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Restaurants are spread all over the island, although fewer are found in the west and northwest sections. Most restaurants out of town are easily accessible by taxi and have ample parking. If you dine in Charlotte Amalie, take a taxi. Parking close to restaurants can be difficult to find, and walking around after dark isn't advisable for safety reasons.
Dining on St. Thomas is informal. Few restaurants require a jacket and tie. Still, at dinner in the snazzier places shorts and T-shirts are inappropriate; men would do well to wear slacks and a shirt with buttons. Dress codes on St. Thomas rarely require women to wear skirts, but you can never go wrong with something flowing.
A great place to take a break and get a bite while shopping, this open-air café tucked into the alleyway of Palm Passage serves authentic Spanish cuisine for lunch and dinner. Try tapas such as mussels in brandy sauce, escargots with mushrooms and herb butter, or Galician-style octopus and baby eels served in a sizzling garlic sauce. Ask for an inside table if the idea of passersby checking out your meal isn't too appetizing.
In the old Russian consulate house at the tip of the Frenchtown peninsula, this restaurant offers superb views along with an eclectic array of dishes expertly prepared by longtime Virgin Islands chef Patricia LaCorte and her staff. Choose from the more casual bistro-style menu, which features taste-and-share charcuterie and artisanal cheese plates and entrées like flatbreads and burgers, or splurge on the more formal dinner selections like butter-poached local lobster or filet mignon. After dinner, take a five-minute stroll to nearby Frenchtown, where several bars offer live music on the weekends.
At this beautifully restored plantation house, you can dine on sophisticated starters such as beef tartare with a Creole aioli served on crostini and simply elegant surf-and-turf selections like grass-fed filet mignon or butter-poached lobster tails on skewers. Personalized attention makes dining here a delight, as does the incredible decor—think 18th-century stone walls meets modern-day elegance, with fine silver and china set on white-tablecloth-topped hardwood tables.
Sail up in a boat, paddle by in a kayak, or motor out in a dinghy to pick up freshly made New York–style pizza from this "floating" food truck. This 37-foot motor sailor is an authentic brick-oven pizzeria, serving pies topped with locally grown basil and fresh lobster. There are 15 toppings to choose from and gluten-free crust is available. Drink options include frozen cocktails and chilled shots. The boat is moored daily in the protected waters of Christmas Cove off Great St. James island, easily accessible on day sails and powerboat excursions. There's also a shuttle that runs from St. Thomas or St. John called Slice Slice Baby (340/474--9727).
Tucked into a Red Hook shopping center, this down-home eatery has a congenial atmosphere and well-prepared sandwiches, flatbreads, and entrées that make it popular with local professionals. Come early for a seat at the bar and get the scoop on local island news. Lunch features starters like street corn guacamole, sandwiches (the tuna burger is from fresh catch rather than a can), and hearty salads. There's more of the same at dinner, plus entrées like pan-seared scallops and lamb shank pot pie.
