Columbus Tavern, New Providence

We just got back from Paradise Island and had the worst dinner of our stay and perhaps our worst dinner ever at Columbus Tavern. Walking into the restaurant we were escorted into the bar while our table was prepared. I should have seen the first sign; only a handful of bottles of liquor behind the bar, odd for a tavern or restaurant I thought. We wanted tropical drinks but the daiquiri machine was not working, OK, well that happens. After being seated and pondering the menu the waiter comes to take our order, and guess what “they were out shrimp today”. There went my appetizer and my wife’s main course. I wish he had told us this before giving us the menus. We selected alternate dinners and my wife’s “Fisherman’s Fiesta” without the shrimp was anything but that. After getting her meal, no scallops either. As for my son's dinner, he ordered the “Penne Pasta” from the children’s menu, $14, and received Linguini instead. No explanation, I guess they thought we would not notice. Worst it was undercooked and unsalted. What a horror of a place. After complaining we were offered free dessert but declined and could not wait to get out of there. The 1/2 star is for the mediocre view. DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE. YOU WILL LEAVE VERY DISAPPOINTED.

My husband, my sister and I went to this place and the service was HORRIBLE! When we arrived the Hostess reluctantly spoke to us. I asked her if we could have a table for three and she replied that they were full! When I glanced around the restaurant there were three or more tables empty and available. So I asked her if we could wait at the bar instead, her replied again was that they were full! I turned around in disbelief, then I realized why she was acting like this...we were the only Black People there! After we stood there for awhile we walked over by bar and waited for a table. The waiters started clearing two more tables that people had just left from and still nobody offered us a table. After that we just left! No one apologized or said anything to us, it was as if they were happy to see us leave.

We went to Columbus Tavern because of some of the locals that raved about it. Well, they were right! The food was amazing, service top notch and the view (ocean front) just made a wonderful, romantic evening that goes in the memory banks. THANKS COLUMBUS TAVERN - for making our Bahamas trip, even better:) :)

The Columbus Tavern is the best kept secret for travelers visiting the Atlantis Resort. This casual dine is just a short walk or drive from Atlantis. Located at the Paradise Harbour Club (just slightly off Paradise Drive) the restaurant overlooks the marina and is a refreshing change from the crowded resort of Atlantis. The staff greeted us with the warmest welcome and the cool breeze off the ocean was a beautiful reminder of the reason we were in the Bahamas. After indulged in fresh lobster tails ..we wished we had discovered this cozy place earlier in our travels. The menu provided a wide selection of Bahamian favorites and was much easier on our pocket books than the bland and tasteless food at Atlantis. This is definitely a place Columbus would have wanted to hang out..located on the water it’s casual and fun …check it out you won’t be disappointed. Eating at Columbus Tavern was a experience we will never forget. We felt we were visiting family…the food, the people, the view, and breeze off the ocean…. This is a true Bahamas experience to remember and one we would welcome again on our next trip to this beautiful country.

I payed $28 for a dish of penne pasta with 4 thin strips of bland chicken breast and tomato paste out of a can. It's a shame the food is so bad. The restaurant is pretty and has a great view. Service is OK.

We definitely LOVED the prices at this friendly, local restaurant on PI. We were staying at Atlantis & had not gotten the meal plan but very quickly came to realize that all the restaurants in and right around Atlantis charge an arm & a leg. We ended up finding out about Columbus Tavern located on other end of Paradise Island Drive. We paid a cheap taxi ride to and from Atlantis to get there & it was worth it both for the wallet & taste buds. Great bar area with flat screen TV. Conch fritters amazing. Dining area was family friendly which was helpful for the kids. Waiters definitely helped us pick foods the kids would actually enjoy eating. Steak was very reasonably priced for how good it was and fun to watch prepare (Flaming Steak Diane). Overall a great place to know and eat out at while spending the days at Atlantis. Happy Hour is a plus too if you can make it during 5-7.

The restaurant could be nice -- it seems clean enough and has a nice view but that's where the good stuff ends. The service was absolutely horrible -- it took 20 minutes to place our drink order and over an hour to actually get our food. The food was hit and miss, my grouper was good but the rest of our party was poor quality and horrible value. My husband's pasta dish sauce was straight out of a jar and had four small slivers of chicken in it -- for $28. My son's Shrimp and Pasta Thermidor had four shrimp in it and was $32. My Grouper dish was tasty but a very small portion and was $36. There is no reason for this, since there was absolutely nothing to import -- Grouper is a native Bahamian fish. The bread they served us prior to our meal was actually cut up pieces of HAMBURGER BUNS. I am not kidding. My daughter couldn't find anything to her taste on the menu (not the restaurant's fault -- she's a picky eater) so she had two appetizers for dinner -- both were overpriced and unremarkable. Truth be told, I felt totally ripped off when we were presented with a bill for $140 for a dinner that wouldn't have cost more than $50 in the states. (And we didn't even have wine or drinks with dinner)

We ate at Columbus Tavern with our three kids and the staff was very accomodating with offering food that our kids would eat, even if it wasn't on the menu! Very relaxing spot where we enjoyed the light breeze and watched yatchs go by the restaurant. Food was very tasty and good prices for Paradise Island.

Columbus Tavern was recommended to our party and we are so grateful that we took the taxi over for dinner. We were staying at Atlantis where most of the surrounding restaurants are hugely overpriced, and not even for local, fresh food! We wanted to find a nice placing serving some local specialties which is exactly what we got at Columbus Tavern. We found out that the owner is a local, born and raised in Nassau Bahamas. The fish was amazing and we definitely could tell how fresh it was. The drinks, especially the Bahamian coffee served after our delicious Guava Duff (local specialty) dessert was great. Their meat was also especially tender and delicious (one of us had the lamb and other steak). Don't miss the conch fritters & crab cakes for an appetizer. Delicious! Can't say enough good things. Very relaxing atmosphere at the restaurant with super friendly staff and beautiful views of the harbor.

Open air waterfront dining, fresh fish, great service, great bar and best prices on Paradise Island is why the Columbus Tavern is my pick for the best restaurant on Paradise Island. Jim