Bay Street, Nassau: Address, Phone Number, Bay Street Reviews: 3.5/5
Bay Street
Bay Street
3.5
About
This commercial district is Nassau's busiest street and is full of interesting shops and restaurants.
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Top ways to experience Bay Street and nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
238 within 3 miles
Cafe Matisse
1,935
0.1 mi$$$$ • Italian • Seafood • Vegetarian Friendly
The Bearded Clam Sports Bar
522
207 ft$ • Caribbean • Bar • Seafood
Bahamian Cookin' Restaurant & Bar
440
0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Seafood • Bahamian
Athena Cafe & Bar
932
95 ft$$ - $$$ • Mediterranean • European • Greek
Pirate Republic Brewing Co.
700
357 ft$$ - $$$ • Bar • Pub
Lukka Kairi Waterfront Bar & Grill
106
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Steakhouse • Caribbean • Bar
Exagon Restaurant & Lounge
167
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Caribbean • Bar
Fat Tuesday Nassau Bahamas
431
334 ft$$ - $$$ • American • Caribbean • Bar
Señor Frog's Nassau
3,895
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Caribbean • Bar
Summer Palace Chinese Restaurant & Lounge
216
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Chinese • Asian • Cantonese
Attractions
89 within 6 miles
DIAMOND Center
3
177 ftShopping Malls
Parliament Square
405
465 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Government Buildings
Rawson Square
25
522 ftPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Christ Church Cathedral
332
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites
Cenotaph
22
0.1 miMonuments & Statues
Straw Market
2,200
504 ftFlea & Street Markets
Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation
182
0.2 miSpeciality Museums
Roselawn Museum
3
0.1 miSpeciality Museums
Pirates of Nassau Museum
1,543
0.2 miHistory Museums
Pompey Square
60
0.2 miPoints of Interest & Landmarks
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
3.5
612 reviews
Excellent
131
Very good
199
Average
195
Poor
58
Terrible
29
aztropic
24 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
Bay Street has recovered. Tourists have returned,and souvenir shops are mostly all open once again. Straw market is at least half occupied. Take jitney bus #10 for a cheap ride up and down bay Street to get an idea of other areas you may want to visit. Definitely visit the fish fry area for some authentic food.
Written June 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Superkatt
Sweden6,682 contributions
Jan 2020
Nassau offers all the typical tourist gifts, souvenirs and excursions right at the entrance area of the port. If you want to spend some time in the town there is a lot of bars, souvenir shops, Hard Rock Cafe (with free WiFI) and McDonalds as well as a few forts you may explore if you have the time. Famous shopping area called Nassau Straw Market is a large roofed market nearby port to the right.
Walking Bay street is a good way to experience Nassau if you are short of time.
Walking Bay street is a good way to experience Nassau if you are short of time.
Written December 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
The Sushi Guy 🍣
Long Island, NY13,243 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
Bay Street is an unavoidable tourist trap when Nassau is a port of call on your cruise. The cruise terminal is on one side of the street. On the opposite side is the Straw Market and little shops/street vendors. Pushy vendors selling low quality souvenirs that are made in China. Keep your eyes open and your wallet close.
Written October 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Piranha44
Holt, MI806 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Street is lined with your standard tourist shops. Most places sell the same mask produced trinkets. Bay street is nothing more than an average cruise port tourist plaza. I found nothing that makes it stand out.
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Briana81
Alexandria, VA59 contributions
I went to Bay Street everyday when i was in the Bahamas. The liquor stores are cheap and the perfume stores are great! I stocked up on everything plus got all my souvenirs. There are many high end stores on bay street as well... Fendi, Gucci etc. The jewelry at Discount Warehouse is fantastic and priced well. I love the bahamas!!!!
Written August 31, 2004
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MiouMiou
West Long Branch, NJ1,123 contributions
We stopped in Nassau for a day on our recent cruise, and I must say we had mixed feelings about our stop.
We started our day by walking up and down Bay Street and found the shops there to be a little overpriced, with nothing that you could not buy at home. Of course there were the usual touristy souvenirs, ash trays, glasses, t-shirts, towels, sun-wear, etc. The shops near the straw market had some lovely items, cruise wear really, but higher than what you would pay back home since everything has to be imported into the Island.
We spent a bit of time at The Straw Market. The straw market sells lots of t-shirts, knock-off purses, kitschy touristy items and other things you buy in the heat of the moment. What we mostly saw were purses, lots of purses, and copy cat straw items that did not appear to be locally made, although some of the women in the straw market were adding little cut out decorations to the fronts of some of the items.
Since the vendors there are trying to make a living off of the cruise ships, they are very, very pushy. You will either love it or hate it. If you are not used to aggressively bargaining or dealing with outdoor type vendors, the atmosphere of the straw market, where the vendors are extremely aggressive, will make you feel very uncomfortable. You are expected to bargain, and if you don't like doing that, you won't enjoy the experience.
We wanted to have an easy day, did not want to snorkel, or visit the beach, or casino, so we ended up hiring a cabbie outside the port terminal to give us a private tour of Nassau. Something to keep in mind if you are coming in on a cruise ship. You can get the exact same excursions the cruise ship offers by simply walking outside to the port terminal. There will be at least 50 people standing around trying to sell you excursions. Most of them appeared to be licensed and will offer the same things the ship is offering for 1/4 of the price. We negotiated with one of the drivers outside of the terminal, and got a great price with him of $15 per person. He was a wonderful tour guide, we got to ride in a (somewhat) air-conditioned van, we got to see the best and worst of Nassau. He took us to the Queen's Staircase (not to be missed), the Straw Market (be prepared for some very aggressive vendors and be prepared to bargain), and he also took us to Atlantis, where we got to walk all around and see the great aquarium. Our driver also told us something you should keep in mind if you just want to go to the beach. Your ship will probably tell you that all of the beaches in Nassau are private and you must pay for one of their excursions to use the beach. Not true. You can hire a cab to take you to the Atlantis. The beach right next to Atlantis is free.
We started our day by walking up and down Bay Street and found the shops there to be a little overpriced, with nothing that you could not buy at home. Of course there were the usual touristy souvenirs, ash trays, glasses, t-shirts, towels, sun-wear, etc. The shops near the straw market had some lovely items, cruise wear really, but higher than what you would pay back home since everything has to be imported into the Island.
We spent a bit of time at The Straw Market. The straw market sells lots of t-shirts, knock-off purses, kitschy touristy items and other things you buy in the heat of the moment. What we mostly saw were purses, lots of purses, and copy cat straw items that did not appear to be locally made, although some of the women in the straw market were adding little cut out decorations to the fronts of some of the items.
Since the vendors there are trying to make a living off of the cruise ships, they are very, very pushy. You will either love it or hate it. If you are not used to aggressively bargaining or dealing with outdoor type vendors, the atmosphere of the straw market, where the vendors are extremely aggressive, will make you feel very uncomfortable. You are expected to bargain, and if you don't like doing that, you won't enjoy the experience.
We wanted to have an easy day, did not want to snorkel, or visit the beach, or casino, so we ended up hiring a cabbie outside the port terminal to give us a private tour of Nassau. Something to keep in mind if you are coming in on a cruise ship. You can get the exact same excursions the cruise ship offers by simply walking outside to the port terminal. There will be at least 50 people standing around trying to sell you excursions. Most of them appeared to be licensed and will offer the same things the ship is offering for 1/4 of the price. We negotiated with one of the drivers outside of the terminal, and got a great price with him of $15 per person. He was a wonderful tour guide, we got to ride in a (somewhat) air-conditioned van, we got to see the best and worst of Nassau. He took us to the Queen's Staircase (not to be missed), the Straw Market (be prepared for some very aggressive vendors and be prepared to bargain), and he also took us to Atlantis, where we got to walk all around and see the great aquarium. Our driver also told us something you should keep in mind if you just want to go to the beach. Your ship will probably tell you that all of the beaches in Nassau are private and you must pay for one of their excursions to use the beach. Not true. You can hire a cab to take you to the Atlantis. The beach right next to Atlantis is free.
Written July 17, 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
John F
Vallejo, CA1,212 contributions
Sep 2019
Our final port of call, and turned out to be my favorite. Bay street was a lot of fun, with many shops to choose from. People were friendly and not to pushy, like at other ports. Enjoy this place, and have a cold one.
Written September 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
indica007
richmond hill,on17 contributions
Feb 2014 • Family
This was our fourth cruise,second time in Nassau.We always enjoyed all of the ports, always felt welcomed everywhere and never had even a single bad experience.This time,however,I had an incident that I'd like to share:I can't remember the store name,only the location.We went in and while my husband was looking at suitcases,I was trying on flipflops .The store wasn't busy at all. I found a pair I liked,with rows of flowers on each side($9)and the owner(I asume)took them and placed them in a plastic bag.We ended up buying a suitcase($110)as well and exited.Back in the cabin I opened the bag and found out that the flipflops I chose were switched for a dammaged pair.I know it was't an honest mistake because a WHOLE ROW OF FLOWERS was missing.I went back ,showed her the pair and she had the nerve to ask me if I don't like them!!!I made her give me another pair,which she immediately did.
The store is located on Bay St. right across from the pink BACARDI building.It's the second storefrom the corner,the owners are oriental and next to it ,(on the corner) there is a store with white arches.Do not to give your business to scammers,there's a lot of honest retailers!Anyway, it's a good idea to check your merchandise before you leave a store!
The store is located on Bay St. right across from the pink BACARDI building.It's the second storefrom the corner,the owners are oriental and next to it ,(on the corner) there is a store with white arches.Do not to give your business to scammers,there's a lot of honest retailers!Anyway, it's a good idea to check your merchandise before you leave a store!
Written February 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
James D
Johnston, RI7 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
It is not a fun time the locals are all over you trying to see their junk.We took a cab from Paradise Island downtown after and hour we returned to the Riu Hotel and never left the hotel again.
Written March 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
BristolBigRay
Bristol90 contributions
Nassau is in our opinion - after visiting four times on cruises - a dirty, nasty tourist trap that really isn't worth visiting at all
As you get off of the ship you have to run a gauntlet of hawkers for everything from trips to bike hire and then a string of people offering rubbish for sale with false stories about the proceeds going to charity - another word for their pocket.
The new straw market is just piles of tat and junk for sale at over priced levels and you can't walk anywhere without being challenged to buy.
This place is worse than the
Middle East for being constantly chased to buy.
It can't make any visit pleasurable and if you should decide to eat or
Sink in any of the many bars - beware and just look at the hygiene standards !!!!!'
All together we believe this place to be a nasty place to visit and if a future cruise we book involves a stop here on the way to or from better locations we will certainly be staying on the ship !!!
As you get off of the ship you have to run a gauntlet of hawkers for everything from trips to bike hire and then a string of people offering rubbish for sale with false stories about the proceeds going to charity - another word for their pocket.
The new straw market is just piles of tat and junk for sale at over priced levels and you can't walk anywhere without being challenged to buy.
This place is worse than the
Middle East for being constantly chased to buy.
It can't make any visit pleasurable and if you should decide to eat or
Sink in any of the many bars - beware and just look at the hygiene standards !!!!!'
All together we believe this place to be a nasty place to visit and if a future cruise we book involves a stop here on the way to or from better locations we will certainly be staying on the ship !!!
Written February 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
CPratt
Bluefield, WV
Where is the best place to find a locally made blanket?
NME
San Francisco, CA260 contributions
Sorry about the last answer. It was meant for a different area. I will say the only markets I saw were on bay st. I didn’t see markets other than that. But it’s your best bet. Close to the cruise port, you will see tons of markets and stores.
nlmoorgan
Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago1 contribution
Is safe to move around during the day on West Bay Street.
How do I get a bus to move around from St Albans Drive, West Bay Street to other parts of the city
Lapin
Brasilia, DF325 contributions
Sorry to take so longo to answer... I didn't see it before. It is safe during the day. I took taxi. It was cheaper because we were four people.
Gabi C
Doha, Qatar23 contributions
Until what time is good to go?
msworldadventure
Fayetteville, NC2,100 contributions
Not sure what the question really was. But Bay street is safe during the day but early evenings may not be to bad if you are use to city life (I'm originally from Philly & have been to Iraq) because it is a tourist area of sorts but the later it gets, I would not be down there. Not that it is high crime but tourist make good targets no matter where you go. But at night stay away from Reggie/Bay Beach which is about 20 minutes or less walking from Bay Street. Hope this helps.
Julieta C
Buenos Aires, Argentina33 contributions
there is any international brand clothes store?
Tom K
Chicago, IL83 contributions
Where can i find a directory of all the shops on Bay street
lalocadr19
Hollywood, Florida6,544 contributions
No there is not, or at least I did not see one. You can ask the hotel to see if they have information.
Misses Detroit
Detroit, MI2 contributions
How did the free Effy necklace and free Diamonds International charm bracelet look?
Topperdan
Oklahoma City, OK193 contributions
small and cheap, great for grandkids gift. As I have always heard, you get what you pay for!!!!They use it for a gemic to get you in the store. OK for us, we get ALL the free we can and gift it out to the grandkids.
Skipper69MemphisTn_
COOKEVILLE28 contributions
Do I need to take cash $$ or is it better to leave the cash and use my C Card ?
Jan K
Salem, OH71 contributions
I've always used my credit cards in the larger stores and cash in the straw market/street vendors. IF you use your credit card, make sure you have one that does not add on foreign currency transaction fees or you will be paying more than you think!
Frequently Asked Questions about Bay Street
- We recommend booking Bay Street tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 2 Bay Street tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Bay Street:
- (0.02 mi) Paradise Properties
- (0.03 mi) Grand Central
- (0.26 mi) Graycliff Hotel
- (0.19 mi) Towne Hotel
- (0.24 mi) British Colonial Hilton Nassau
- Restaurants near Bay Street:
- (0.02 mi) Athena Cafe & Bar
- (0.02 mi) Starbucks
- (0.03 mi) Hard Rock Cafe
- (0.04 mi) The Bearded Clam Sports Bar
- (0.07 mi) Pirate Republic Brewing Co.