A covered poolside table, the view running over the pool to the sea, the club toastie and two Bajan lemonades landing at once. After countless visits to Sugar Hill, it took me embarrassingly long to finally sit down to eat at The Deck, the restaurant within the beatiful Sugar Hill Club House – and a late Friday lunch on our last day made it a quick favourite.
Sugar Hill is one of my favourite holiday communities, just a few minute's drive inland from Holetown, it sits atop Mount Standfast ridge, in the West Coast parish of St. James.
It starts at the gate, where the Sugar Hill security team, who we have got to know over the years, wave your car in with a smile and a laugh. There is plenty of free visitor parking opposite the security hut, and walking in past the Club House's reception desk, the big view opens up over the large communal pool to the sea. The Deck on your left, the pool ahead, and gym on your right. You don't have to be staying at Sugar Hill to eat at The Deck, walk-ins are welcome, but for guests staying on Sugar Hill it's a wonderful convenience to easily wonder over to.
We went on a Friday in May, low season before the school holidays, and there was plenty of room, only one other table seated when we arrive. The covered table by the pool was perfect: sheltered from a light passing shower, then that famous strong Bajan sunshine that dried everything out in minutes, the gardens and the sea beyond it the same hilltop outlook our Sugar Hill villas with sea views are prized for.
I do enjoy a club sandwich, and seeing a toasted club on the menu – the Club Toastie, with chicken, bacon, cheese, tomato and skinny fries for US$21 – I had to try it; honestly it was one of the best I've ever have had. Alex had the BBQ pork ribs with Bajan macaroni pie for US$29, which left me a little jealous, and Sherie had the Jerk Chicken Wrap with hand-cut fries for US$22.50. We couldn't say enough good things about the food, all of us very happy with our choices.
After a complimentary jug of iced water, a Bajan Lemonade (always made with fresh limes, not lemons) was the obvious order (a personal favourite) so I ordered two; on a hot day, the first one hardly hits the sides, just order two from the start – some real wisdom there. We tried the frozen 'frappe' version for US$12, pink with a little Angostura bitters, it was a novel change, and I'd have it again, though you just can't beat a traditional Bajan lemonade.
Two lovely ladies looked after us, and the service was quick but never rushed – just right for a casual lunch before we packed up for the airport. It is all fairly priced for the West Coast at a resort club setting.
To the left of the bar, a small room turned out to be a handy little pantry or shop, selling shelf-stable odds and ends to top up the villa kitchen; no supermarket, but very convenient for guests staying in the resort who may have opted not to have a car, and the sort of thing we cover in our guide to staffed villas in Barbados.
I was pleased, too, to spot a dedicated wheelchair-access route into the clubhouse from the turning circle out front, to the right of the main entrance – a good addition for guests who would benefit from the improved accessibility.
At the centre of the roughly fifty-acre estate sit the clubhouse, restaurant, and pool, alongside a comprehensive fitness centre, four floodlit tennis courts, and now joined by padel. The Deck was formerly 'Carizma on the Hill', run by the ever popular Cafe Bar Carizma team from Holetown, and it is every bit as popular today. It still runs its popular Monday quiz in season, which I keep meaning to enter, if only to win yet another wooden spoon!
I have no hesitation recommending The Deck – relaxed and friendly, suitable for everyone from couples to the whole family groups. Any guest staying at Sugar Hill should, and will, make good use of it. The resort has long been a family favourite and one of our most-rebooked; guests like the gentler scale compared with larger resorts, but keep all the most important facilities, plus a two-minute drive down into town. Our villas and apartments at Sugar Hill, the much-loved Calliaqua among them, put The Deck, the generous communal pool, and the Club House right on your doorstep.
As for me, I will be back for that covered table over the pool, the sea beyond it, and two more Bajan lemonades, which I have no intention of sharing.
We can arrange everything for you.
When you book a Sugar Hill villa with Hammerton Barbados, our friendly concierge team are happy to reserve your table at The Deck before you arrive and plan the rest of your stay around it.
