Bridgetown's best eating is a mix of local lunch spots and the waterfront restaurants that have sprung up along the Careenage. The local staple is cou-cou and flying fish — cornmeal and okra polenta with a pan-fried or steamed flying fish on top — and you will find it in almost every local restaurant. Rum-marinated grilled fish, macaroni pie, and rice and peas are the other staples.
The area around Cheapside Market has several lunch counters serving the kind of food office workers eat: big plates, cheap prices, fast service. For a more relaxed meal by the water, the restaurants along the Careenage are fine without being exceptional — good for a sundowner and grilled fish. The best cooking in Bridgetown is in the smaller local spots rather than the tourist-facing establishments.