Café Matisse
Though it’s just a block from the duty-free drag of Bay Street, this congenial Italian trattoria—set in a rambling 19th-century home right next to Nassau’s Parliament Square—has stayed beneath the radar of the cruise-ship set. Instead, the clubby dining room (hung with prints by the eponymous artist) and backyard garden patio are perpetually filled with expat locals and well-heeled part-timers (film star Pierce Brosnan and director Brett Ratner were fixtures here during the filming of After the Sunset). The best way to begin your meal here is with the warm, zesty Parmesan-polenta terrine; of the many pasta dishes, those incorporating local seafood are best (our picks: linguine with crabmeat and braised leeks in creamy saffron sauce, and the simple-but-perfect spaghetti marinara topped by a whole steamed lobster tail). If you’re feeling too full for one of the traditional, rich desserts (tiramisu, zabaglione), opt for the sublimely light, refreshing spiced pineapple carpaccio.
Tip: The tall, sunburned fellow you’ll inevitably be greeted by in the dining room is owner Gregory Curry—perhaps the best host on the island. Chat him up and he might just bring you an after-dinner glass of limoncello.
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