Restaurant review: Michael Winner at Fishpot, Barbados
Barbados has many charms but it’s certainly not the culinary hot spot of the world. That’s putting it mildly. Although the Sandy Lane food dipped last Christmas-New Year I still ate 35 lunches and dinners there, only going out seven times. Two of those outings were to a restaurant I’d never visited in my 25 years of Barbadossing, the Fishpot.
It’s absolutely terrific. Far better than that so-called “great” Barbados dump, the Cliff, which is the most overbooked, second-rate place in the world. When tour operators sell their packages they suggest booking key restaurants even if it’s a year in advance. So everyone makes bookings. When they get there they change their minds. It’s chaos. Last time I went to the Cliff I got a New York steak, supposedly medium rare, which consisted of four separate slices of beef overdone beyond belief. The arrogant girls who run it behave as if they’re bestowing a favour letting you in. There are very few good tables. Usually I found myself in an alley with a high-rise rock on one side and black sea (it was night) on the other.
Source:Times Online
Restaurant critic Michael Winner rates the Cliff restaurant as “overrated”, and Daphne’s, “another useless waste of time” . Barbadians would be shocked by his assessment because the award winning Cliff restaurant is considered one of the top five restaurants in Barbados and was previously rated in the top 50 restaurants in the world, back in 2005 Fat Duck Awards. Could the the standard at the Cliff have plummeted so quickly or is Mr. Winner being overly harsh? The few times we have visited the Cliff we have always received excellent service; the food, although delivered in small portions, was always well presented and easy on our taste buds. We suggest that the management of Cliff restaurant make contact with Mr. Winner and get an understanding for the inputs he used in his assessment of the restaurant. Our tourist product cannot afford to have this kind of bad publicity directed at one of our top restaurants.
On the flip-side, Mr. Winner was lavish in his praise of the Fish Pot restaurant. Both restaurants reviewed are on the West Coast of Barbados.
Barbados Underground 
This reads like sour grapes!
Michael Winner is a sourpuss of a man, so he’s bound to spout sour grapes!
But he is right about the arogant service at the cliff. Everyone walks around like the sun is shining out of their asses. I still think the best food is at Lemon Arbour, St. John. Certainly the best value!
Winner is the same man who complained about the food at Bayview hospital?
Yeah, his column revolves around complaining and deflating super egos.
In reality he’s just a buffon with a spoon.
The Simon Cowell of 5 star eateries.
In actual fact his column is always written with tongue in cheek.
I chatted with him once and as they say “he’s a jolly nice chap”.
Straight talk whatever is said about his affable nature his column appears in the Times in the UK and must have some negatives attached to it.
Where is Lemon Arbour listed Bajan Boy? Not in the phone book. Let’s hear some more about it.
With regards to the recommendations or lack thereof by Mr. Winner. This is probably, like most things today, especially in Barbados — $$$$ under the table.
I must admit I have never been to the Cliff but I have been to the Fishpot several times. The service is good when they are not busy. The cuisine is acceptable, although I was once served raw fish and it had to be re-cooked, but certainly nothing to write home about.
I agree B & B, I’ve been a couple of times and would go again, but it’s nothing special.
Let us hear from all your reader’s, David, about their favourite spots and dishes, we don’t need overstuffed English foodies telling
us what’s hot in Bimshire.
I prefer my food at home.
At Lemon Arbour he probably means those beautiful women who run a restaurant just off the main road.
I have heard about the fare there but these things are quite subjective.
You could try the pudding “n” souse of the Souse Factory at Cliff, St. John.
Who the hell cares about what a British man has to say about restaurants in Barbados?
Try and get reviews from Bajans, you brainwashed clown.
What I want to read about is what Bajans have to say about restaurants inside and outside of Barbados.
Reading about the likes and dislikes of a white British man’s palate is something which I as a Bajan find distasteful and unpalatable.
Anonymous why are you being so testy? You are surely aware that B’dos is a tourist destination(albeit an expensive one). You surely know about the power of the pen. You also know how finnicky tourists can be. Why you cussing out people?
I have just discovered Lemon Arbour and would recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxed lunch.
The food is tasty if not gourmet, the views are great and the atmosphere is congenial.
There is however a long wait and I recommend people get there at 10.30am if they want a take away or to go for an early lunch.
The last time I went to the Cliff, the occasion was marred by a stuck up Maitre de, but the food was still as out of this world as the prices. Perhaps someone new on the staff didnt recognise Michael Winner…..
Please people. Michael Winner is well read, not only in England but on the continent as well. Besides, he also criticized Sandly Lane where he stays for two weeks every year over Christmas and New Year. He is fabulously rich and will not take kickbacks, he does not need it. Made his money in the film industry methinks. A producer or such.
Pat,
No-one is accusing Mr. Winner of his academic abilities………….
Has no-one ever enlightened you that that is how people get “Fabulously Rich”?? It’s all done in a very “genteel” manner.
You can’t be living in the same country/planet that I am.
My wife and I last visited The Cliff about 8 years ago, and Among other things, I agree with Michael winner about it being “overrated”. In order to get a table in a decent spot, I had to lie about who I was. I prentended to be a visitor living in a Sandy Lane villa, and put on a really “posh” accent. The reason is that locals booking there usually end up with a table next to the toilets of the kitchen, or high up away from the ocean. Local clients only seem welcome if they can fill an empty space. The stupidity of this approach is that locals are the ones who will come back time and again, if treated well. A visitor, however, comes but once a year at most. We had guests, and the price was outrageous. What did it for me, though, was that my credit card was charged no less than three times, and each time the amount was different, but approximate to the actual bill. I have my ideas about what went on here, but I was not impressed either by this single act, or by the excuses offered by the restaurant. Nah! Too many good and more reasonable restaurants in Barbados. The best thing about The Cliff is its recipe book.
I work in tourism, most visitors that have been to The Cliff, say its fantastic, food, service etc. The Fishpot is a very much different type of restaurant altogether, excellent for lunch, again fantastic food, service etc, but dinner…………I think most people would take The Cliff anytime
We don’t get the impression that Winner is comparing the two restaurants in the same category. He seems to be examining the service levels of the two.
I have been to The Cliff several times and it is not good. The food is overated and expensive and don’t bother complaining if things aren’t right, you are just treated with disdain.
An international restaurant, who are they catering for. At least at the Fish Pot you have good food, good service (but not too speedy when they are busy) and friendly people. Plus wonderful art.
However, there is nothing better than eating at home; stewed pig’s knuckles, local spinach and yam pie. Delicious! Think of the money it saves.
Our favourite restaurant is the Cliff. We love it.
For consistency and absolutely superb meals- check The Cliff
For the ultimate in service, similar to the Sandy Lane experience- The Cliff.
It’s expensive, we only go there for special. They work hard for you and watch you all the while, though it doesn”t appear that way.
I am amazed to hear such things as those above written. This is a word-ranked restaurant, and we have had only good experiences there.
Tides is by far and away the best restaurant in Barbados Period.
Michael Winner – is anyone surprised? He’s a complete twat.
I used to work at Carambola 10 years ago (before the Cliff was about) and he rubbished us too.
Its what he does…his persona in the UK is like the Simon Cowell character for music…cruel to be entertaining.
Cliff has been great everytime I’ve been. I would agree that the staff could warm up – considering what we are paying.
Fish Pot is one of my favourites too – but yes, a very different product.
Locals have money and would probably spend more over a year if treated well and not sub human.
Interesting reading comments about The Cliff – we thought it was a superb location really spectacular, but the atmosphere was a bit frozen. Food was not as good as Tides I thought. My partner disagreed. But at Tides and Champers we both loved the friendly service. The food at Champers was excellent too, but Tides pipped it for me.
Th cilff is overpriced. I think the best three restaurants in Barbados in all the relevant criteria ( ambience, service, the food and pricing) are Champers, Cafe Luna and Acqua …which ar all on the South Coast.
I worked at Sandy Lane in the nineties & for a period of time when it reopened.
Michael Winner is a critic,a nuisance and a rich white hum bug from England.At Sandy Lane the staff had to be on their P’s & Q’s when dealing with the lunatic Michael Winner.He complains about everything.Eventhough Michael Winner is rich and visits barbados yearly we could do without the nuisance.He causes more problems
than the little money he left in the country is worth.
The Cliff Restaurant is overrated and the staff is to tense.It reminds me of The Restaurant at South Sea.The Cliff Restaurant does not have much regard for locals especially black locals.I agreed with one of the bloggers that locals get the worst tables in the restaurant and it is even worst if you are black.As a black Barbadian I went to dinner with a friend visting from overseas and because we were black I was seated at a table in a nondescript position and the waitstaff was not very friendly and nice.I believe the management thought I was an intruder not worthy of dining at an esteemed place like the The Cliff Restaurant.The food was okay but the service was questionable.Nevertheless I left a little tip for the waiter to let him know that I am not hand to mouth and that I know about the ettiguettes of dining out.I will never go to The Cliff Restaurant again and I do not think it is a place for local blacks to go either.
I’ve just spent this evening at the Cliff after another day of Winner slagging it off. The man is an idiot. It was absolutely superb. The food was sublime, the service was friendly yet highly professional and the setting is just idyllic. I did not begrudge a single cent of the bill and will visit again soon.
The comment left above about blacks dining there surprises me as the couple on the table next to us were black and they were treated with exactly the same respect and politeness as we were.
Given your assertion, why didn’t you exercise your right not to accept and seek to dine at one of the many fine and accommodating restaurants. That would have spoken volumes than leavng your “little tip.”
I do have to agree with Mr.Winner with regards to the FishPot in Speightstown. Recently we had dinner there and the service was 5 star with zero attitude and the food was fantastic. I have been to Barbados 3 times in the last year, for the most part the service is difficult to figure out, that is if you get any!!!.
Mullins Beach Restaurant on the West Coast is another great place with awesome food…Service can be stuffy at times but the food is well worth it!!
If all else fails…Chefette makes a great “All Chicken Roti”
The Happy Canadian
Mr. Winner has an obvious case of “sour grapes”. The Cliff Restaurant in Barbados is an outstanding restaurant location wise, physically, from a service perspective and has an amazing menu with fabulous food and presentation. Obviously an amazing chef and staff. The staff appear happy and after speaking with a long term employee on our way out, the owner is an amazing person to work for. Eat your heart out Mr. Winner!
Mr Winner died earlier this year after eating his heart out at Lone star. RIP Mr Winner.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21123532
I am sorry to hear that Mr. Winner passed away and I am sorry that this was not indicated on this site. I am glad to hear he left this world loving what he loved to do. I still stand my my positive opinion of the Cliff Restaurant. First time customer from North America, but will most definitely be back and highly recommend it to our friends and colleagues.
RIP Mr. Winner