Local Cuisine
From the river, the bush, and the sea.
Roy's place isn't a restaurant. It's a kitchen, a table, and a few good hours under the trees — fresh fish straight off the boat, ground provisions from the garden, fruit off the tree, and bush knowledge passed down generation by generation.
Roy knows the names — local and Latin — of nearly every tree, vine, and creeper along the river. That botanical knowledge isn't just for the tour; it's the same knowledge that puts dinner on the table. Bay leaves from the tree out back, bush tea from the right kind of leaf, fresh fruit straight off the branch, ground provisions dug that morning.
From the sea, it's whatever the day brings in. Roy works closely with local fishermen along the Portsmouth coast, so what lands on your plate was in the water that morning. No freezer, no shortcuts.
Lionfish in particular is worth ordering: it's an invasive species in Caribbean waters, eating it is good for the reefs, and it's some of the sweetest white fish you'll ever taste.
On the river, Roy is a guide. In the kitchen, he is a forager.
A meal at Roy's is cooked the way it has always been cooked here. Fish on the grill or in a stew. Ground provisions — yam, dasheen, breadfruit, plantain. A bowl of fruit. A cold drink in the shade. Nothing fussy, nothing rushed.
It's Roy's spot — a wooden hut tucked into the green, an open-air table, the smell of cooking, the sound of the river not far off. People come for lunch and stay until the afternoon goes long. Best paired with a river tour: book the boat in the morning, eat in the afternoon, leave when you're ready.
To reserve, just let Roy know how many people and what day. He'll handle the rest.