We wanted to get away from the shopping frenzy of London, and reward ourselves for a year's hard work. We don't usually go for 'all inclusive' tariffs, but there was no choice in this - we've discovered that Antigua has moved so far towards this strategy that good restaurants on the island are closing down - a great shame.
But Coconut Beach does things pretty well; the food was of a much higher standard than we'd expected. There was still the invariable 'all in' problem: guests who avail themselves of 'free' drinks, and are therefore........er........ not the best company.
But the staff - superb [well, we had one cleaner who incredibly rude and surly, but we encountered her only once]. And the best? The wonderful Zauda, and her apprentices Anthea and Jahinta.These women were born to run the best bars in the world - no mean feat. They do it with style, aplomb, warmth - and I say this sober [i.e. before I've drunk anything as mind-altering as the eponymous Zauda cocktail] and they showed great instinct, getting to know individual guests.
This was my third visit to Antigua, and I was dismayed by some things, including the volume of litter and fly-tipping, blighting the beauty of the island. But Zauda and her colleagues reminded me of the Antigua I encountered first, 17 years' ago.
Coconut Beach will have to keep a close eye on these precious staff. If I ever fulfil that typical journalist's dream of opening a bar, I'll have my dream team in mind........................


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