Dining in Bermuda

liamsaunt · September 30, 2023

I am back in Bermuda again. Here's the view from our room.

We are in a similar unit as the last stay, though this one has two bedrooms instead of three. The interior layout and decor is otherwise identical. My husband has to work during the week, but we have a mini car rented for the weekend, and we'll be going to dinner every night, so there will be food to share.

We went down to the beach for a while after arriving yesterday. Hurricane Lee passed nearby last week, and although it did not hit directly, Bermuda received a lot of wind, which killed a lot of the leaves on the trees, and also took away a lot of the sand, so the beach is quite steep right now. The sand will all be back soon, and there's still plenty to enjoy. As you can see, it was quite cloudy. The weather is going to clear up tomorrow. At least the water is warm enough to swim this time!

The beach restaurant at the hotel was closed for a wedding, so we booked a last minute table at Aurora at the Newstead at Belmont Hills. We like to eat earlier than is popular in Bermuda, so can usually get in to places on short notice. Menu

View from our table

We shared an order of tuna tartare to start

September and October is the local lobster season in Bermuda, so of course my husband got that. The lobsters here are quite small and tender, and very sweet. They were served with a seafood saffron risotto.

I opted for the Dover sole.

And for dessert, we split a lemon soufflé. Husband also indulged in a Grand Marnier

We were both tired from traveling, and my husband was still recovering from the effects of getting the vaccine trifecta of shingles/flu/covid, so we were in bed by 9:30PM! I did take this picture of the resort at night before retiring for the evening.

KennethT · September 30, 2023

After all the rain we've had recently, it'll be so nice to see pictures of your gorgeous (hopefully) weather!

rotuts · September 30, 2023

@liamsaunt

wow

what a treat taking us along.

Edited September 30, 2023 by rotuts (log)

liamsaunt · October 1, 2023

Our room has a full kitchen, so I was able to start the morning with a glass of iced tea while reading the local paper that they put on the door each day. Even the headlines remind me that I am in a different country than the USA

We went to actual breakfast at the hotel but I did not take pictures as I just had some boring yogurt and fruit.

We went over to the Royal Naval Dockyard to do some shopping. We saw the setup for an Oktoberfest celebration happening that night, Tickets were sold out.

Maybe because of this cruise ship in dock. The island is not very crowded otherwise.

I found a copy of the same cookbook I bought on my honeymoon 26 years ago for sale in the bookshop.

This book made me laugh. An entire book about busses!

Weather was looking a bit stirred up back at the beach

Dinner was at Cafe Lido, located on beautiful Elbow Beach. I wish the windows opened, but the view is still lovely

Drinks. I ordered a strawberry cocktail (too sweet, but I know it would be. It was fun for a couple of sips and then I switched to water.) Husband had a lemon martini

Menu

Bread service

Shrimp

Tuna tartare

I chose the catch of the day, which was wahoo.

I also ordered a side of spinach, because I was not sure if I would enjoy the dandelion greens that came with the fish. They were indeed a bit too bitter for my liking. The fish was excellent though.

Husband ordered the pasta carbonara for some reason. I guess he was very hungry!

Dessert menu

We split the berry semifreddo. It was nice.

No fancy dinner plans for today. We are waiting for the weather to clear (it's looking promising) and then are heading out in the mini car for a beach tour, and to a stop at the place that supposedly has the best fish sandwich on the island. I've been wanting to get there for ages, so we will see if it lives up to my expectations!

**TdeV** · October 1, 2023

Happy 26th anniversary @liamsaunt + DH !

liamsaunt · October 2, 2023

Yesterday was our last day with the mini car, so we decided to do a beach exploration tour. The south facing beaches have the pink sand that Bermuda is famous for, and I knew the dark and stormy clouds would heighten the colors on the beach. As you can see, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. My favorite, Warwick Long Bay

The skies started lightening up as soon as we left Warwick, and continued to improve during the day. Not as forbidding in these photos

After our beach walk, we took the minicar out to the other end of the island to try one of the fish sandwiches that is considered the best on the island. The battle for best fish sandwich on Bermuda is a fierce competition every year, and often Woody's come out on top. Woody's is a little building on the side of the road with picnic tables for while you wait. They always tell you it is going to be an hour for your sandwich, but I think we only waited 25 minutes or so. Woody's

The menu

And the sandwich. We chose wahoo.

Verdict: very tasty! The hot sauce really added a lot. I am not sure that the cheese is necessary, but I did not mind it either. The sandwich was huge, and I was glad that we did not make dinner plans for the evening.

We spent the later afternoon back at the resort. As you can see, the skies cleared up nicely. The rest of this short trip should have lovely weather.

blue_dolphin · October 2, 2023

3 hours ago, liamsaunt said:

The menu

And the sandwich. We chose wahoo.

I'm a little surprised to see the fish sandwich on bread instead of a bun. Even more surprised to read on the menu that it's raisin bread???

Is that right? Was it toasted?

Looks and sounds pretty great aside from the raisins!

gfweb · October 2, 2023

2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I'm a little surprised to see the fish sandwich on bread instead of a bun. Even more surprised to read on the menu that it's raisin bread???

Is that right? Was it toasted?

Looks and sounds pretty great aside from the raisins!

Raisin bread (barf) is a BDA thing for some reason.

Edited October 2, 2023 by gfweb (log)

blue_dolphin · October 2, 2023

3 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Raisin bread (barf) is a BDA thing for some reason.

Indeed. As soon as I typed that, I got a sense of deja vu. Sure enough, we had a very similar discussion almost exactly a year ago!

On 10/1/2022 at 4:44 AM, liamsaunt said:

Bermuda fish sandwiches do not typically have cheese. It's fish (fried or grilled, but usually fried), and slaw on raisin bread. Sometimes extra slaw sauce and/or hot sauce are added. Most places offer the option of getting regular bread rather than raisin bread, but I like the raisin bread.

**TdeV** · October 2, 2023

@liamsaunt loves raisin bread too. Clever woman.

And thank goodness for @blue_dolphin's memory.

😀

Edited October 2, 2023 by TdeV
Because I always have more to say. (log)

heidih · October 2, 2023

The post emphasized to me McDonald's power. The cheese did not wig me out though I don't liike it. I did not noticee the raisiin breadd desription. I assumes a bun w/ breaded phish but raisin bread?? Wonder what history is in Bermudas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet-O-Fish

TicTac · October 3, 2023

Wahoo or Grouper....yeesh, talk about a tough decision. 2 of my favourites. I think I would have gone with Grouper, or more likely.....one of each! lol

liamsaunt · October 3, 2023

20 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I'm a little surprised to see the fish sandwich on bread instead of a bun. Even more surprised to read on the menu that it's raisin bread???

Is that right? Was it toasted?

Looks and sounds pretty great aside from the raisins!

Yes, it was toasted raisin bread. Sweet with savory is a big thing in Bermuda. Another example is the traditional Bermuda breakfast on weekends. Codfish (typically salt cod, often in a curry sauce, but sometimes plain) with sliced bananas, boiled potatoes, and hard boiled egg. I really cannot get behind this one. I have tried it a handful of times, and it's just not for me.

47 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Wahoo or Grouper....yeesh, talk about a tough decision. 2 of my favourites. I think I would have gone with Grouper, or more likely.....one of each! lol

I love both too. The guy behind the counter recommended the wahoo. They catch their own fish, so I was going with what he recommended!

Husband had to spend the day working, but I got to enjoy our "outdoor living room." You can turn off the AC and slide the walls open. Pretty nice.

The surf is starting to pick up as Phillipe approaches from the south (we are leaving Thursday, so will be out of here before it potentially impacts Bermuda). There are moments of calm though, and it's still OK for swimming (though too rough to snorkel, and the hotel won't let anyone use the water sports equipment). I took this picture when the water was pulling back so it looks nice and calm. The waves are crashing into that building in the lower part of the picture when they come in, which is why all the umbrellas are pulled back against the cliff.

For dinner, we went back to an old favorite, Blu. We had requested an outdoor table, but the wind was too strong to serve outside. They did let everyone go out on the patio for a cocktail/mocktail and to watch the sunset before being seated indoors to dine, which was nice.

The menu is very large. Sushi

Appetizers

pasta and pizza

fish and meat

Husband really wanted the shrimp tempura for some reason, so he started with that

I chose an appetizer special of cured wahoo with a salad. It was delicious and husband was extremely jealous. I let him have some to be nice 🙂

We both decided to get pasta diablo for dinner. Husband had lobster

and I had shrimp

Dessert menu

Lemon shuffle again? Why not?

**Smithy** · October 3, 2023

I'm not sure I've ever had wahoo but I'd have to try it just for the name. 🙂 The food looks wonderful. I'd adore shrimp tempura like that, but I'd also adore pasta diablo with either the lobster or shrimp.

Your photo of the "outdoor living room" reminds me of a place I stayed on Manisota Key (Florida Gulf Coast, near Tampa) for a couple of weeks. It had the same arrangement although the balcony was screened to keep the bugs out. It was marvelous, having that view and the doors slid wide open for the sound and smell. It was especially luxurious considering that it was bitter cold in Minnesota at that time! We cooked out or ate in as the mood took us, and there was always fresh shrimp or fish available within a block's walk. You're bringing back happy memories!

weinoo · October 3, 2023

On 10/2/2023 at 9:53 AM, liamsaunt said:

Have you ever tried the jerk chicken, brown stew fish, oxtails or curry chicken? Along with rice & peas, that's some classic Caribbean Island food. I have to take a long drive to get that stuff!

liamsaunt · October 4, 2023

20 hours ago, weinoo said:

Have you ever tried the jerk chicken, brown stew fish, oxtails or curry chicken? Along with rice & peas, that's some classic Caribbean Island food. I have to take a long drive to get that stuff!

This was my first visit to Woody's, so I wanted to get what they are famous for, which is the fish sandwich. I didn't even consider the other stuff on the menu, to be honest!

Another scenic view from our room. You can see a cruise ship leaving in the distance. The ships that were supposed to come in yesterday and today have all diverted because of TS Phillipe. By the time it gets here Friday afternoon, it's going to be a category one hurricane, and it's looking like a direct hit. My flight home is tomorrow morning, and hopefully we won't have any problems getting out.

Last night we decided to go back over to Cambridge Beaches and the Sunken Harbour Club, since we enjoyed it so much last visit.

The lounge is cute

It was not at all crowded, and they told us we could have a drink in the lounge before dinner if we wanted. My mocktail is on the left, and my husband chose a Continental Navy

Menus

For appetizers, husband chose the same ackee pasta I had last time. It was still delicious

I chose the ginger bried scallop. This was interesting, but I would not get it again. The ginger brine changed the texture of the scallop in a way that I found a bit unappealing. My husband liked it more than I did.

For mains, I was disappointed to hear that they were out of the red hind. They were also out of the turbot. They had gotten local wahoo in as a substitute, so I decided to have that. It was fresh and quite tasty

Husband chose the wild boar, which he did not enjoy. He said it was overcooked and kind of tough. I shared my wahoo, so it was fine

Dessert

We decided to share the flamed chocolate dome, just because it sounded silly. Flaming dome

Post flaming.

The ice cream was good, but the chocolate cake inside was really dry. We only ate a bit of it.

So, definitely not as good as back in May, but not so terrible that we would not give it another try sometime.

liamsaunt · October 6, 2023

We are back home now, having left this morning just ahead of Phillipe. The flight was a little turbulent, but not too bad. We decided to return to Aurora for our final dinner of the trip, since we had enjoyed our meal there so much earlier in the week. Tuna tartare again

Prickly pear seveche made with wahoo

Lobster linguini

Stuffed shrimp with spinach risotto

with a view of the sunset

For dessert we split a slice of cheesecake with matcha gelato.

while enjoying the view of Hamilton across the harbor

Until the next visit, I hope they save a spot under the umbrella for me

KennethT · October 6, 2023

@liamsauntthanks for taking us along and glad you made it out ok!

**MaryIsobel** · October 6, 2023

I'm glad your are safely home and once again, thank you for sharing your adventures.

**TdeV** · October 6, 2023

I enjoy your vacations very much. Thanks again, @liamsaunt.

Senior Sea Kayaker · October 6, 2023

Thanks for the vicarious trip.

We are going to see some of Phillipe this weekend as a weakened post tropical storm.

rotuts · October 6, 2023

thank you again for taking us along.

and thank you fpr the menus .

liamsaunt · September 29

We are back in Bermuda for our annual visit. We arrived Friday, flying in and spending one night at Grotto Bay near the airport before heading over to our usual spot at the Reefs. We'd never stayed at Grotto Bay before. I found the rooms a bit tired, but they are doing an extensive renovation and expansion, and I am sure it will be very nice once completed. The grounds are lush

There's a complimentary tea with scones and pastries in the lounge every afternoon. Yes please

There are caves on the property that you can explore. Stairs heading in

Pool of clear water in the cave. You are allowed to swim in here, but I chose not to since we were only staying one night and I did not feel like transferring wet clothes to the Reefs.

Dinner was at Tom Moore's Tavern, one of the oldest restaurants on the island, and a new destination for us.

The tavern itself seemed to be reserved for a private function, so I did not get to see the inside, which was a little disappointing. We were seated on the outdoor covered terrace

View from our table

Menu

Bread service with smoked butter and anchovy heavy tapenade

I just had a salad to start

and husband had smoked salmon

The catch of the day was rockfish with a brown butter sauce, saffron mashed potatoes and green beans

Husband had the local lobster. They told us they catch their lobster right off the dock the restaurant is next to. The preparation was thermidor, which is not his favorite (he's more of a lobster purist, but they don't seem to like to serve it that way in Bermuda), and this was was very heavy on both the mushrooms and the butter

For dessert we shared the soufflé of the day, which was Grand Marnier with strawberry sauce and a frozen creme anglaise with chocolate shards.

We both agreed that we are glad we tried Tom Moore's but we probably won't go back. The food was good, but not great, and the bill was quite steep even by Bermuda standards.

Yesterday we checked out of Grotto Bay and went to St. George, the oldest town in Bermuda, for sightseeing and lunch. This used to be a hopping destination on the island, but has really quieted over the years. There were no cruise ships visiting Bermuda yesterday, and I think I only saw two other tourists. It's a shame because there's a lot to explore. This is the oldest continually operating Protestant church in the New World, St. Peter's.

It's really fascinating inside, with lots of old graves and artifacts.

Deserted steep streets

We went to Cafe Wahoo for lunch, since they always have local catch. Menu

View

We both got the local fish sandwich, which comes on raisin bread. The traditional cole slaw that goes on the sandwich comes on the side so you can add it if you want (we did). The standard fish for the sandwich is turbot, but you can pay extra to swap in local fish, which we did. I had red hind, and husband chose wahoo. I forgot how big these are, we should have shared!

After lunch we moved across the island and checked into our apartment at the Reefs. We are here for two weeks. My sister and nephew are flying in to join us Friday (niece is at college and annoyed to be missing out). We were not overly hungry last night, so just stopped by the Clubhouse on the hotel property for a light dinner. Menu

Drinks. They have an entire mocktail menu, which was nice. Mine is one the left. It's muddled strawberries with lemon, lime and club soda. Husband had a martini