By Alexander Britell

There’s the sort of soundtrack you’d expect to find in Peckham or Paris, with panoramic views of brilliant green hills and tables hand-built from wine barrels.

On a hot afternoon in Tortola, this is the coolest place in town, a who’s who of Road Town and a buzzing culinary hotspot.

If you recognize the uniforms, it’s because they’re inspired by those from the legendary Calmos Cafe in St Martin, a favorite of Chef Regis Bourdon.

This is The Rooftop by Brandywine, and it’s the newest hotspot in the British Virgin Islands.

If you recognize the name, that’s because The Rooftop is from the same team behind Tortola’s legendary Brandywine Estate restaurant, which closed after last year’s storms and is now on the road back to recovery.

A lunchtime appetizer of foie gras.

When Brandywine shuttered, its chef, Regis Bourdon, spent months spearheading an effort to feed meals to local kids and helping repair roofs in the BVI — and when the time came, he saw this empty rooftop in the Cutlass Building in Road Town, the next step pure inspiration.

Chef Regis Bourdon.

Bourdon and his team built the entire restaurant themselves: the box-shaped kitchen, the wine-barrel tables, everything.

The eatery has also been graced by artwork from local watercolorist Riona Welford, who has adorned the walls with intricate murals.

Bourdon and his team built all the tables by hand.

Today, it’s a chic bistro, with Mediterranean fare and a host of creative tapas dishes, including excellent French-focused fare.

“It’s very laid back,” Bourdon tells Caribbean Journal. “I like that it’s easy to move around the tables, you have easy access. It’s a place where people can buzz around.”

It’s become the place to see and be seen in Road Town, perfect for a meal or just some wine and tapas, a place where you can spend all afternoon.

So what will happen when Brandywine reopens?

Bourdon, a native of the South of France, says The Rooftop is here to stay.

Because it’s a place where staying for awhile is exceptionally easy.

— CJ

The post The BVI’s Coolest New Eatery is a Road Town Rooftop appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

Marriott has officially debuted its newest resort on the Sea of Cortez.

The new Solaz Resort, part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection, has 128 rooms in a beachfront location midway between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.

“A top resort destination, Los Cabos is rich in culture and acts a gateway for our Global Explorers to connect with the indigenous offerings of Mexico.” said Anthony Ingham, Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection. “The Luxury Collection’s guests seek destinations with enriching qualities and there is a magnetic attraction to this Baja oasis. As the seventh Luxury Collection hotel in Mexico, Solaz Resort showcases the brand’s commitment to expanding its footprint and enhancing its offerings for discerning travelers to the destination.”

A room at the Solaz.

The strikingly-designed property has five swimming pools, a 10,000-square-foot spa with eight treatment rooms; and a state-of-the-art fitness center, among other amenities.

But it’s the meetings sector that is a big target for Solaz; the resort has the largest meeting space of any hotel property in Los Cabos, with a total of 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space, with capacity for 1,000 guests, the company said.

That includes the 11,000-square-foot Calypso Ocean Front Deck and the 3,400-square-foot Cousteau Ballroom.

Solaz is the Luxury Collection’s first hotel on the Baja California peninsula.

— CJ

The post Marriott Opens New Los Cabos Resort appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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… help more than 30,000 Puerto Ricans, including many displaced by last … an ability to understand English.
“Puerto Ricans are American citizens,” wrote Walker … fled after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, from casting meaningful ballots.”
Lawyers …

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By Melanius Alphonse Caribbean News Now associate editor melanius@caribbeannewsnow.com CASTRIES, St Lucia — In a somewhat bizarre turn of events, minister for the public service in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Ubaldus Raymond, has not only admitted that the consultation process for the establishment of the proposed new border control agency in Saint […]

The post St Lucia minister admits border agency consultation process ‘flawed’ as Customs sick-out begins to bite appeared first on Caribbean News Now.

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By Caribbean News Now contributor MIAMI, USA — Following a relatively quiet first three months of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters are currently tracking five tropical weather systems simultaneously. Apart from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon, which is now a tropical depression located over Arkansas, four are located over open water in the […]

The post Five tropical weather systems being tracked at the same time appeared first on Caribbean News Now.

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