Ristorante Villaggio

Description:

• One of the island's most appealing restaurants lies 3.2km (2 miles) west of Cable Beach, close enough to the gated residential enclave of Lyford Cay to ensure a steady flow of upscale locals. Set within an ochre-colored complex of shops and office buildings known as Caves Village at Caves Point, it's posh, a bit dilettantish, and charming. There's a cozy dining room, elaborate French Empire-style chandeliers, display cases filled with colorful Murano glass, and rustic furniture that might have been pulled out of a farmhouse in Tuscany. Even better is a sprawling covered terrace whose furniture -- wrought-iron tables and deep armchairs -- seems appropriate for someone's private library. Menu items are savory and artful; the lemongrass-poached lobster salad is fabulous, as are the trenette pasta with seafood, the clam linguini, and the Angus beef with arugula. Also delicious is the black sea bass atop a bed of truffle-studded creamed potatoes, bacon-braised organic leeks, and wild mushrooms. The place is run by slightly dotty English supervisors and a rather hip Bahamian and international staff.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010