Yachtsman Grill
Beachfront grill on Hamilton Beach where you pick your own lobster from the tank
Why Go
A relaxed-but-polished sailor's shack on Cotton Ground's Hamilton Beach, where wood-fired pizzas and just-caught seafood arrive with front-row sunset views across The Narrows to St. Kitts. It's the sort of place where lunch turns into swimming turns into a sundowner, and nobody's rushing you.
The Experience
Toes-in-sand tables and a covered deck sit right on Hamilton Beach in Cotton Ground, a short drive north of Charlestown. The room leans nautical without tipping into kitsch ΓÇö sailboat models, keels, mounted rods and outboard motors ΓÇö and the real theatre is the lobster tank by the bar, stocked with both local Caribbean spiny lobsters and Maine lobsters flown in for guests who want a taste of home. A wood-fired pizza oven anchors the kitchen, so evenings hum with the smell of char and the clink of a serious wine list. By day, the vibe is easy: come for lunch, borrow one of the complimentary chairs and umbrellas, swim it off, and drift back for cocktails as the sun drops behind St. Kitts.
What to Try
Point at your dinner in the tank ΓÇö grilled whole lobster with garlic butter is the marquee move ΓÇö or split the wildly popular lobster mac and cheese as a table share. The wood-fired thin-crust pizzas, built on all-Italian ingredients, are the sleeper hit and great with kids. Jerk chicken gives the Caribbean side of the menu its swagger, and the fresh catch of the day (ask what came off the boat that morning) is always a safe bet. Pair with a handcrafted rum cocktail at lunch or something from the surprisingly deep wine list at dinner.
Insider Tip
Book the 5:30ΓÇô6:00 pm window and ask for a table on the beachfront edge ΓÇö you'll get the sunset over St. Kitts with your first drink, then linger into dinner as the tiki torches come on. If lobster is non-negotiable, call ahead the same morning to confirm what's swimming in the tank; supply varies with the boats.
The Practical Stuff
Located on Hamilton Beach at The Hamilton Beach Villas & Spa in Cotton Ground, about a 10-minute drive north of Charlestown on the leeward (west) coast. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner (roughly 8 amΓÇô10 pm; hours can shift seasonally). Reservations recommended for dinner and any sunset table. Prices sit in the upper-mid to upper range for Nevis ΓÇö pizzas and salads keep lunch friendly, while lobster and steak push dinner into a splurge. Complimentary beach chairs and umbrellas for diners. Website: yachtsmangrill.com.
Pair It With
- Hamilton Beach — The restaurant sits directly on it ΓÇö grab a complimentary chair and umbrella before or after your meal for a swim with St. Kitts on the horizon.
- Pinney's Beach Guide — Nevis's iconic four-mile stretch is a short drive south; make a day of it and end with sunset dinner at Yachtsman.
- Charlestown — Pair a morning wander through the capital's Georgian streets and Alexander Hamilton Museum with a leisurely lunch back at the grill.
- Nevis Peak hike — Reward a sweaty summit push with lobster mac and cheese and a cold rum punch on the sand.