The Best Waterside Restaurants in Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Located in the heart of Spanish Town, CocoMaya blends Asian fusion cuisine with fresh Caribbean ingredients, resulting in dishes such as tempura shrimp and pork bao buns. Considered the best spot for sundown cocktails by the water’s edge, CocoMaya is just a 10-minute walk from the marina and has its own dinghy dock for those mooring off Spanish Bay. After dinner, relax around CocoMaya’s flaming fire pit next to the beach bar serving spicy Jalapeno Margaritas and punchy Rum Runners.

Owned by island icon Rose Giacinto, the Bath and Turtle and Chez Bamboo is down the road from the yacht club, overlooking the famous Spanish Town harbour. An island staple since 1988, Bath and Turtle serves freshly brewed coffee and brunch of banana bread and johnnycake in the day. As night falls, Chez Bamboo comes alive with live music and an Asian-Caribbean menu accompanied by freshly made cocktails. Menu standouts include the sesame-crusted seared tuna and juicy Hurricane Irma burger with buffalo sauce.

The signature restaurant of Oil Nut Bay’s premium marina village, Nova offers waterside dining and handcrafted cocktails with colourful names, such as Dead Man’s Chest and Bonefish Beach. Deep bay tacos are on offer alongside bacon seared scallops – or you can splash out with a whole grilled lobster. A perfect dock and dine option, Nova is adjoined to Oil Nut Bay’s marina – while mooring balls in Deep Bay are offered on a first come first serve basis.

Named after the plantation on which it was built, Sugarcane restaurant was a favoured burger joint until it was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Revamped and relaunched in 2019, the open-air restaurant sits in beautiful surroundings with far-reaching ocean views and a pool surrounded by palm trees. The menu boasts classic British Virgin Island flavours – with freshly caught tuna sitting alongside lobster fritters and jerk spiced Mahi creole. Come early to sample the unusual selection of rums and dance the night away on the sandy dance floor.

Part of the upscale Rosewood Little Dix Bay resort, the Sugar Mill is a perfect choice for the celebratory last night of charter. Boasting panoramic views of the bay, the Sugar Mill was formerly an open-air stone mill and features an eclectic menu, comprising tapas, fresh seafood and sharing plates. At the heart of the restaurant, however, is the Raw Bar, which serves fresh lobster and succulent conch ceviche. Keep it dressy though – the restaurant demands a “resort elegant” dress code.

Don’t be alarmed by the name – Fat Virgin’s Café is named after the island itself and proudly describes itself as simple, satisfying and scrumptious. For a relaxed dinner in flip flops, dinghy up to the front door to order fresh fish specials and cold Carib beer. Located near the Biras Creek resort with picnic tables just feet from the sea, Fat Virgin Café has docks for arriving dinghies and far-reaching views over the North Sound.

Spend a day trawling the top Virgin Gorda restaurants with a yacht charter from SamBoat. Alternatively, take a longer tour of these waterside restaurants by hiring a boat with Dream Yacht Charter.