The Best Bars in Bridgetown, Barbados
It should come as no surprise that the capital city of Barbados – known as “the birthplace of rum” – is full of places to try the national drink. To enjoy it like a local, head to one of Bridgetown’s rum shops – small and colourful community bars. Alternatively, make your way to the coastal side of the city, where beach clubs serve rum cocktails and cold beers in view of the Caribbean Sea. Here are a few of the best places to try.
Bar Cutters
Bar, Caribbean
Just a 20-minute walk from National Heroes Square, Bar Cutters is a bona fide Bajan rum shop. Grab a bottle of Banks or Guinness – or a full bottle of rum if you’re with friends or just feeling thirsty – from the fridge. Then sit down to enjoy a classic Barbadian meal. Don’t miss the rum sauce: it’s home-made and served in slicks on dishes like sorrel-glazed ham and slow-cooked ribs.
Harbour Lights
Bar, Nightclub, Pub Grub, Caribbean
Boatyard Beach Club
Restaurant, Caribbean
Dippers
Bar, Cocktails
The terrace at Dippers looks out over the swan-white sands of Brownes Beach. This is the place to sip bottles of cold Banks beer, boozy rum punches or classic cocktails like piña coladas and mojitos. Stick around until the early evening and you can watch the sunset over Carlisle Bay. Peckish? The bar serves light bites like sandwiches and salads from noon until 9pm, and you can add cheese to anything for an extra charge.
La Cabane
Bar, Cocktails
The drinks menu at La Cabane is kooky. Crafted by the bar’s in-house sommelier, it features mojitos served popsicle-style, rum served in coconut shells and non-alcoholic options like the Tea Tox made with peach, rosemary and jasmine. The bar sidles up to an ivory-white beach and the seating options include sand-top loungers and swinging egg chairs. As it’s located on the northern edge of Greater Bridgetown, it’s best to hop in a taxi to get here.
Wendy's
Bar, Beer
This friendly sports bar is right on the northern edge of the Greater Bridgetown area, but it’s worth the journey for the atmosphere during big sporting events. The bar has 15 big screens that show everything from Formula 1 to rugby. The seating is spread between an indoor bar where sports mugs hang from the beams and a beer garden full of white picnic benches and potted plants. Be sure to try the rum punch here – it’s smoky.
The Sipping Room
Bar, Cocktails
The exterior of this cocktail bar, a 10-minute drive from National Heroes Square, is a pretty lavender purple. Inside, though, things are much more industrial in style. Bare filament bulbs hang above the bar area, where mixologists craft cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Rum Sours. If you get hungry, order from the bar bites menu, which features snacks like air-fried onion rings and steak sliders.
Not sure where to stay in Barbados? Book one of the best hotels in the country now via Culture Trip, or find out where to stay for a truly local experience. Then check out the best things to see and do on the island.
This is an updated rewrite of an article originally by Lydia Picknell.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.