Grenada Entertainment

Most hotels and restaurants offer international cuisine, serving a large variety of tropical fish and English, Continental, American and exotic West Indian food. Bars are stocked with the most popular wines and spirits, local beers and various brands of whisky, rum and brandy.

National specialities:
• Seafood, such as crabs and lambi (conchs).
• Calaloo (a leafy vegetable similar to spinach) soup.
• Oildown is the national dish consisting of stew made with salted meat, breadfruit, onion, celery, carrot, daheen (a root vegetable grown locally) and dumplings all slowly steamed in coconut milk until the liquid is absorbed.
• Rotis are curry-spiced wraps made from pastry or bread and filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables.
• Nutmeg ice cream.

National drinks:
• Rum is made locally using traditional methods.
• The local beer, Carib, is excellent.

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: A 10% service charge is added by most hotels and restaurants. If no charge is added, it is customary to leave a 10% tip. There is also an 8% government tax to pay at hotels and restaurants.

Home to the vibrant calypso and reggae music, Grenada offers a good mix of local and international restaurants and bars. Many resorts provide night-time entertainment, such as discos, organised shows and cabarets. The Reno Cinema in St George (tel: 440 5368) hosts many multicultural events as well as showing films. The Grenadian Jazz Society holds concerts several times a year in a number of hotels. Carnival takes place in towns across Grenada in the second week of August.

Special purchases include leather crafts, jewellery, spices, straw goods and batik (printed cotton and other fabrics). St George's market is the centre of island life. There are a number of duty-free shops selling quality goods from all over the world. A market near Grand Anse beach has scores of vendors selling crafts and spices.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1600, Sat 0800-1300. Supermarkets are usually open Mon-Sat 0900-1900. Craft and souvenir shops will open Sundays and bank holidays especially if cruise ships are in port.