Come Hungry. St. Croix Is Delicious.

Breakfast at the beach, Cane Bay style.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, look for the bright yellow Sunny Shore Up food truck at Cane Bay Beach. We love walking down after our morning swim or snorkel for an iced coffee and breakfast sandwich, wrap or platter.

There may be prettier breakfast rooms on St. Croix. There aren't many better waysto start the day.

From Oceans: About an 8-minute walk

Best for: Breakfast after the beach

Oceans tip: Swim first. Breakfast second. That's our Cane Bay morning ritual.

Our pick for breakfast when you're spending the morning in Christiansted.

Set at the King Christian Hotel overlooking the harbor and Protestant Cay, Caroline's feels appropriately tropical from the moment you walk in. Breakfast favorites get a little vacation treatment here, accompanied by coffee, brunch cocktails and one of the prettiest morning settings in town.

It's an easy place to start a day of wandering Christiansted's shops, galleries andhistoric streets.

Location: Christiansted waterfront

Best for: Breakfast, brunch, leisurely mornings

Oceans tip: Grab a waterside table if one is available, then explore Christianstedon foot.

A beautiful reason to linger in Cane Bay on Sunday morning.

Ama is already one of our favorite dinner spots, but Sunday brunch is an entirely different experience. Set right over the Caribbean at The Waves at Cane Bay, it's a leisurely, slightly indulgent way to spend the morning — good food, cocktails and that spectacular North Shore setting in daylight.

Best of all, you can walk there from Oceans and walk home when you're finished.

From Oceans: About a 4-minute walk
Best for: Sunday brunch, a leisurely morning, brunch cocktails
Oceans tip: Ask for a table in the seaside grotto if it's available — and don't plan too much immediately afterward.

Brunch with a very St. Croix twist.

For something completely different, head to Sion Farm Distillery, home of Mutiny Island Vodka — the island-born spirit made from breadfruit and Caribbean rainwater. The historic Sion Farm property includes the distillery, tasting room, bar and restaurant, making brunch here as much an island experience as a meal.

Naturally, the cocktails are part of the fun. Mutiny turns its breadfruit vodka into decidedly tropical creations, so this is the brunch to choose when you'd like your eggs with a little local spirit. There is often live music for weekend brunch.

Location: Estate Sion Farm
Best for: Weekend brunch, cocktails, something uniquely St. Croix
Oceans tip: Don't just have brunch — make time to learn about Mutiny and how its breadfruit vodka is made on St. Croix.

Our favorite for a special dinner — and just a few minutes from Oceans

Ama combines one of the most beautiful restaurant settings on St. Croix with the kind of dinner that actually lives up to the view. The restaurant sits directly over the water at The Waves at Cane Bay, with tables tucked into a dramatic seasidegrotto.

We especially love coming around sunset and lingering over dinner and cocktailsas the light disappears over the North Shore.

From Oceans: About a 4-minute walk

Best for: Romantic dinner, special occasion, Sunday brunch

Oceans tip: Request a table in the grotto when you reserve. In high season, bookwell ahead.

The neighborhood place we keep coming back to.

Across from Cane Bay Beach, The Landing is casual, friendly and exactly where you want to be after swimming, snorkeling or spending a lazy afternoon on the beach. It's equally good for an easy lunch, dinner or drinks when you don't feel like getting back in the car.

We love the lobster tacos, and the bush tea is worth trying while you're here.

From Oceans: About a 10-minute walk

Best for: Casual lunch or dinner, post-beach drinks, live music

Oceans tip: If Win is there, tell him we sent you.

One of our favorite places for a true North Shore beach-bar afternoon.

SpratNet is casual, local and right on the water — the kind of place where you can show up in beach clothes, order a drink and settle in without much of a plan. It's especially good when you want something that feels unmistakably St. Croix rather than polished or resort-like.

From Oceans: Walkable
Best for: Beach drinks, casual food, local atmosphere
Oceans tip: Ask Calvin for a Lime in da Coconut. It's our favorite — and the lime rind is part of what makes his version so good.

Come for the casual food. Stay for the sunset.

Off the Wall is an old-school Cane Bay beach bar sitting almost at the water's edge, with burgers, tacos, drinks and the kind of relaxed atmosphere that makes it easy to lose track of time. Local bands often provide live music around sunset. Check their Facebook account to see what’s happening this week.

From Oceans: About an 8-minute walk
Best for: Sunset, casual lunch or dinner, drinks
Oceans tip: Time your visit for late afternoon/early evening. The view toward sunset is the reason we love it.

Craft cocktails without leaving Cane Bay.

Located at The Waves at Cane Bay, Sunset Bar VI gives you a completely different option from the neighborhood beach bars: well-made cocktails, ceviche and small plates overlooking the Caribbean. Current listings describe it as a craft-cocktail and ceviche bar with locally caught fish, Crucian-inspired flavors and sunset views.

From Oceans: About a 4-minute walk
Best for: Cocktails, happy hour, sunset, pre-dinner drinks
Oceans tip: They are only open a few nights per week - call to check their schedule.

You haven't really eaten your way around St. Croix until you've been here.

Don't come expecting linen napkins. Come for smoky rotisserie chicken, generous portions of local sides and one of the island's quintessential casual food experiences.

This is one of those places where the setting is part of the fun — unfussy, local and unmistakably St. Croix.

Location: Estate La Reine

Best for: Local flavor, casual lunch, rotisserie chicken

Oceans tip: Add a johnny cake and try some of the traditional sides rather than ordering chicken alone.

When the craving is simply a really good burger.

Sometimes vacation dining doesn't need to be complicated. This longtime island favorite is casual, colorful and easy going, with burgers, drinks and plenty of Caribbean atmosphere.

Best for: Burgers, casual lunch or dinner

Oceans tip: This is our burger pick on the island.

No-frills and exactly why we like it.

This isn't a special-occasion restaurant. It's the kind of place you seek out because somebody who knows the island told you what to order. For us, that's the Cuban sandwich.

Best for: Quick local lunch, takeout

Oceans tip: Get the Cuban sandwich.

One of our choices when we want a polished night out in Christiansted.

Hamilton's occupies a lovely historic setting in Christiansted and leans toward the more refined end of the island's dining spectrum, with steaks, seafood and locally influenced dishes.

It's a good choice when you want to dress up a little, order a great cocktail and make dinner the evening's main event.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Date night, steak, seafood, special occasions

Oceans tip: Make a reservation, particularly during high season.

Historic Christiansted with a decidedly modern menu.

Set in a building dating to 1756, this intimate Christiansted restaurant combines locally sourced ingredients with flavors and influences from around the world.Inside you'll find the character of one of the island's oldest buildings; outside is alush tropical garden grotto.

Chef Patron Stephen Coe is a six-time Chopped winner who has also beaten Bobby Flay, but the reason to come isn't the résumé — it's the creative cookingand memorable setting.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Date night, adventurous diners, cocktails and wine

Oceans tip: Choose the garden grotto if you love dining outdoors.

Modern, creative and consistently one of our Christiansted choices.

Estera brings a more contemporary feel to the island dining scene, with an open kitchen and a seasonal menu built around seafood, meats, house-made pastasand craft cocktails.

It's polished without feeling formal — a great choice when you want somewhere lively and current.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Dinner, cocktails, modern island dining

Oceans tip: Come hungry enough to share a few things rather than rushingstraight to an entrée.

A sophisticated little hideaway in Christiansted

Too.Chez is one of those restaurants that's easy to walk past and very satisfying to discover. The atmosphere is intimate and grown-up, with a creative menu and astrong wine list.

We like it when we're looking for an excellent dinner without the resort feel.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Date night, wine, intimate dinner

Oceans tip: It's small, so reservations are a good idea.

Our choice when we're craving Thai and Asian flavors.

Galangal has long been one of St. Croix's standout restaurants, serving sophisticated Asian and Thai-inspired food in an intimate Christiansted setting.

When we've had enough fish tacos and Caribbean fare for a few days, this is oneof the places we think about.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Thai, Asian flavors, date night

Oceans tip: Curries are a particularly good direction to explore here.

For the night when only Italian will do

For the night when only Italian will do. A relaxed alternative to some of Christiansted's more formal restaurants, Alfio's is our go-to recommendation for Italian food — particularly pasta and pizza.

It's the kind of comfortable neighborhood restaurant that's especially welcome halfway through a Caribbean vacation when you're suddenly craving Italian.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Italian, pasta, casual dinner

A casual favorite when we're in Christiansted.

Z Café is an easy stop for lunch or a relaxed meal in town. We're particularly fond of the salads — and we have a hard time passing up the bread pudding.

Location: Christiansted

Best for: Lunch, salads, casual meal

Oceans tip: Save room for the bread pudding.