Splash Pool Bar & Grill at Royal St. Kitts Hotel
Poolside pizzas, wings and rum cocktails on Zenway Boulevard
Why Go
Splash is the kind of place where flip-flops and cover-ups outnumber collared shirts ΓÇö a modern, chic pool deck where you can slide off a lounger, dry off under the ceiling fans and be handed a wood-fired pizza and a rum punch inside of five minutes. It's Frigate Bay's most low-key all-day hang, useful whether you've just landed at Bradshaw down the road or you're pacing yourself for a long night on The Strip.
The Experience
The vibe is unfussy Caribbean-Italian: a salt-water pool as the centerpiece, umbrellas overhead, calypso and soca on the speakers, and a bar that runs from breakfast eggs through midnight nightcaps. You'll see a mix of hotel guests padding over in swimsuits, cruise-day locals stopping in for lunch, and Kittitians who treat it as a neighborhood pool bar. On live-entertainment nights the deck tilts more social ΓÇö steel pan or a small band, a fuller crowd at the bar ΓÇö but during the day it stays mellow, with plenty of shaded seating away from the sun. Because the kitchen runs 7am to 10:30pm without a mid-afternoon break, it's one of the few Frigate Bay spots where you can actually eat at 3pm or 10pm without hunting.
What to Try
Order an artisan pizza ΓÇö the thin-crust pies are the kitchen's calling card and the reason the Italian half of the menu earns its keep. The chicken wings are the sleeper hit: eight sauce treatments (Buffalo, Cajun, Parmesan garlic, Mango Habanero and BBQ are the standouts), $11ΓÇô16, easy to share over a round of drinks. For something more Caribbean, look for the locally-sourced seafood specials and any daily fish catch. At the bar, skip the generic frozen daiquiris and ask for a proper St. Kitts rum punch made with CSR Cane Spirit Rothschild, distilled on-island.
Insider Tip
Splash is technically a hotel restaurant, but the pool and deck are open to non-guests ΓÇö walk in from Zenway Boulevard, order at the bar and no one will ask for a room key. If you're eating dinner, arrive before 7pm to grab a poolside two-top before the entertainment crowd arrives; after 8pm the vibe shifts from restaurant to bar. Kitchen closes at 10:30pm sharp even though the bar runs to 11, so put your food order in early if you're arriving late from The Strip.
The Practical Stuff
Open daily 7amΓÇô11pm (kitchen closes 10:30pm; hours may shift seasonally). Location: Royal St. Kitts Hotel, Zenway Boulevard, Frigate Bay ΓÇö about 5 minutes by taxi from Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and walking distance to The Strip. Reservations not required for casual meals; call +1 (869) 465-8651 for large groups or brunch promotions. Price range moderate ΓÇö mains and pizzas mostly in the US$15ΓÇô25 zone, wings and small plates from US$11. Cash and major cards accepted. Swimwear is fine at the bar; a cover-up is polite at dinner. Free parking on-site.
Pair It With
- Frigate Bay Beach (South Friars side) — A five-minute drive or short walk gets you to the calmer Caribbean-side beach ΓÇö swim, sunbathe, then loop back to Splash for lunch without changing clothes.
- The Strip at Frigate Bay — After dinner, walk over to the beach bars on the Atlantic side ΓÇö Mr. X Shiggidy Shack, Buddies and Vibes Beach Bar ΓÇö for the late-night bonfire and dancing scene Splash intentionally isn't.
- Timothy Hill Overlook — Ten minutes south by car, the classic photo stop where you can see the Atlantic and Caribbean at once ΓÇö an easy add-on before or after a Splash meal.
- Salt Plage Guide — For a second, more upscale sundowner spot on the water at Christophe Harbour ΓÇö pair a casual Splash lunch with a chic-er evening cocktail.