• Veya (Anguilla; tel. 264/498-8392; www.veya-axa.com): On an island blessed with top-caliber chefs and the Caribbean's best dining scene, this Sandy Ground "treehouse" is one of the best -- and it's only been around since 2007. The Pennsylvania chef/owners call their food the "cuisine of the sun," and it's a minxy fusion of exotic flavors from hot spots around the globe, from Moroccan-spiced shrimp "cigars" to vanilla-cured duck in guavaberry sauce.
  • The Reef Grill at Royal Palms (Grand Cayman; tel. 345/945-6358; www.reefgrill.com): Elegant and hip, this hotshot restaurant in the Royal Palms Beach Club opens onto the fabled Seven Mile Beach. Adjacent to a beachfront bar and grill, it is a citadel of fine cuisine, specializing in seafood recently plucked from the nearby sea. The chefs treat seasonal products with care, turning out technically precise dishes that also have imagination -- anyone for mashed potatoes garnished with chunks of lobster tail?
  • Sugar Mill Restaurant (Jamaica; tel. 888/830-5974; http://halfmoon.rockresorts.com): At Half Moon, this first-rate restaurant has been created from the ruins of what used to be a water wheel for a sugar plantation. The cuisine is exquisite as you dine by candlelight on an open terrace under the moon. The chef is inspired, roaming the globe for his culinary creations.
  • Wall House (St. Barts; tel. 590/27-71-83; www.wallhouserestaurant.com): It's neither coolly elegant nor dripping with chic. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg to eat here, either. It is, however, a perfect representation of the kind of invitingly atmospheric French boîte that people want to come back to again and again. New ownership has not diminished the Wall House traditions of warm service, lively ambience, and bistro fare with flair at reasonable prices. The dazzling harbor views certainly don't hurt, either.
  • The Edge (St. Lucia; tel. 758/450-3343; www.edge-restaurant.com): Swedish-born Bobo Bergström is hailed as St. Lucia's finest chef -- and the competition is keen. His European fusion cuisine produces thrilling gastronomic delights, and he also offers the first and only sushi bar ever set up on St. Lucia. In 2003 he was designated as Caribbean Chef of the Year. We'll let you in on a secret: He's gotten even better since then.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.