The Pavilion

Have you even been to place and instantly fallen in love with the ambiance and charm that it exudes? The Pavilion Restaurant located in the Caribbean island of Tobago has this old colonial, open air feel that mixes well with some modern contemporary designs that results in a very unique dining experience. After a long day visiting the island's beautiful beaches, we decided to get some lunch at this place we were planning to check out for a while.

To get there, its a drive up a hill and as you turn a corner, the Pavilion is revealed and it becomes clear as to why it was named as such! It is basically as it is called, a pavilion overlooking one of the most beautiful sights on the island, Stonehaven Bay and the sleepy little village below. The building itself has a colonial European look complemented with lush and skillfully maintained greenery.

As you're walking in, a quaint little walkway leads into a beautiful open air lounge and bar, the walls filled with antiquated decorations and memorabilia that speaks of the history of the place as well as the island. We were greeted by the friendliest man who introduced himself as Martin and were seated on the patio with arguably the best view. We had to whole place to ourselves so it really didn't matter.

Settling In

We quickly grew fond of Mr. Martin, you could tell he loved to hold conversations with the guests! He told us stories about how he came to the island to work from the UK and his life past, very interesting fellow. After we were handed our menus and ordered, we enjoyed the scenery and the sounds that nature rendered for us, it was quite relaxing while waiting for the food.

The appetizers and drinks came first which was fried calamari and some non alcoholic drinks that I cannot remember! They were very unique, using tropical flavours of the island as I recall. The fried calamari was fresh and delicious. We could tell that it was well made when it had that crispy exterior and beautiful tender interior. Needless to day it was quickly devoured.

The Main Course

Finally, the main entrees arrived and I could not wait at this point to dig into the medium done fillet mignon! The dish came with an unorthodox presentation with the vegetables and mashed potatoes being presented in a such a weird manner. I give the head chef props for this creativity as you will see. I have to be honest here, the vegetables and mashed potatoes were well cooked and delicious (even though it was a small amount) but the fillet mignon was not as I ordered, sadly. It was medium well on one side and medium on the other making it unevenly cooked! I'm not one to make a fuss as long as the dish is not cold, raw or overcooked so I continued eating. I wasn't in the mood to wait any longer for a replacement anyway.

With satisfied bellies, we wandered around the place to explore. There was an awesome infinity pool leading off into the seaside view. If I could live here, I would! I swear the camera does it no justice.

All in all, it was a nice experience, the exception being the food! The ambiance, the location and scenery were all on point and I totally would return the next time we visit the island. The Pavilion is literally the best name for the establishment and it really did feel like sitting in one amidst the grand view of nature. Thanks for reading, cheers!