A couple of weeks ago, I took a weekend cruise to Nassau, the capital of The Bahamas. Sailing from Fort Lauderdale, all I had on my mind was relaxation. The kids stayed at home with my relatives. I left the laptop home. Instead, it was a rare weekend of just sun, drinks, gambling and food.
After arriving in the port of Nassau where all of the massive cruiseliners dwarf the city, my wife and I decided to take a walking tour of the city and avoided the typical tourist traps such as Atlantis, Cable Beach and the taxi tours around the capital. Instead we headed westward, past the old straw market that had been burned in a severe fire in 2001 and headed up to the Government House to watch the changing of the guard, and then proceeded to the quaint but small National Art Gallery Of The Bahamas where we saw a wonderful exhibition by Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson.
As we continued our trek westward along Bay Street, we became hungry around lunchtime and were recommended to head to the Cricket Club Restaurant & Pub, located half a mile west of the cruiseships and in between Fort Charlotte and Arawak Cay.
The two-storied building is perched up alongside the Haynes Oval, the cricket ground that’s home to the Bahamas Cricket Club. Entering the pavilion, you climb the stairs to the second floor of the restaurant. To the left is the pub that has two television sets showing Fox Soccer Channel. Straight ahead is the door that leads directly to the balcony.
It’s on the balcony where you can enjoy one of the most relaxing views of Nassau. With a cool breeze blowing by (trust me, you’ll need it), it’s the perfect setting to eat a casual lunch, have a drink and have a wonderful view (pictured above) of the cricket match played below (matches are usually played every Saturday and Sunday at Noon during cricket season between March and November).
Inside the pub, it’s cozy and has plenty of chairs to sit down and watch Premier League matches. There’s one big screen TV and another TV set behind the bar. The room itself doesn’t have a spectacular view like the balcony does, but if you’re in the mood for watching Premier League football, the Cricket Club Restaurant & Pub is the place to be in The Bahamas.
Whenever I travel, I keep an eye out for the influence of the Premier League. When I last visited Las Vegas in December 2007, I shared my experiences trying to find out which Las Vegas casinos were showing Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports so I could watch the Premiership games.
