonnaise to Tamarind’s Greek salad and penne pasta tossed with hot Italian sausage in a creamy tomato sauce. The homemade burgers are served on a caramelized onion bun with home fries.

Dinner is equally inviting, with offerings like pan-seared ahi tuna, mussels in a creamy leek and saffron sauce and seafood mixed grill with fresh herb mayonnaise. The Club is situated on the road to Josiah’s Bay, one of Tortola’s prettiest northern beaches that’s noted for its great surfing in winter months. For a fun, family atmosphere, mouth-watering food and the most creative drinks on the island, you can’t beat the Tamarind Club.

Recipe: Tamarind’s Creamy Seafood Chowder
Ingredients for four servings:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 potato
• 1 pint clam juice
• 1 cup uncooked fish: tuna, mahi, snapper, salmon
• 1 cup raw shellfish: mussels, scallops, shrimp, lobster
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Sautée the onion, celery and carrot in the olive oil. Add the garlic finely minced and the diced potato. Cover with clam juice and simmer till cooked. Mash or liquidize in a food processor. Chop fish and shellfish very small (1/4 inch pieces) and add to soup. Add the heavy cream and simmer for about two minutes. Season to taste. Serve with a splash of “pepper wine.” -- Julian Putley

Davide Pugliese's artistry, creative flair and sublime taste are not exclusive to his culinary endeavours. Influenced by his surroundings while growing up in Tuscany, he studied art and photography, becoming a professional photographer and eventually settling in New York City. While in the Big Apple, his interest in the epicurean arts blossomed into a second career.

In 1984, Pugliese visited the BVI while on vacation, did a bit of sailing, and "fell in love with the place." He bought Brandywine Bay Restaurant in 1988 with his future wife, Cele, by his side.

Through the years, Brandywine Bay's fame grew, and new customers quickly became regulars. "Brandywine Bay still has the charm of an old estate, with an incredible view of Sir Francis Drake Channel," says Pugliese. "We have filled the property with beautiful art, African tablecloths, much colour, style, candlelight, and flower arrangements." The service, he adds, is exceptional. "We are not just known for our food, but also for our service. My staff can hear a fork drop and will be there within seconds. You can sit down, relax and know that your glass will be topped off at all times. The experience at Brandywine Bay is about being taken care of and pampered."

The choices at Brandywine Bay are incredible. "We always have an extensive menu: anywhere from seven to 12 appetizers, and a similar amount for the main course," Pugliese explains. "We write the menu on a board each night and go table to table describing it to our customers. Everything is fresh and cooked to order. I change the menu as often as I can."

Although there is always a tantalizing mix of dishes in which to indulge, the one item he cannot take off the board is his signature roast duck. "It can't come off the menu," he says, "or I'd be in trouble!" Among partakers of this delicacy is Princess Anne, who visited the restaurant in early 2005.

The key to Brandywine Bay's success? "We would not be where we are without teamwork; from start to finish, it's a combination of hard work, great service, excellent location and staff. I take care of the kitchen and Cele takes care of the front of the house and the wines - we have a very large wine selection. She often describes the menu to diners as well." Pugliese is also an active member of the BVI Culinary Team, participating in the annual Taste of the Caribbean competition put together by the Caribbean Hotel Association.

There is no better advertising than word of mouth, and Brandywine Bay receives nothing but compliments from patrons far and wide. "A recent customer," says Pugliese, "told me he heard of us while on duty in Afghanistan." Even on the other side of the world, Brandywine Bay is recognised as one of the finest dining experiences in the Caribbean.

Brandywine Bay Restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday. For reservations, please call (284) 495-2301.

Keith Audette, Food and Beverage Director for the Village Cay Resort Marina/Hotel, has an emotional pull to his chosen profession. A native of Rhode Island, he grew up "in the kitchen, around the heels of my mother, who's also a chef."

Audette attended Johnson & Wales University and worked his way up the corporate ladder, arriving in the BVI in late 1997. He has been part of the Village Cay family for almost six years and also serves as chairman of the BVI Culinary Team.

The BVI adds its own sprinkling of magic to the cuisine at Village Cay. "There's a lot of diversity of ingredients here — we work a lot with mangos, avocados, dasheen, christophine," he explains. Audette also cites East Indian influences, where curries and rotis reign supreme.

For the ultimate experience in BVI dining, Village Cay has a dockside grill with a varied menu and the freshest of ingredients. "We do a great braised oxtail and use a lot of lamb and goat down here, which is a lot of fun to experiment with," says Audette. "We also have fresh lobster and lots of seafood — our restaurant is right on the dock." Mahi-mahi, swordfish and yellowfin tuna come in right to Village Cay's dock, he explains. Diners also get to enjoy some of the most magnificent yachts in the world.

Other top draws on their menu include a cristophine-crusted rack of lamb, coconut and dark rum-laced sweet potatoes, Caribbean bouillabaisse, and their signature jerk duck. There's also Sushi Night on Fridays, which Audette says is very popular.

For lighter fare, there's Dockmaster's Deli, a high-end, New York-style gourmet deli featuring handcrafted sandwiches, wraps and soups. This relative newcomer in Village Cay has done very well, surpassing everyone's expectations.

"I like to think we're all things for all people," says Audette. "Our menu has something for everyone." Even for Jimmy Buffett, who declares he was inspired to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise" while on a blissful and flavoursome moment at Village Cay. Audette confirms that the resort has carried on that tradition. "Our cheeseburgers are still great."

Village Cay is open for three meals a day, seven days a week. For more information, call (284) 494-2771.

Jeff and Jinx Morgan moved from San Francisco to Tortola 22 years ago and have yet to look back. "We wake up every morning and enjoy the beauty of it," says Jinx. The Caribbean, Jeff says, is much more sophisticated than many people imagine.

The Morgans have added their particular spot of sophistication as owners of the Sugar Mill Hotel in Apple Bay, Tortola, a heaven-sent haven with 24 accommodations set among the ruins of a 17th century sugar plantation. Named one of the "Best Hotels in the Caribbean" in Condé Nast Traveler's 2003 Top 10 List, the hotel features a beach that is perfect for snorkelling, a fresh water swimming pool, and candle-lit dinners at the gourmet Sugar Mill restaurant.

As contributing editors of Bon Appetit Magazine, the Morgans are able to keep abreast of trends in cuisine and the restaurant business, which helps them continually reinvent the superb array of dishes offered in the restaurant. During your visit, you can take home some divine recipes and cuisine tidbits with The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook, written by the Morgans and inspired by the flavours of the Caribbean.

Jinx is also a renowned watercolour artist. Depicting the idyllic life of the Caribbean in her work, her paintings are part of private collections in the Caribbean, Austria, Italy, England, Canada and the United States. "Every turn of the road offers inspiration for a new painting," says Jinx. Adds Jeff, "There's no other place in the Caribbean where I'd rather live."

As Executive Chef of the highly acclaimed Peter Island Resort, the very charming Willfor "Willo" Stoutt knows a thing or two about top-notch dining. Amid a fantastic setting of sea and sky, he adds a fresh and creative combination of ingredients and the region's signature warmth to both Caribbean and international cuisine in Tradewinds, the resort's main restaurant. The tables are adorned with German china, French silverware and Italian crystal. "Tropical classic" would describe both the cuisine and the ambiance, although Asian and Italian influences are evident as well.

Besides oveseeing Tradewinds and Deadman's Beach Bar & Grill, which offers lighter but equally tasty fare, Chef Willo also directs the resort's daily Caribbean Tea, mixing a tropical flair of fruity pastries and other delights with English tradition.

Among Chef Willo's recommendations: Peter Island crab cakes, the delectable rack of lamb, Caribbean bouillabaisse and coconut rice. But word around the Caribbean is you can't make a bad choice when it comes to dining at the Peter Island Resort — Chef Willo sees to that.

A 30-year veteran of the resort and a native of Tortola, Chef Willo is also recognized for his pivotal role in the advancement of the BVI's culinary milieu. A member of the first gold medal-winning team from the BVI in Taste of the Caribbean — an annual culinary event celebrating Caribbean cuisine — he is looking forward to upcoming competitions and to being actively involved in fundraisers, practices and other ways in which to give other chefs the opportunity to proudly represent the BVI. And who wouldn't be inspired to create here?

Show me a complete list of restaurants and nightlife in the BVI.

Show me where to shop for fresh food and produce, wine and spirits in BVI.