SHOP
BRIDGETOWN Shopping
Harrisons on Broad Street
For shopping, the City has the widest variety in a fairly concentrated space. Nowhere else, for example, will you find a toy and craft supply store (Laurie Dash, Bay Street near Independence Square) within short walking distance of a bookshop, a picture framer, cigar seller, and clothing boutiques. Although Broad and Swan, the two main streets for shopping, have totally different characters, the hodgepodge effect still applies to Broad Street. Here you’ll find the Royal Shop selling Rolex and other finery directly across a narrow lane from the discount wares of Too Good to be 2! Broad Street is chock-a-block with duty free shopping on luxuries at places like Little Switzerland, Milano, Tiffany, and Colombian Emeralds. Some shops offer custom setting of the jewels, and at Diamonds International you can enjoy their chic private shopping lounge. Cave Shepherd, the 100-year-old department store, gathers a range of merchandise from perfume to liquor, clothing, and souvenirs all under one roof. The Harley Davidson shop located near to the Careenage offers the brand’s official gear. By contrast, Swan Street, Lucas Street, High Street and James Street throb with Barbadian shoppers seeking bargains on everything from fabrics to housewares to shoes and clothes. The street vendors just add to the texture of the whole experience. Just around the corner is one of the world’s few surviving Woolworths. Pop in for a trip down memory lane.
Eating
Diamonds International Watch & Design store on Broad Street
Lobster Alive serves fresh lobsters on the beach in Bridgetown
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Ins & Outs of Barbados
A trip to town is also a good opportuntiy to enjoy a nice lunch. For good, authentic, local comfort food with no pretensions, try Mustor’s on McGregor Street or the rustic Hunter’s Bar on Tudor Street. Bridgetown’s department store, Cave Shepherd has three restaurants: the Ideal Restaurant on the top floor serving a hearty Bajan food buffet; The Balcony Restaurant serving light and healthy fare; and The Coffee Bean serving food on the go and speciality hot and cold drinks. The Careenage with its bobbing boats is a lovely place to have lunch, and the Waterfront Cafe there allures locals and visitors alike. By the western end of the boardwalk, the Jolly Roger Tavern is great for casual dining with an atmosphere of fun. Farther south on Carlisle Bay, Lobster Alive offers delicious lobster and fresh fish, sometimes with live jazz, in a barefoot ambience on a stunning expanse of sand. Also on the bay is Fusion, offering Asian delights (and more) for lunch Monday to Friday - dine ‘al fresco’ or in cool airconditioned comfort overlooking Carlisle Bay. While in these settings, try picturing the bay full of sailing vessels coming to trade. That’s how it used to be, in the romantic days of sail when the oceans were the world’s super highways and Bridgetown was a powerful shipping hub. Closer to the Garrison, in Aquatic Gap, Brown Sugar’s gingerbread trim suggests traditional creole dishes and authentic Bajan specialities, which it serves in a tantalizing buffet at a great price in lovely cool surroundings. A little ways down the same gap, Cuzz’s cheap and cheerful snackette serves renowned fish cutters. When you’ve finished shopping and lunching, have a speed boat collect you from Carlisle Bay or the Careenage and take you back to your west coast hotel or villa - its quick and its fun.