Best Beach Eats Around The World Slideshow

Caipiroska and Grilled Octopus (Hvar, Croatia)

The island of Hvar is the hot spot of the Dalmatian Riviera. Handsome stone alleys are lined with chic restaurants, hotel promenades, and cocktail lounges. One notable one, Carpe Diem, has become the center of the island's beach scene.

At Carpe Diem, sip delicious mojitos and taste appetizers like grilled octopus, while you look out onto the Mediterranean Sea and dance to the DJs' music. Ask the bartender to make you a caipiroska, a refreshing concoction of lime juice, vodka, and crushed ice.

Jerk Chicken (Portland, Jamaica)

Jamaica is famous for its gorgeous beaches, reggae music, and Blue Mountain coffee, but what is most outstanding about the country is its Jamaican jerk. Jerk is both a marinade and a preparation technique. In its most authentic form, fresh poultry or pork meat is massaged with a concentrated spice rub infused hours before cooking with allspice, cinnamon, peppers, onion, thyme, and garlic. The marinated meat is placed on pimento wood and slowly roasted over hot coals.

Head to Boston Bay for jerk chicken and pork. Called the "Jerk Capital of Jamaica," Boston Bay is even considered the birthplace of the spicy jerk seasoning and hosts the Portland Jerk Festival, featuring live music and hundreds of jerk food stalls. 

Year round, the beach at Boston Bay and the surrounding roads are lined with corrugated metal jerk stalls often called "Jerk Centers," where each vendor has his own special jerk recipe. When you order, the cook slices a piece of meat and then cuts it into bite-size bits with a machete before covering it in more jerk sauce, and wrapping it in paper for you to take to the beach.

Hot Dogs and Milkshakes (Surfrider Beach, Malibu, Calif.)

Malibu's beautiful beachfront is the picturesque place for a picnic lunch. Head to Malibu Mutt's Grill to grab some beach grub. Though this is a burger joint, those in the know skip the patties and order the killer hot dogs and milkshakes that are considered some of the best in Malibu.

Once you order your food you can sit in the picnic-style outdoor seating or head to the adjacent Surfrider Beach for a picnic and watch the surfers ride the Pacific waves. 

Roti (St. Lucia)

Vigie Beach in Saint Lucia is the largest beach in the Castries basin and the longest patch of beautiful golden sand beach on the island. The Vigie Lighthouse is a must-see landmark, with beautiful views of the Castries harbor and the perfect place for a picnic of delicious roti.

Roti is a flour pancake or wrap, similar to a tortilla, mainly made from wheat flour, salt, and water, that is filled with curried chicken, goat, shrimp, or chickpeas. Roti is best at little hole-in-the-wall places and food vendors along Vigie Beach, but you can always count on The Coal Pot or Green Parrot to have some freshly cooked roti and beautiful beach views.

Fish Tacos (Huntington Beach, Calif.)

Huntington Beach, Calif., has consistently received recognition for being one of the best vacation spots in the U.S. "Dr. Beach," (Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University) named Huntington Beach the "number one family surf beach in the U.S." The beach is also known for its surfing. 

After you work up an appetite during your surf lesson, head to Wahoo's Fish Tacos to fuel up.The casual restaurant across from the beach with a Mexican-Brazilian-Asian-Hawaiian feel offers a full bar, patio seating, and great fish tacos. 

Fried Plantains and Guacamole (Samara, Costa Rica)

Playa Samara in Costa Rica is not only a beautiful beach resort, with a wide range of hotels, restaurants, bars, and discos, but also a successful fishing and farming community. This beach is known for its culinary freshness.

Guacamole is a staple in the Spanish-speaking country and the best of this dip can be found at Shake Joe's in Playa Samara. Shake Joe's has a bar, open seating, and beach views but it is known for its guacamole and fried plantains.

Frankies (Mumbai, India)

A frankie is a unique street eat in Mumbai that has become all the rage in Juhu Beach. A frankie's construction is similar to that of a roti roll and was inspired by chapati. Frankies are stuffed with different fillings like mutton, chicken, and potato.

Although you can get frankies all over Mumbai, Tibbs Frankies is a roadside vendor that has been around for 30 years and serves noteworthy frankies that you can wrap up to-go and take to Juhu Beach. What makes Tibbs Frankie so good is the special frankie masala, that's recipe is a closely guarded secret of the vendors.

Popcorn Shrimp (Montauk, N.Y.)

There's something to be said about eating local catch while feeling the breeze off the ocean. Clam Bar in Napeague Beach is an outdoor restaurant with the freshest seafood you'll find on the East End. Whether you're on your way to or from the beach, the dress code is casual. It's a seafood joint without fuss or formality — paper plates, ketchup bottles on the table, and music blaring from speakers of this picnic chic café that takes its seafood seriously. The Cajun Popcorn Shrimp is a diner's favorite at Clam Bar. The shrimp is lightly battered in spicy mix and then fried to perfection.

Crab Bee Hoon and Baked Cheese Crab (Georgetown, Malaysia)

Georgetown is one of the top places to eat in Penang. Georgetown's beach cuisine is characterized by freshly caught fish and seafood that are turned into delicious delicacies, like crab bee hoon and baked cheese crab.

The Ocean Green Seafood Restaurant is the place to go for its delectable crab bee hoon, a milky crab stew with rice vermicelli, and its baked cheesy crab.

Swordfish (Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.)

The Outermost Inn is an inn and restaurant located on the Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah. This quiet residential location offers guests direct access to the Vineyard's best beaches and vistas. The name of the inn speaks to its location on the western end of the island.

The restaurant at the Outermost Inn serves food made from fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden that can be enjoyed on the porch overlooking the Vineyard Sound. The Outermost Inn offers a prix fixe menu with selections like local oyster, organic beef, and milk chocolate pâté but the swordfish is a favorite.  From the property, diners have a view of the Aquinnah Cliffs and the lighthouse that was one of the first revolving lighthouses in the country. Reservations are often made months in advance.

Empanadas (Puerto Rico)

Empanadas can be found virtually anywhere in Puerto Rico, but one humble abode deserves bragging rights, Sol Food on Isla de Vieques. Sol Food is a roadside food truck that cooks up the best empanadas around.

You'll pass this food truck on your way to the Red, Blue, Garcia, or Secret beaches, so it's the perfect food to bring along for a beach picnic. Their empanadas are so good that they sell out by the end of the day, so get yourself there early.

Grilled Grouper and Fried Oysters (Panama City, Fla.)

Panama City is known as the "seafood capital of the world." Shooners is a local beachfront favorite. There's nothing extravagant about Schooners cuisine; it is simple and fresh. Every morning, Schooners buys fresh seafood from local boats and by lunchtime creates a menu of daily specials. No adornments or sauces cover the fresh flavor of the grilled grouper. A platter of fried oysters, hush puppies, and cold beer mix perfectly with the beachfront view of the Gulf.

French Fries (Rehoboth Beach, Del.)

When it comes to beach boardwalks, Rehoboth Beach, Del., has it all. Reader's Digest named the boardwalk the "Best of America." Rehoboth's boardwalk offers live entertainment, arcades, sit-down restaurants, and food vendors.

Most noteworthy of Rehoboth's boardwalk are the french fries. Thrasher's French Fries on Rehoboth's boardwalk serves its famous french fries by the tub.  Thrasher's opens as early as 11 a.m., with a line of beach-goers waiting to eat their thick, hand-cut steak fries. Don't bother asking for ketchup; Thrasher's French Fries thinks that's french fries sacrilege. All you get is extra salt and malt vinegar.

Shrimp Skewers (Virginia Beach, Va.)

A walk along the boardwalk is a must-do when visiting Virginia Beach. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the three-mile walkway that stretches along the oceanfront.  Along the way there are plenty of upscale shops, street vendors, museums, amusement parks, statues, a fishing pier, and live outdoor entertainment stages, but what's best of all are the restaurants and the food.

Catch 31 Fish House and Bar has some of the freshest food around, not to mention a beautiful view of the ocean. The shrimp is a must-have, whether it's the shrimp cocktail, peel and eat shrimp, or the golden fried jumbo shrimp. 

Yaniqueque and Frío Frío (Dominican Republic)

On the beautiful beach of Boca Chica, beach-goers enjoy yaniqueques, crunchy, flaky, cornmeal flatbread more familiar to some as johnny cakes, and Frío Frío, or the Dominican version of snow cones. On Boca Chica Beach, these beach eats are traditionally eaten with hot chocolate or, for a more savory bite, with salami.

Frío frío, also called jumjum, is shaved ice with fresh juice served from handcarts of the same name. On most days, you can find men pushing these wooden carts stocked with refreshing goodies.

Tapas (Nassau, Bahamas)

The Poop Deck on Sandy Port Beach in the capital is an authentic tapas bar and a favorite of visitors and locals alike.  The chef, Luis Batile from Barcelona, Spain, uses authentic ingredients imported from Spain as well as fresh local seafood.  The restaurant overlooks the ocean, but if you give The Poop Deck 24-hours' notice, they can set up a dinner table for you on the beach in front of the restaurant.  Enjoy classic tapas from the menu like lomo iberico, Spanish omelet, and calamari "en su tinta."

Granita (Salina, Sicily, Italy)

Salina is a lush island off Sicily's coast, where the island's volcanic origins left beautiful black sand. To cool off on this island, Salina is known for its granita, a refreshing icy treat. This beach treat is unparalleled at Da Alfredo's, a famous graniteria on the beach of Lingua. Alfredo's is renowned for its granita made from coffee, fresh fruit, or nuts like pistachios and almonds. This icy treat comes in many flavors, like melon, strawberry, orange, lemon, peach, chocolate, pistachio, almond, fig, hazelnut, and coffee. Da Alfredo's is also known for another Italian favorite, pane cunzato, an open-faced sandwich filled with tuna, ricotta, eggplant, tomatoes, capers, and olives.

Great Cod Loin Al Pil-Pil (Cadiz, Spain)

Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain that is home to some of Spain's most beautiful beaches. Cod loin al pil-pil is a must-try in this region. Al pil-pil is a type of sauce originating in the Basque Country that is made from oil, garlic, and guindillas, very small hot peppers.

The stylish tapas bar, Balandro, is the place to try Spain's fresh sea fare like the cod loin. Balandro has a fine open space with beautiful views of the bay. The cod al pil pil is a feature from their sea-inspired menu.

Grilled Sardines (Portimão, Portugal)

Renowned the world over for its simplicity, grilled sardines served with salad and potatoes, is an absolute must for beach-goers visiting the region. The quayside restaurants that line the harbor wall in Algarve in Portimão are where beach bums can find some of the best sardinhas asadas. They are grilled right before your eyes and served with bread, salad, and potatoes. The Sueste Restaurant is a simple, rustic restaurant that serves huge white and flaky sardines.

Grilled Fish (Phu Quoc, Vietnam)

Bai Truong Beach is on the island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam. Phu Quoc is renowned among foodies for producing some of the world's finest peppercorns and the very best fish sauce. They also grill tasty fish.

The Palm Tree, a sand-floor, family-run seafood shack next to the La Veranda resort is an open-air restaurant that serves up seafood as fast as the local fishermen catch it. The Palm Tree doesn't have refrigeration, so food preparation tends to be simple. The fish is grilled in foil and served with the island's renowned nuoc mam fish sauce.

Coconut Water and Coconut Donuts (Ko Phi Phi, Thailand)

Ko Phi Phi Don is the largest of the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand that has a unique treasure along its beach, coconuts. The island is covered with coconut plantations and on Loh Dalum Bay, worshippers can kick back, enjoy the pristine beach, and drink straight out of coconuts.

Sip coconut water with coconut donuts made by street vendors from a thin layer of batter, coconut, and coconut cream. The doughnuts are fried on each side to get a crispy outside, but gooey inside.

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs (Water Taxi Beach, Queens, N.Y.)

Water Taxi Beach is an artificial, temporary beach on a wharf on Governor's Island in New York. It was operated by the New York Water Taxi Company and recently reopened. To grab the best beach eats on this man-made beach, Harry's is the place to go. Harry's serves delicious summer barbecue foods like hamburgers and hot dogs. Enjoy some of these traditional American beach foods, beer, and tropical drinks, all with a great view of Midtown!

Pate and chocolate pancakes (Goa, India)

Ashwem Beach is a three-miles stretch of golden sand and aqua sea.  Along this beach are rustic beach shacks with great beach eats.  Specifically, the restaurant La Plage has some of the finest French food. The liver pate and chocolate pancakes are a must order at this lounge-y beach restaurant.

Cuban Food (Miami Beach, Fla.)

You can't visit Miami without tasting the Latin flair. With the URGE app, beach-goers can eat whatever they are craving, whether it's a Cuban sandwich or a salad, and have it delivered right to them on the beach.