About Us

Bananas Restaurant In Nevis Island: Discover This Caribbean Paradise

Come and discover Bananas Restaurant hidden up in historic Hamilton Estate in Nevis Island! If you are searching for the warmest welcome in the island, look no further and follow the torch lit pathway to Bananas Restaurant and spend an unforgettable evening.

Enjoy your evening with delicious cocktails homemade by our barman with fresh ingredients from the island and discover flavors never tasted before - ever tried the Bertini, Hot as Haiti and the Nevisian Rum Punch? And don’t worry, if you want to eat something during your evening you will be able to choose between the best dishes of the island. From the fresh catch of the day to our delicious lobster linguini, from skirt steak to braised Moroccan lamb shanks, you will find the perfect dish to delish your palate.

At Bananas Restaurant in Nevis Island we have many aged rums to end your night with a stronger and unique flavor. We didn’t forget about our vegetarian and vegan guests as well, in fact our chef offers freshly made gnocchi and curry from the Indian tradition with multiple fresh vegetables and legumes. But let’s check down below how our adventure with Bananas Restaurant started!

How we started

How We Launched Bananas Restaurant In Nevis

I have always lived a Nomadic life. Trained as a classical dancer, from the age of 16 when I spent a summer dancing in a night club in Heraklion, Crete I was hooked on a life on the road. I spent the next 16 years traveling around the world and living for months at a time in exotic and slightly "dodgy" locations. Working with an Argentinian dance group in Istanbul was a highlight as I lost my job, due to having a cracked rib. I funded my ticket out of there by selling carpets to unsuspecting American tourists in the Grand Bazaar. This might give you a clue as to what "Bananas" actually refers to… my state of mind!

After almost 20 years as a professional dancer, I could no longer fit into my G string, so I continued my itinerant lifestyle by going into the hotel business, working with Relais & Chateaux, Hilton International, Disney and Sun International. I started as a chambermaid and I quickly worked my way up to management. I soon realized I was stifled in the world of International Hotel Management, but also that I loved the world of hospitality!

I landed in Nevis in 1998, en route from St Martin to Cape Town, and I discovered Ozzie's bar in Cotton ground. I turned this rum shop into a cute little bistro progressing from selling toasted sandwiches to using a simple blackboard menu, thanks to an old classic "dog eared" Delia Smith cookbook and a stock of old "Gourmet" and "Bon Appetit" magazines. Unbelievably, my customers both ate and PAID for the food! Bananas was born! I literally opened on a shoestring and begged & borrowed EVERYTHING, I only had a two ring gas stove, and ran practically a one man show, with the help of a couple of really great staff. But when you love what you do, even if it was the most challenging thing I have ever done, things can become reality. It was really exciting to see how I had discovered a niche for myself in Nevis!

Now I have a large "family" of people working here and they have been with me many years. After several successful seasons at Cliffdweller, I took a chance and bought the land at Hamilton and finally built a permanent home for Bananas, and also a small cottage for myself and my 9 beloved dogs! It has been a very challenging seven years, and without the help of a lot of people I would not have succeeded. Now I can leave the restaurant and the dogs in the capable hands of the staff for part of the year, and spend the summers in destinations like Greece and Turkey, where I am inspired by the Mediterranean culture and I like to pick up inspiration for the menu - what about spending all my time looking after the Greek village Cats? I love to do that and the special atmosphere of these two Countries! I also got married for the first (and last) time this year and my very understanding husband, Charlie, lives mainly in London, but he is also lovably nuts… thank goodness!

I really believe that there is a difference between service and hospitality and I hope my guests will feel it at Bananas. We want you to feel that our welcome is genuine and we are truly happy to be here to serve you, regardless of whether the knives and forks are in the right position! Our food is fresh and tasty, prepared by hard working local ladies who have learnt of their culinary skills from a Can Can dancer!

About Us

What to expect at Bananas Restaurant? Our Art Gallery and Boutique

As you read above, you will not only find a simple restaurant when coming to Bananas! In fact, Gillian's passion for art and beautiful ancient objects followed her until Nevis. She decided to share her passions with her beloved guests, in fact here you will be able to find the walls of Bananas Restaurant covered with original Caribbean Art. Gillian has also brought in Artists from as far afield as Haiti, Dominica and Jamaica.

Several times a year Bananas hosts art shows for local Artists to entertain its guests. This year we have hosted shows for artists like Howard Pain, Janet Dobson, and Donna Leonhardt, Carolita Cantrell and Lucia Trifan from St Martin.

Donna also creates amazing jewelry using solid silver and other precious metals and stones. Many of her original pieces feature antique and rare artifacts, her creations are a true work of art and very affordable if you want to bring a piece of Nevis with you.

We also have a small selection of Pottery from Newcastle Potteries here on the Island and handmade hessian beach bags made by Deborah Tyrel: come and discover them!

Bananas is a perfect place for a quiet afternoon, lying in a hammock under a tree and having a delicious lunch on our cool terrace. Check out our art gallery page!

Menues

What about our Dinner and Dessert menu?

If you are interested in knowing more about our dinner and dessert menu, check out our dedicated pages listing out dinner menu specialties and our favorite dessert menu. If you are Caribbean passionate, you should give a look at our Tulum restaurants page where you will discover many typical dishes and some of the most beautiful restaurants facing the Caribbean sea.

We wait for you at Bananas to make your stay in Nevis hopefully even more joyful and colorful: we can’t wait to meet you!

  • Casa Banana
  • Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km. 7.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R.
  • 984 191 0792