Hemingways Caribbean Cafe
Hemingways Caribbean Cafe sits on St. Mary's Street near Heritage Quay, offering open-air waterfront dining and drinking with views across St. John's harbour. The layout is split between an indoor dining area and a covered veranda that catches the harbour breeze, the veranda being the reason most people choose this spot. Capacity is approximately 80 across both sections. The menu covers Caribbean cuisine with international touches: jerk chicken, fresh fish preparations, coconut shrimp, burgers, and pasta. The bar stocks local Wadadli beer, a full rum selection, and mixes Caribbean cocktails alongside international standards. Live music on select weekends brings local musicians playing calypso, reggae, or steel pan. The crowd during the day is heavily cruise-ship-influenced when ships are docked, with passengers exploring beyond the duty-free shops. Evening crowds shift to a more local and expat mix, with tourists from nearby hotels joining for dinner and drinks. Hemingways operates as a reliable, multi-purpose venue: good enough for dinner, casual enough for just drinks, and positioned conveniently for anyone exploring the St. John's waterfront. The historical connection to the name is loose at best, but the Caribbean cafe atmosphere is genuine.
What to Expect
A covered veranda overlooking the harbour, with tables set for both dining and drinking. The breeze keeps things comfortable. During cruise hours, it's busy and touristy. Evening hours bring a quieter, more local character. Staff are friendly and accustomed to visitor questions about the area.
Casual Caribbean cafe with a harbour view. Relaxed during the day, slightly more lively on weekend evenings with live music.
Live music on select weekends: calypso, reggae, steel pan. Background Caribbean music through speakers on other nights. Volume is conversation-appropriate.
Casual to smart casual. Resort wear during the day. A half-step up for evening. Nothing formal required.
Harbour-view dining, casual evening drinks, a reliable all-purpose venue in the St. John's waterfront area.
Credit cards and cash (EC$ or USD) both accepted. Cards work reliably.
Price Range
Beer EC$8-12, cocktails EC$20-35, fish dinner EC$45-75, jerk chicken EC$35-55, appetizers EC$20-35
Beer ~$3-4.45 USD / ~2.75-4 EUR, cocktails ~$7.40-12.95 USD / ~6.80-11.85 EUR
Hours
Daily 10 AM to 11 PM. Kitchen closes at 10 PM. Bar may extend on Friday-Saturday. Busiest during cruise ship hours (10 AM to 4 PM) and weekend evenings.
Insider Tip
Visit in the evening after cruise ships depart for a completely different (and better) atmosphere. The veranda seats fill first, so arrive by 6 PM for dinner. The rum punch is made in-house and is better than the frozen machine versions at the tourist spots. Ask about the fresh catch before ordering fish from the menu.
Full Review
Hemingways occupies a useful middle ground in St. John's dining and drinking scene. It's not the most refined option (that's C&C Wine Bar), not the most characterful (Papa Zouk), and not the cheapest (that's the local rum shops you won't find in guidebooks). What it is: a comfortable, reliably open, waterfront venue that works for almost any occasion.
The veranda is the selling point. Covered but open to the breeze, with views across the harbour to the container port and beyond. The sightlines include passing boats, pelicans, and the changing light on the water. Tables are wooden, sturdy, and set for either dining or drinking. The indoor section is air-conditioned and works for hot afternoons but lacks the veranda's appeal.
The kitchen produces solid Caribbean fare. The jerk chicken is well-spiced without the aggressive heat that some versions deliver. Fresh fish, when available, is the best choice: simply grilled with a lime-butter sauce and local sides of rice and peas, plantain, and coleslaw. Coconut shrimp is the crowd-pleaser among appetizers. The burger is thick and serviceable. Nothing on the menu is remarkable, but nothing disappoints.
The bar operates competently. Wadadli beer (Antigua's local brew) comes cold, and the rum punch is made from a house recipe that uses actual fruit juice rather than a pre-mix. Standard cocktails are mixed properly. The rum selection includes local and Caribbean options that are worth exploring if you're interested in tasting beyond the big brands.
The dual-personality dynamic is Hemingways' most distinctive feature. During cruise ship hours, the cafe fills with passengers seeking lunch, drinks, and a break from shopping. The atmosphere is tourist-heavy and busy. Menus, service, and pricing are calibrated for this crowd. After 5 PM on ship days, the place empties and resets. The evening crowd is different: locals meeting for drinks, expats having dinner, and hotel guests who've walked over from their accommodation. The atmosphere is calmer and more authentic.
Live music, when scheduled, adds value. A steel pan player on the veranda on a Saturday evening, with the harbour lights reflecting on the water, captures a Caribbean moment that larger or more polished venues can't manufacture.
Hemingways is not a destination venue. You won't plan your evening around it. But as a flexible, convenient, harbour-view spot for food and drinks in St. John's, it serves its purpose well.
The Neighborhood
On St. Mary's Street near Heritage Quay, a 3-minute walk from the cruise port and Redcliffe Quay. C&C Wine Bar and Skullduggery are a 5-minute walk in Redcliffe Quay. Papa Zouk is a short taxi ride away.
Getting There
Walk from the cruise port (3 minutes) or from Heritage Quay (2 minutes). Taxi from Dickenson Bay hotels costs EC$25-40. From the airport, $15-20 USD by taxi.
Address
St. Mary's Street, St. John's, Antigua
Other Venues in Redcliffe Quay and Heritage Quay
C&C Wine Bar
Wine and cocktail bar in Redcliffe Quay's historic district. Converted colonial building with exposed stone walls and a courtyard. Wine list features international bottles, cocktails are well-made. Attracts the expat and sailing crowd. Wine EC$20-40, cocktails EC$25-40.
Papa Zouk
Rum bar and seafood restaurant with over 200 rum varieties. The owner is a rum encyclopaedia. Tiny space, big personality. Known as one of the best rum bars in the Caribbean. Rum flights EC$30-60, dinner EC$60-120.
Skullduggery Cafe
Casual restaurant and bar on Redcliffe Quay. Outdoor seating in the courtyard. Burgers, wraps, and cold drinks for the after-shopping or pre-dinner crowd. Transitions to a bar atmosphere later in the evening. Beer EC$8-12, cocktails EC$18-30.
The Grand Princess Casino
Small casino with a bar on Heritage Quay. Slot machines, a few table games, and drinks at the bar. Not a destination venue, but an option for late-night action when other spots close. The bar serves until the gaming floor shuts down. Beer EC$8-12.