When vacationing at Beachside Way, make sure to visit Umbrella’s Beach Bar, which is located on Grand Anse Beach and accessible via the beach access road between Coyaba and St. George’s University (old campus). Both in front of the building and at the end of the road, there is ample parking.
When we arrived at 2:30 PM, a pleasant waitress welcomed us. The building is two stories, with umbrellas awry on the upstairs sitting and none on the downstairs. It was full upstairs, so we sat below.
Despite being a weekday, it appeared to be somewhat crowded, with several tourists as well as those from the beach community. We were given the option of sitting at tables or at the bar, so we had dinner and our first drink of iced tea while enjoying the remaining beverages at the bar. You could actually taste and feel the rum in the rum punch, which was pretty excellent (though I’m not sure if that’s a good or negative thing). A cocktail that wasn’t on the menu was requested by my friend.
The cuisine is rather nice; my friend had the Umbrella Burger and my sister had the Grilled Veggie Salad. They both reported that their dinner was satisfying. That day, I had the Chicken Alfredo, which was quite nice. It appears that you could choose between wheat and white bread, however they were out of wheat bread that particular day. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and desserts make up the majority of the menu; nothing particularly hefty. Although I’m not a drinker, I thought the drinks menu looked really excellent.
Umbrellas closes on Mondays and doesn’t stay open very late. It shuts at 10 on Fridays and Saturdays, 9 on Tuesdays through Thursdays, and, I believe, 8 on Sundays. At closing time, a bell actually rang, so I thought it was just a final reminder, but the waitress rushed us up to pay the bill since they had to close the register! Not long afterward, they began to lower the windows and tilt the chairs. We really didn’t appreciate the feeling of being almost chased out. This is the kind of spot you may visit if you want to have cocktails and dinner early or if you want to spend the day at the beach.
All things considered, I would choose Umbrellas Beach Barsince the food and beverages are excellent, the wait staff is welcoming, and there’s nothing better than lounging with friends over dinner and drinks while taking in the view of St. George’s and the sound of the waves breaking ashore.
