EsQuilina: Italian Coastal Cooking on Pinney's Beach
Wood-fired Italian meets Caribbean sunset at Four Seasons Nevis.
Why Go
Tucked inside Four Seasons Resort on the honey-sand curve of Pinney's Beach, EsQuilina is where handcrafted pasta, an open wood-fired kitchen and Nevisian produce collide ΓÇö and yes, you can walk in without being a resort guest.
The Experience
By day it's an airy, breezy breakfast room with a Caribbean-inflected buffet ΓÇö sliced island fruit, house-made granola, organic yogurts and cooked-to-order classics ΓÇö that feels more beach club than hotel restaurant. Come back at dusk and the same space transforms: the open kitchen glows, wood smoke drifts off the grill, and the menu leans firmly into Italian coastal cooking with Caribbean warmth. Think handmade pastas, whole fish pulled that morning, wood-fired vegetables and simple, sun-drenched flavours ΓÇö the kind of place where dinner slides into a second bottle of white and a walk on the sand.
What to Try
At breakfast, skip the eggs station once and build a plate around the local fruit, granola and yogurt ΓÇö it's the freshest, most honest thing on the property. At dinner, order across the menu family-style: one handmade pasta (whatever's featured that night ΓÇö the kitchen changes it often), one wood-fired seafood dish using the day's local catch, and a grilled vegetable antipasto to share. Ask the server what came off the boat or out of the garden that day; the answer is usually the best thing you'll eat.
Insider Tip
You do not need to be staying at Four Seasons to eat here ΓÇö walk-ins are welcome subject to availability, but email reservations.nev@fourseasons.com a few days ahead and request a table on the terrace side closest to the beach for sunset. Come 45 minutes before your reservation, walk down to Pinney's, and have a rum punch at the resort's beach bar first ΓÇö you'll arrive at dinner already on island time.
The Practical Stuff
Location: Four Seasons Resort Nevis, Pinney's Beach, Charlestown, Nevis. Service: breakfast and dinner only (no lunch ΓÇö the resort has separate beachfront options midday). Reservations: recommended, especially in high season (DecΓÇôApr); email reservations.nev@fourseasons.com or book via OpenTable. Price: upscale/resort-tier ΓÇö expect Four Seasons pricing, especially on wine and seafood. Dress: resort smart-casual at dinner (no swimwear, covered shoes preferred). Getting there: about a 10-minute drive north of Charlestown; taxis from anywhere on Nevis are straightforward, and the resort has a guarded gate ΓÇö tell the guard you have a dining reservation.
Pair It With
- 5Trees Bar & Lounge Guide — Start the evening with a craft cocktail and Nevis views before heading down to Pinney's for dinner ΓÇö it's the island's most stylish pre-dinner drink.
- Golden Rock Inn Guide — On another night, balance EsQuilina's polished coastal Italian with Golden Rock's jungle-garden setting and Caribbean menu ΓÇö the two together give you the full range of dining on Nevis.
- LL Rum Shop Guide — After a refined Four Seasons dinner, drop into a proper Nevisian rum shop for a nightcap with locals ΓÇö the perfect unpretentious counterpoint.