Then there’s Rosewood’s Tucker’s Point, with just a handful of pastel-toned, British-colonial rooms and villas, largely contained in one grand manor house. It’s perfect for a more intimate experience.
Where to Eat
The new: Bermuda’s food scene is generally seen as tired and passé. Such signature dishes as fish cakes, fritters, and sandwiches have never really stood out from offerings in the Caribbean, so it’s no surprise that upscale dining is largely the domain of hotel restaurants. At the Loren, an all-glass spiral staircase connects the lobby to Maree, a white-tablecloth spot with ocean views whose menu includes gnocchi in lobster beurre blanc and duck confit cannelloni. Marcus’ at the Hamilton Princess has emerged as the island’s hottest table: Its mosaic-tiled bar is a dream at sunset, when magic-hour lighting is magnified and refracted through the dining room’s enormous windows. Dishes such as whole, roasted island catch and fried yard bird—a riff on Samuelsson’s hit dish at New York’s Red Rooster—are livelier than anything Bermuda has seen before.
That said, don’t overlook the Cottage Café and Bistro, on the second floor of a shopping mall in charming Hamilton. The intentionally rustic, unassuming dining room is run by Brian Richens, the chef who drew a local following for his farm-fresh Bermudan fare at Tempest. Here, he’s taking cues from his wife’s Azorean heritage to create riffs on such island classics as Old Bay crab cakes and Mahi Mahi fritters. Make this a pit stop for lunch and stick to more classic places for dinner.
The tried and true: You might catch a glimpse of Bermuda residents Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the so-called “snug corner” at Barracuda Grill, a surf-and-turf spot that Christensen ranks among the island’s best restaurants. Anna Gaffney, general manager at the Loren, is still a fan of chowder and fish sandwiches at Tempest but regularly sends her most food-obsessed travelers to Bolero, a market-driven brasserie hidden at the end of a narrow alleyway off bustling Front Street.
Where to See and Be Seen
The new: You can catch a party nearly any day there are races on the island, and many of them in temporary venues set up for the Cup. As part of its inaugural season, the Caroline Bay Marina will also host The Arabella, a 157-foot, schooner-style mega-yacht with dramatic ivory staysails. During the races, the ship’s decks will double as spectator deck, dinner spot, and rum bar.
The tried and true: Harry’s and Port O Call are the two most “happening” bars on the island, according to Christensen. Both pack in a power-brokering happy hour crowd, but Port O Call is along bustling Front Street—good for both bar- and boutique-hopping—while Harry’s has easy access to a wide, beachfront promenade. At night, it’s all about drinks and dancing at the hookah-smoke-filled Café Cairo; be prepared to relive your very best college days, all the way to 3 a.m.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.