Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Ragamuffins Bar & Restaurant

Travelling to any city across the globe, one is met with variances of colour, social status, language, activities, food and entertainment. The island of Barbados is set and ready to effectively compete on all fronts. There are local department and supermarket stores, like Super Centre and Cave Shepherd, as well as international franchises such as KFC, Louis Vuitton and Haagen Daz on the island.

On the gold or platinum west coast, there are hotels and restaurants to cater to the eclectic group of persons with varying degrees of purchasing power, style and taste. In other words, despite popular sentiment, there is something for everyone on the west coast of Barbados.

Ragamuffins Bar and Restaurant is one such precious locale set in 1st Street Holetown, St. James, Barbados. It was opened approximately eighteen years ago. The name of the property was also reinforced  for locals and visitors alike, when popular Barbadian soca Queen, Alison Hinds penned and performed an up tempo calypso by the same name about fifteen (15) years ago.

Ist and 2nd Street Holetown are on the left shortly after you pass the Holetown Police Station if going further north in the island. Crammed with eating spots of all kinds, it is also home to outdoor parties and other entertainment packages during the year and is well frequented by both local and visitor. Check with your hotel’s activity coordinator or the local Tourism Board, either of them should be able to provide the desired information on "what's happening" as this tends to be seasonal in nature.

One thing mentioned about Ragamuffins is their staff. From the chef to the hostess to the barmen to the owners, they appear to be happy and always ready to have a good time. This element would be a contributory factor to the warm, relaxing and unpretentious atmosphere at the restaurant.

The food at Ragamuffins blends the best of both worlds in Barbados. One can obtain stir fry shrimp, blackened fish (tuna, mahi-mahi or what is available) or shrimp or even a spiffy West Indian curry, cooked just right to ensure one asks for more and more. Fresh garlic bread and a choice of salads compliment the main course items and one simply chooses what meets one’s fancy. Oh and don't forget to try their version of the local fishcake delicacy to which they have added a unique sauce.

The bar is solid. Choose from your Berenger Zinfandel to a custom-made Barbados rum punch, which is made to varying degrees of lethalness at each individual establishment. One can also obtain sodas, hard beverages such as rum and whisky and then taper everything out with a blended fruit punch.

One ought not to be limited to food as there is more to Ragamuffins. Check out their interesting entertainment package, "Mannequins" every Sunday. Not for the faint-hearted, it still promises to highlight quality performers doing their routine. If one has a sense of humour, there will surely be lots of laughter and then some... because people really love to laugh on the island of Barbados.

For reservations for dinner or to book a seat for the Sunday night show, call (246) 432-1295 or visit their website: ragamuffinbarbados.com.

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