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Watch the world go by over a pot of tea or a frothy cappuccino. Capture a casual lunch, hunt down the perfect pizza, savor a salad or sandwich. From the simple and inexpensive, to a regal supper, there's a taste for every desire and purse. In general, dress conservatively when you're out to eat. (Short shorts, bare feet and bathing suits are unacceptable off the beach in Bermuda.) Ask our Bermuda Specialist for food and beverage and restaurant recommendations! Bermuda - A Small Island with
Big Culinary Ambitions Bermuda - A Small Island with Big Culinary Ambitions Bermuda may be a small island, but its culinary ambition is big... and three restaurants are charting new territory:
Ariel Sands Beach Club has been known more for its owners (actor Michael Douglas and family) than for its restaurant, AQUA. But with the arrival of chef Alun Sperring, that has begun to change. Sperring is drawing attention for his eclectic and modern cooking. Among the menu's star attractions are a Thai-spiced tuna a la nicoise that comes in a hollowed-out coconut half and a dessert-filled bento box that includes a chocolate espresso tart and lychees encased in a white chocolate "cigar."
"I'd like our food to compete with the top restaurants in New York and London and we're well on or way," says chef Scott Connor of the SEAHORSE GRILL at the Elbow Beach Hotel. The chef's tender braised short ribs with taro gnocchi and the poached lobster with mango and chile aioli are certainly worthy contenders... and the Asian- and South American-inspired dishes also come with an impressive view of the ocean.
Six-year-old LA COQUILLE seems to have been energized by the new competition. In fact, the local standby is better than ever. The restaurant is located at The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute and overlooks Hamilton Harbour. Chef Serge Bottelli uses a harvest of local products to showcase his own fresh take on Provencal cuisine. A zesty marinated salmon topped with blood orange vinaigrette and a knockout mushroom ravioli in celery root dressing are hits. Resort Has Added 'Seat in the Kitchen' CAMBRIDGE BEACHES has added a "Chef's Table" to the dining options in the Tamarisk Room, where now a four- to seven-course meal is prepared nightly for up to eight guests seated around a table dressed with fine linens, rare china, crystal and silver. The table itself is on a platform, enabling guests to view cooking demonstrations throughout the evening. "Our guests have been absolutely delighted," said executive chef Marc Dobbel. "They've been giving the Chef's Table rave reviews for having the highest level of cuisine and service." Guests can sign up at the front desk or may receive an invitation from the chef himself. Food preferences and any special requirements are requested before a special menu is created for that evening. A recent dinner began with poached mainland lobster and scallops, followed by an entree of oven-roasted rack of black-faced lamb loin with a mustard and garden herb crust. Dessert was an orange and Grand Marnier soufflé. Dinner begins promptly at 7:15 p.m., but diners often linger until 10 p.m. Guests receive a special printed menu as a keepsake of the evening. Resort guests pay an additional $30, plus 15% gratuity, above the meal plan. Nonguests pay $85 per person, plus 15% gratuity.
The atmosphere is decidedly more casual at the LONG BAY CAFE. It's just steps away from the beach, so cold drinks, snacks, salads and sandwiches are made to order and can be eaten in the open-air dining area or on a lounge chair in the sun. Colin
Powell and George Bush, Sr.'s When Colin Powell and George Bush, Sr. rave about a restaurant, we feel fairly safe recommending it to you. - The Dining Room at the 17th century FOURWAYS INN. It is considered the island's best, although some consider the fish'n chips at HOG PENNY PUB in Hamilton pretty good, too. These and many of Bermuda's finest restaurants are participating in the BERMUDA DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM's off-season DINE-AROUND PROGRAM running through March; each restaurant is offering 2- or 3-course meal specials for $15.50-$48 pp (without drinks), with cuisine ranging from French and Asian Fusion to Tex-Mex and "New Bermudian" - so, if you're in Bermuda this month, you might want to do a "taste test". What to Order To Eat As the Locals Do in Bermuda Scallops
Seared in Pink Pepper & Pan-roasted, Herb-infused Salmon At the Southampton Princess' 375-year-old Waterloo Inn restaurant, Chef de Cuisine, Robert Rehrl, earns applause for appetizers like scallops seared in pink pepper and entrees that include pan-roasted, herb-infused salmon. Boiled
Salt Codfish with Tomato and Onion Sauce, You should also try some of Bermuda's delectable, local dishes. A typical Bermuda Sunday breakfast, for example, features boiled salt codfish with tomato and onion sauce, boiled potatoes, a hard-boiled egg and a banana on the side. Shark! Another dish you'll hear about on Bermuda is shark. Chefs all over the island compete to develop innovative ways of preparing it. Most types of seafood, in fact, are popular throughout Bermuda. You'll find red snapper, rockfish, wahoo and lobster either broiled, pan fried, poached in wine, stuffed or baked. Mussel
Pie, Fish Chowder & Codfish Cakes Bermuda mussel pies are not to be missed! You can enjoy mussels steamed or fried as fritters. And fish chowder is another island favorite. Take one of Tim Rogers' tours and he'll tell you about the codfish cakes that are served at traditional Easter gatherings. At Christmas, he says, you may be served a cassava pie filled with chicken, beef or pork and flavored with allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. A Tea break is great - and so is a Dark and Stormy' (Black rum and Ginger Beer). Food
& Wine magazine's AQUA Aqua - "Food should be entertainment," says Claudio Vigilante. Aqua's manager and its creative force. That's a fitting motto for the restaurant at the recently renovated Ariel Sands, the resort owned by actor Michael Douglas's family. In keeping with the philosophy, Vigilante recently brought in talented young chef John Wason, who isn't afraid to experiment in the kitchen as long as the results - like goat cheese fondue with crostini and raspberry coulis - are as delicious as they are entertaining. LA COQUILLE La Coquille - With yacht-filled Hamilton Harbor as his backdrop, veteran Swiss-Italian chef Serge Botelli serves some of the island's best seafood. The menu ranges from French country-inspired dishes, like the catch of the day with tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and roasted garlic, to more haute offerings, like salmon stuffed with scallop-and-lobster mousse and wrapped in puff pastry. THE NEWPORT
ROOM The Newport Room - The dining room, on the lower level of the Fairmont Southampton resort, doesn't have water views, but the lovely blue-and-white nautical motif and chef Michael Scott's polished, unfussy cooking more than compensate. Dishes such as veloute of fennel and roasted cod or dover sole meurniere with citrus and caper beurre riosette are served with humble but outrageously delicious sides like deep-fried mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes with Smithfield ham and fresh corn. THE PICKLED
ONION The Pickled Onion - Most Bermuda restaurants are closed during the day on weekends and it's hard to find restaurants even in downtown Hamilton that are open for lunch on Saturdays. The Pickled Onion, a casual spot in the city's shopping district, is a surprisingly good option for crispy pork ribs with a soy dipping sauce or a perfectly fried batch of corn fritters with tartar sauce. To avoid the crowds, stop in after the cruise ships leave port, usually between 3 and 4 p.m. TAMARISK
ROOM Tamarisk Room - In the restaurant at Cambridge Beaches, a resort on the remote northwestern corner of the island that attracts a European clientele, chef Graham Singer tweaks classic dishes, as in his terrine of butter-poached lobster served with a chilled broth made of smoked scallops, and his duck breast roulade with white peach-grape chutney and parsley puree. To best sample Singer's inventions, order the tasting menu, which is served in a 200-year-old cottage at the resort or, during the summer, on a dock overlooking Mangrove Bay. MOST UNUSUAL TEA The Heritage Court at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess - Although Bermuda was once a British colony, the island has given the teatime ritual its own cosmopolitan spin. At the Heritage Court, in the grand lobby of Bermuda's original luxe hotel, the traditionally stodgy tea sandwiches have been replaced with a more internationally inspired selection, such as Thai duck salad on salt focaccia and jonah crab and avocado salad on Indian fry bread. The Heritage Court also does its part to promote Bermudan products. The resort's signature tea is made with a locally blended rum. Thanks
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