Veya, Anguilla - Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Unlike almost every other fine-dining restaurant on Anguilla, Veya isn’t on the beach. But it’s still widely regarded as one of the very best on the island – and that tells you something about the food.

Perched on the road down to Sandy Ground, Veya is like a glamorous treehouse, with tables all around the edge. It’s cool and comfortable and peaceful, looking out at the greenery.

After the requisite vacation cocktail (or, in our case, bottle of rosé), dinner begins with a bread plate with fantastic johnnycakes, hot and fresh, and a few slices of banana or pumpkin bread.

With a menu described as “cuisine of the sun”, it’s no wonder that the influences seem to come from around the world, from India and Vietnam to Mexico to Morocco and the south of France. All made, of course, with Caribbean ingredients.

The conch carpaccio is my choice for an appetizer when I’m feeling adventurous, or else I have a salad made with local greens, goat cheese, and pumpkin vinaigrette.

D especially likes the fish soup, a sort of tropical-inspired bouillabaisse, with spicy rouille.

For main courses, there’s lots of seafood, of course; though the non-seafood, like the five-spiced roasted pork tenderloin, is also creative and delicious.

Most recently I had a wonderfully fresh red snapper with corn. And D wanted lobster, having just returned from a scuba trip where he saw some up close and personal.

Check out this giant guy:

This one is actually too big for one person to eat, the owner told us, so they’ll use him for risotto and other treats.

D’s lobster was still impressively-sized, though!

Anguilla has spiny lobsters, which don’t have the big claws of Maine lobsters

There are lots of tempting desserts; this time, we chose the bittersweet chocolate mousse with Kahlua whipped cream. Yum.

Dinner at Veya never disappoints – and honestly, I never once missed the ocean!

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