Ital in Paradise — Restaurant in Christiansted

It's a little hard to find as it is up some stairs, without clear signage. People with mobility issues would not be able to gain access.

Restaurant is very small, (4 tables), and appears to be a one man operation. No staff, just the chef. This makes for understandably slow service.

Two meal options are served daily, one vegan and one fish plate. The selection is different every day.

Drinks were sickly sweet, and my husband's was not what he expected. He ordered lemonade, and got something flavored with ginger.

Food was plated attractively, and was very colorful, it looked delicious. Unfortunately it was all rather bland. The vegan selection was BBQ tofu served with seasoned rice, akkra balls and salad. The tofu was deep-fried and then quickly coated with barbecue sauce, so did not have much flavor. Usually, BBQ tofu would be steeped in a marinade and then glazed with BBQ sauce during or after cooking, which makes for an excellent flavor. The cucumber salad dressing did not seem to have any herbs or seasoning added, just pureed cucumber, so very bland. The rice was ok, but nothing memorable. The akkra balls, (similar to falafel), were the highpoint of the meal, but they were very small.

Overall, I would not eat here again unless it was the only place with a vegan option open. This was one of the most expensive budget meals we've had on st croix, and have had better food elsewhere for less. It may be that the chef was having a bad day, and the food is usually better than this, but it's not likely that I'll go back to find out.

The chef seemed to be a nice guy, hopefully his vegan menu...

Vegetarian’s Review:

We initially considered dining at Galangal (a Thai restaurant) but, after reading outstanding reviews on Google, we decided to try Ital in Paradise for an authentic Caribbean experience—especially since good Thai food is widely available. And we were glad we did!

Our Selections: • Pepper Steak Tofu – 3/5 • Black Bean Salad – 5/5 • Coconut Cabbage Curry – 4/5 • Jasmine Rice – 5/5 • Lentil Balls – 5/5 • Lentil Ball Sauce – 5/5

We enjoyed the food so much that we ordered takeout of the same dishes for brunch the next day while traveling.

What Makes This Place Special? • They offer gluten-free pasta. • All their side dishes are vegan. • They are intentional about accommodating vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets.

While the restaurant was originally fully vegan/vegetarian, they have since added some meat and fish options to sustain their business.

The service was excellent, and the location in downtown is convenient and inviting.

To our vegan and vegetarian friends—this is a must-visit spot. Let’s support and encourage this...

We were only in St. Croix for a few days, but from what I can tell, this place is an absolute hidden gem. There was only one other table eating in the restaurant while we were there, which was actually great because the dining room is very small. Several people came in for take out while we were there, though. The food here is absolutely amazing, and the portions are quite generous. None of us could have eaten another bite! Everything is gluten free and almost nothing has dairy. I had the chicken, which was absolutely delicious & cooked perfectly. The curried cabbage & the kale salad were also incredible (which is saying a lot because I absolutely despise kale... And then I found myself eating it off my husband's plate because it was so good!). Get the lentil balls. Don't question it. Just get them. If we come back to St. Croix, this will be my first stop...