Saba is only about five square miles and has fewer than 2,000 residents, so you aren’t going to find endless rows of restaurants or familiar chains. What you will find is a small collection of locally owned restaurants, cafés and bakeries that quickly become part of the experience of visiting this magical island. And honestly, I loved that.
Dining on Saba Island feels personal. All in a day’s exploration, you may have breakfast at a tiny café before setting out for a hike, pick up lunch to take on a snorkeling excursion, and end your day over a beautiful dinner in Windwardside.
During our trip, we tried several places around the island, and these are the restaurants and cafés I recommend adding to your Saba Island itinerary.
Where to Eat on Saba Island
If you’re planning your meals in advance, these are seven places I recommend:
- Brigadoon
- Island Paradise Cafe
- Tropics Café
- Bizzy B
- Colibri Café
- The Hideaway
- The Scenery Hotel
Each offers something a little different, so rather than choosing just one or two, I recommend working several into your trip.
Brigadoon
Best for: A nice dinner in Saba
Brigadoon was one of my favorite places to sit down for a proper dinner during our time on the island. I also got to try the traditional Saban Lobster while dining at Brigadoon. An absolute must-try dish while visiting Saba.
Located in Windwardside, Brigadoon is actually the longest-running restaurant on Saba. The restaurant is tucked inside a traditional Saban home, which gives it a cozy, intimate atmosphere that feels completely appropriate for the island.
The menu combines Continental, Mediterranean and French influences with a Caribbean touch, with dishes ranging from fresh seafood and Saba lobster to steaks and pasta. This is where I would make plans when you want to slow down after a full day of hiking or snorkeling and enjoy a more elevated dinner.
Because Saba is so small, dinner choices are naturally more limited than they would be on a larger Caribbean island. Brigadoon is one of the restaurants I would plan ahead for rather than waiting until the last minute.
Island Paradise Cafe
Best for: Breakfast or lunch
Island Paradise Cafe is one of the casual daytime spots I recommend adding to your itinerary, particularly when you’re looking for breakfast or lunch before heading out to explore Saba.
One thing I learned quickly on this trip is that your days tend to revolve around your activities. You might be hiking in the morning, snorkeling in the afternoon or heading off to meet a local artisan, so having a few easy breakfast and lunch options in mind makes planning much easier. I really enjoyed their healthy smoothie options in the morning before exploring.
Saba’s small cafés were actually one of my favorite parts of eating on the island. Instead of rushing through meals at a huge resort restaurant, dining becomes another opportunity to slow down and experience the rhythm of everyday life here.
Tropics Café
Best for: To-go lunches, dinner and Wednesday documentary night
Because we stayed at Juliana’s Hotel, Tropics Cafe became a particularly convenient part of our trip. Located at Juliana’s in Windwardside, Tropics has a relaxed poolside setting with beautiful island surroundings. The restaurant serves breakfast as well as lunch and dinner on select days, and they grow an impressive selection of produce and herbs on-site, including tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, peppers, lettuces and herbs.
But here’s one tip I especially recommend if you’re planning to snorkel or dive: Order one of their to-go lunches.
Tropics specifically offers to-go lunch packages designed for visitors heading out for activities such as hiking and diving. We were able to take lunch along for our snorkeling excursion, which made the day so much easier. When you’re spending hours out on the water, the last thing you want to worry about is finding somewhere to eat in the middle of your excursion.
I also recommend coming back to Tropics for dinner. And if you’re in Saba on a Wednesday night, this is one evening I would specifically build into your itinerary.
Tropics shows the documentary “Reaching for the Clouds: The Nature of Saba” every Wednesday. Dinner orders are taken at 6:30 p.m., with the documentary beginning at 7 p.m. The film explores Saba’s extraordinary natural environment and is based on decades of research into the island’s flora and fauna.
After you’ve spent a few days hiking and snorkeling around Saba, it’s fascinating to sit down over dinner and learn more about the environment you’ve been exploring.
Bizzy B
Best for: Breakfast, coffee and pastries
Bizzy B is another great stop when you’re looking for an easy breakfast on Saba. This little bakery and café is exactly the type of place I love finding while traveling. Rather than sitting down for a long breakfast every morning, sometimes you simply want to grab coffee, something freshly baked and get started with your day.
Bizzy B has long been known on the island for its baked goods, sandwiches, pastries and coffee. I would especially recommend stopping here on a morning when you have a hike or excursion planned and want something more casual before heading out. I enjoyed a goat cheese and spinach croissant and coffee before hiking the Ladder and it was exactly the fuel I needed.
I recommend going earlier in the day if there’s something particular you want to try. Popular baked goods may sell out.
Colibri Café
Best for: A relaxing café stop surrounded by nature
My favorite food-stop setting on Saba was at Colibri Café.
Colibri Cafe is tucked into Saba’s lush landscape between a botanical garden and the T-Shop. The café overlooks the botanical garden with a little trail and waterfall, making this as much about the setting as it is about stopping for something to eat or drink. We popped in for a little pre-dinner snack and cocktail. I highly recommend the empanadas. They were so yummy!
I would work this stop into a day when you’re exploring the island rather than treating it as a meal you need to rush through. Sit outside, enjoy the surrounding greenery and embrace the fact that you’re on island time. Colibri Café gives you exactly that kind of break.
The Hideaway
Best for: A casual Saba meal
The Hideaway is another place I wanted to include because one of my favorite things about eating in Saba because it seemed to be one of the local hangouts. Here you will get to experience delicious food and a vibrant, local cliental.
When you’re visiting an island this small, try out the local hangouts or hideaways to really endorse yourself into the culture even further. That’s part of the charm of Saba Island.
Scenery Hotel Saba
Best for: Drinks with the most magnificent view
Even if you’re not staying at Scenery Hotel Saba, I recommend making time to stop by for a drink and take in what might be one of the most magnificent views on the island. Perched in Windwardside at the foot of Mount Scenery, the hotel was designed to take advantage of Saba’s incredible landscape, with sweeping views of both the mountains and Caribbean Sea.
This is the kind of place where I would order a cocktail, find a comfortable spot and simply take it all in. Saba is beautiful from almost every angle, but seeing the island’s dramatic green mountains falling toward that endless blue water from above is something special.
I would especially recommend stopping by later in the day when you have time to linger rather than squeezing it between activities. After hiking, snorkeling and exploring the island, sitting with a drink and watching the view of the sunsetting is a pretty perfect way to slow down and appreciate where you are.
A Few Things to Know About Eating in Saba
Eating on Saba requires a slightly different mindset than dining in a major Caribbean resort destination.
Check restaurant hours before heading out. Many establishments are small, independently operated businesses, and opening days and hours can vary.
Make dinner reservations when possible. There are only so many restaurants, and only so many tables, on an island this small. In the high season, it would be a good idea to make reservations to you can be sure that you get to experience your top picks for food!
Plan around your excursions. If you’re hiking, snorkeling or diving for much of the day, think about food beforehand. Tropics Café’s to-go lunches are especially useful for this.
Don’t expect everything to always be available. Remember that Saba has only one harbor and relies heavily on imported goods. Fresh-food shipments traditionally arrive on the island on Wednesday, so living and dining here requires a level of flexibility you don’t encounter at home. I actually think this adds to the experience.
You begin to appreciate what it takes to operate a restaurant on a tiny volcanic island in the middle of the Caribbean.
What I Loved Most About Eating in Saba
One of my favorite things about traveling to Saba was how quickly the island began to feel familiar. With fewer than 2,000 residents and only a handful of villages, you’re not disappearing into an enormous resort complex.
You see people again. You recognize places. And meals start feeling less like another item on your itinerary and more like part of experiencing the island. That’s what makes dining in Saba so memorable.
You might start your morning with coffee from a tiny bakery, eat a packed lunch while snorkeling beside volcanic rock formations and finish your evening over dinner in a traditional Saban home.
Planning a Trip to Saba?
If you’re planning your first visit, I’ve also put together my complete guide to the island with everything you need to know about where to stay, how to get there and what to do.
READ NEXT: The Ultimate Saba Travel Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do & Things to Know Before You Go
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