Lone Star

Barbados

If you were to conjure an image of the perfect beachside restaurant, it would look a little something like this. Lone Star sits in Mount Standfast on Barbados’ upmarket west coast and pays homage to its 1950s incarnation as a petrol station. Quirky design riffs punctuate: stylised petrol pumps are tastefully put together and there’s original memorabilia; although you do feel a bit for the staff, who are clad in white gas-jockey boiler suits all day. Through the low-key original entrance (if you ignore the super-cars parked out front) you’re taken to the top of the stairs. These sweep down to an airy, open-fronted space where every table has a full-length view out to the Caribbean Sea. The food is superb. Best defined as modern European with Caribbean influences, chef Wayne Knight has put together a menu of crowd-pleasers, with yellowfin tuna tartare with pickled ginger, and crab cake with mustard remoulade being the pick of the starters. For main, huge steaks are a speciality but jerk pork with pineapple and date compote is up there with the best on the island. Any time of day or night, this is one lone star that shines very brightly indeed.