I had not heard of Umbrellas Beach Bar on Grand Anse Beach until Shara brought it to my attention. Thank You Shara. Here is her review and a few pics of Umbrella Beach Bar and Restaurant:

Hey Gooch,
Next time you’re in Grenada you should check out Umbrella’s Beach Bar, it’s on Grand Anse beach, you can get to it via the access road to the beach between Coyaba and St. George’s University (old campus). There’s enough parking at the end of the road and in front of the building.

We got there around 7:30 PM and were greeted by a friendly waitress. It’s a two level building, the seating on the upstairs has umbrellas off course; no umbrellas downstairs. We sat downstairs because it had been raining off and on that evening, although there were some people upstairs who didn’t seem to care about that.

Even though it was a weeknight it seemed to be relatively full, looked like an after work crowd was there as well as some visitors. We had our choice of sofa seating or tables, so we had our first drink on the sofa and dinner and the rest of the drinks at a table. The rum punch was pretty good, you could actually taste (and feel) the rum, (not sure if that’s a good or bad thing). My friend requested a drink that was not on the menu, gave the waitress the “recipe” and the bartender mixed it for her, it was good enough that she had two! Same with the rum punch for my sister and me.

The food is pretty tasty, my sister had the Grilled Veggie Salad and my friend had the Umbrellas Burger, they both said their dinner was good. I had the Catch Sandwich, on that day, the catch was Mahi Mahi and it was pretty good. It seems that you could have your choice of white or wheat bread, but on that day they were out of wheat bread. In general the food is appetizers, salads, sandwiches and desserts, all relatively light, nothing very heavy. I’m not a big drinker but from my perspective the drinks menu looked pretty good.

Umbrellas is not open very late, it’s closed on Mondays. Fridays and Saturdays it closes at 10, Tuesday – Thursday closes at 9 and I believe it closes at 8 on Sundays. A bell is literally rung at closing time, which I assumed was simply a last call, however, the waitress hurried us up to pay the bill because they had to close out the register! They started turning down the chairs and pulling down the windows shortly after that. It almost feels like you’re being chased out, we didn’t like that at all. So it’s the kind of place that you can go to if you’re spending the day on the beach, or if you want to have early dinner and drinks.

In general I would recommend Umbrellas Beach Bar, the food and drinks are good, the wait staff is friendly and nothing beats hanging out with friends having dinner and drinks, looking at St. George’s in the distance and listening to the waves crash ashore.

—Shara (USA)

Gerrit from Belgium had some nice things to say about Le Bistro Restaurant in Morne Rouge.

There are many good restaurants and even some really fine dining places in Grenada, but one does stick out above the crowd: Le Bistro at Morne Rouge.

This restaurant offers a unique dining experience for those who really appreciate a very personal approach and a true chef’s touch. Patrick, chef and owner, marvelously joins traditional French and European cuisine with influences of the Middle and Far East. They work with local and seasonal products, thus ensuring top quality, and regularly change the menu. This way you are always in for great culinary surprises.

Call up for a reservation and he will even accommodate the strangest of pallets and design a menu that suits your taste buds.

Located at Clove Hill road, Morne Rouge, few steps from Grand Anse, call: 00473-533-1262

You will not want to eat elsewhere after experiencing this culinary delight!

This week’s visitor review comes from Ryian in Washington DC. She writes about her vist to Carib Sushi in Le Marquis shopping center in Grand Anse.

Carib Sushi Spicy Shrimp Roll

Carib Sushi was much better than I would have ever expected. You may think to evade a sushi place in Grenada, or the Caribbean for that matter, but this place turned out to be one of the best places I have ever been to. They not only have an excellent eclectic sushi range consisting of local fish, but there are some other very appealing menu items for the non sushi lover. I found that to be one of the best things about Carib Sushi.

I got the spicy shrimp sushi. It was your basic California roll with fresh shrimp, fresh avocado, spicy mayonnaise, and lime juice rolled into sticky rice and sesame seed. The mayonnaise didn’t make it too spicy, it gave it just the right kick to the sushi. For those who are spicy shy there is also the regular non-spicy version of course.

Being an American I found the service to be some what slow, but for the laid back pace of the island I would say the service was pretty fast. Overall I would definitely go back to Carib sushi.

Cilia from neighboring Trinidad and Tobago wrote Grenada Beaches to ask an interesting question. The question in essence sums up the challenge that many business travelers to Grenada face… How to squeeze in some fun in the sun, and still get your work done?

Here’s Cilia’s situation:

Like myself, many people I know travel for work or study and are unable to participate in the day activities. They come back home having seen nothing but the conference hall and eat hotel food. In [date removed] I will travel for a conference at Grand Beach Hotel. I will stay there and will check in on Friday afternoon and leave on Monday midday (I have classes to teach on Thursday evening and Monday evening at home [Trinidad] so I cannot go early or stay extra time.

I imagine that the conference will go on up to as late as 6 pm each day.

• How can I still enjoy Grenada?
• Also, how can I move around without paying $40-$60 US for a hotel taxi to take me to town etc?

Below is my response (slightly edited).  Because she is tied up in conference every day,  everything has to be scheduled around her sessions.

My Response:

1. Grand Beach Hotel is on Grenada’s most popular beach — Grand Anse Beach — so that will cover your beach side of things. You can take an early morning dip before the conference starts, or relax in the evening after the conference. Friday after you check in is also a good option.




2. Grand Beach hotel is located right off the busiest bus route.
   
   

   ********Side Note*********
   This is true for many of the hotels in the Grand Anse area, not only Grand Beach. It’s a 5 or 10 minute walk to get to the main road, after which you will have several buses to choose from.
   ***************************

   There is bus stop right at the entrance/exit to Grand Beach. Catch the bus there and it takes you right into St. George’s. A 15 minute drive that will cost you about EC $2.00. Compare that to a US$40 taxi.

   You can explore every inch of St. George’s in a couple hours, if you plan it properly, and don’t dilly dally. Walk along the Carenage, visit the museum, visit Fort George, and pick up a few Souvenirs while you move about.

   Another option is to catch a bus early Saturday morning to St. George’s, and head over to the market. You’ll have sufficient time to get back for the start of your conference.

3. Gouyave Fish Friday is always fun. But it is a little out of the way. Ask your hotel front desk if they organize trips to Fish Fridays. Local tour companies are also a good option to inquire about. Finally, I heard Le Phare Bleu hotel, organizes a boat excursion up to Fish Friday. Give them a call to verify if this is true. Sounds like fun if you are not too scared of boats.




4. There are several Restaurants at other hotels along Grand Anse Beach, and many others within walking distance. One of my favorite hangouts is Rick’s Cafe right across the street from Grand Beach Hotel, and at the back of the Grand Anse Shopping Center. Good bites, and great ice cream.

Getting Around at Night

If you plan to do anything late evening/night (Club Karma maybe?) or out of the way, then you cannot escape taking a taxi. The safest bet is your hotel taxi, but they will charge you a lot.

If you are a savvy traveler (my guess is… you are), then while exploring St. George’s you can make contact with a taxi driver, and set things up for later. If you are uncomfortable with this then DO NOT do it; make alternate plans or use a hotel recommended taxi.

So Cilia (and anyone else) I hope this helps a bit. Grenada is safe enough to explore, and have some fun even with a tight business schedule. Always be aware of your surroundings, and do not take unnecessary risks, like walking by yourself, late at night, in poorly lit areas.

Kindest Regards
Gooch

How about you?

Any tips for the Grenada Business Traveler to squeeze in some fun? What will you try to (or must) squeeze in on a business trip to Grenada? Leave us your comments below.

Here is a guest post reviewing the Pizzeria at Prickly Bay Marina in L’Anse aux Epines. It’s submitted by Ryian from Washington DC. Thanks Ryian.

Considering the fact that by the time we all got there we were all starving, I would say that overall the pizza was pretty good.

The service was very slow, in fact they forgot to put in an order for one of our drinks. Not only that but they also did not have the widest selection. The only option we had was pizza, and I personally have never heard of a pizzeria only offering pizza.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt since after all it was Christmas Eve and it seemed as though there were only three or four people working the entire restaurant.

But as I said, the pizza was pretty good, so if you are in no rush or like to take time in between courses, this is a good choice for you.

Rick’s Cafe Grenada,We all Scream for Ice Cream

Rick’s Cafe Grenada, the home of Sugar and Spice ice cream, not only carries the best ice cream in all Grenada Restaurants, but the best ice cream period. Well that’s at least if you love tropical flavored Ice Cream.

I know you’re thinking … I’m not leaving [insert country here] to go to Rick’s Cafe in Grenada for ice cream.

Well there are two reasons I think you will want to go to Ricks Cafe:

1. The ice cream is really good, I mean it … move over Hagaan-Dazs, I’m talking once in a lifetime tropical flavors.
2. You gotta eat right? And what about the kids, or the kid in you?

Photography: ice cream by esther17.

Rick’s Cafe Wild Ice Cream Flavors

Alright for the conservative among you, rest assured that your boring, I mean regular safe flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Pistachio, etc, etc, etc. are all available at Ricks Cafe. So you can still come on down.

Now for those who want to live a little, and try something new, look for the

• Soursop,
• Guava,
• Nutmeg
• Power (Guinness meets Vanilla … not tropical but innovative and good)

Those are some of my favorite Ricks Cafe ice cream flavors. Some flavors are seasonal, so ask your server to identify and explain the local flavors for you. Or just same first.

Rick’s Cafe Pizza, Sandwiches, Carib

Rick’s Cafe Grenada is famous for being the home of the Sugar and Spice Ice Cream brand. But it is probably the first place in Grenada to popularize Pizza. And the do make a great Pizza at Ricks Cafe.

Also ask if the Barbecue Chicken Sandwich is still on the menu. That was hands down one of my favorites.

Of course no Grenada Restaurant or Eatery will be complete without the option for a cold Carib beer or three. And Ricks Cafe got that covered too.

Getting to Rick’s Cafe Grenada

Rick’s Cafe is closed on Mondays. It’s located in the Grand Anse Shopping Center. That’s on the opposite of the street from the Grand Beach Resort, and in the same area as the Food Fair Supermarket.

Any bus to grand anse or taxi will get you there.

It’s a great place to grab an afternoon bite or enjoy an ice cream cone after a day on the beach. There are a few booths inside and out front; and the terrace next to the lovely koi pond.

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