Bermuda Restaurant Recommendations
My husband and I are headed to Bermuda on a cruise at the end of May. Does anyone have any great restaurant recommendations in the mid-range to bargain price area? I've heard from other folks who have visited Bermuda that the food can be insanely expensive, so I'm trying to stick to a budget.
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coll
Mar 14, 2013 03:49 AM
Hope you report back, we are being treated to a cruise to Kings Wharf the first week of June; husband is in a wheelchair so we probably won't be exploring too much but do want to experience as much as we can regardless.
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re: coll
Can your husband walk at all or his completely wheelchair bound?
Most of the dining establishments in and around Dockyard where you'll be moored are on ground level and I would consider wheelchair accessible. For a light lunch, I'd recommend the Dockyard pastry shop which has sandwiches and quiches and is set in an outdoor courtyard, so if the weather is nice, you dine al fresco.
In and around Hamilton, it's much trickier as I try to think about establishments that are wheelchair accessible. For your evening meal, Port O Call has a ramp into the restaurant and if you wanted to order from their sister restaurant Pearl Sushi, I'm sure they could be accomodating. Mad Hatter's I believe is not accessible. Harry's on the waterfront is, you just need to go around past the entrance and through the patio area in the back. I believe that Red, the steakhouse is but again, you'd need to go around to the back entrance on Reid Street. House of India does have a ramp. Lemon Tree cafe would be good for lunch in Hamilton, you sit in the little cafe area adjacent to the park.
If you have more questions, please feel free to ask, always happy to help out!
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re: bdachow
coll
Mar 14, 2013 02:23 PM
Thanks for the info, we are travelling with a friend whose husband is also wheelchair bound (both strokes); we have only had this issue for about two years and are proud of the fact that we are getting out and about at all! If worse comes to worse, we're on the new Breakaway and they are still in the showing off stage with award winning chefs etc on board, so we won't starve. But I'd love to try something with local fish, or the British fish and chips place, that kind of thing. I get a lot of exercise popping the wheelchair up and down stairs, it's a learned art and I'm very proud of my new skills! We will be docked three days so Hamilton might be an option, if there is handicap transport.
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re: coll
I can't make any comments on fish and chips as I generally never order it. Hog Penny would be an English style pub but the entrance is a bit tricky and has a step down into it. It's also the same restaurant that Rachel Ray visited for their curry, on her $40/day show.
As for transport, I'm a little hazy on that. I did find this link, perhaps you can find out more.
http://www.gotobermuda.com/what-to-do/transportation/for-people-with-disabilities/
And of course, if you're looking for activities, the website:
www.nothingtodoinbermuda.com has listings of activities, both dining and non dining related.Hope that helps!
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re: bdachow
coll
Mar 15, 2013 12:42 PM
Thanks for both of these websites, I bookmarked and will be monitoring them closer to departure. Both of our husbands can walk if forced, but they are somewhat lazy at times so we have to be prepared. I know it's touristy near where we'll be, and I never thought I'd be on a cruise in this lifetime, but I am ready to make the best of it!
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We just got back from a week in windy, stormy Bermuda. Yes, it is very expensive to eat (and stay!) there, but the fish was absolutely delicious, so once we adjusted our cost expectations, we were fine. Our running joke was that every lunch cost $86 for the three of us (husband, myself, and 16 year old son) no matter what we ordered or where we ate.
Our favorite lunch place by far, recommended by a taxi driver, a local on the street and the concierge at our hotel (Elbow Beach), was the Wahoo Grill in St George. The food was reasonably priced (this time, our $86 included a glass of wine apiece) and the side dishes (rice and peas, plantains, really fresh salads and slaw) were delicious. Tip is automatically added to your bill in most restaurants.
For a blowout dinner that's worth breaking your budget, try Tom Moore's Tavern. It's in a 17th century house and is very elegant. Our tab there was considerably more than $86, though. Our son passed on the fine dining and ordered a $20 room service hamburger (yes, I'm serious!), while we paid $250 for a lovely, three course meal including wine and tip.
Wherever you go, try the fish chowder (sort of like bouillabaisse without the shellfish) at least once. I think it's their national dish. I've been googling recipes for that, as well as the rum swizzle, while we await our astronomical visa bills!
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re: Isolda
Aha, yes I definitely forgot about fish chowder. That is a staple here, best served with a splash of rum and sherry pepper. Good for a cool to cold windy evening.
Fish wise, rockfish, wahoo and tuna are the most popular and abundant local fishes. Be careful as both rockfish and tuna are sometimes imported.
Athena might have some more ideas as well. I don't get out to eat nearly as often as I used to, since I'm hunkered down in study mode.
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Athena
Mar 10, 2013 02:15 PM
I'm happy to hear that you want to explore restaurants on the island, but as bdachow says, food has to be imported - and while there is local produce, it is on a small scale so is more expensive. We cannot reap the benefits of economies of scale so it's really not fair to compare food prices here with North America/Europe and judge us as 'insanely expensive'.
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I assume your cruise ship will be moored in the west end of the island. Do you plan on leaving the area and traveling around the island? Going to St. Georges or Hamilton? Looking for lunches or dinners? I will say that relative to the States, you will find Bermuda to be relatively more expensive since almost all the food has to be imported.
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re: bdachow
We're going to be docked at King's Wharf but plan to explore. We're definitely planning to go to Hamilton. We're looking for both lunches and dinners, but will probably do more lunches. We'll sample any cuisine, but really want to try out any Bermudian specialities and seafood.
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re: kdlalib
If you're headed out to the St. George's end of the island, I'd suggest hitting the BlackHorse Tavern in St. David's. They do local fish and specialties quite well. If you're in Hamilton and looking for something different at lunch hour, you could try House of India's lunch buffet. $16.95/person not incl drinks or grats. I personally love that each day has different dishes and I love Indian food. For dinners, your best value for money would be Mad Hatters in Hamilton as well but the menu is North American so nothing really different. If you like your seafood a little less cooked, Pearl Sushi in Hamilton (above Port O Call) serves it up and usually has at least one local fish but depends on the fisherman's supply. Lately, it's been so windy the fisherman haven't gotten out much.
As for beverages, you can't come to Bermuda and not have a Dark n Stormy which is ginger beer and Gosling's black seal rum (dark rum). You can try that anywhere. And of course, the Rum Swizzle (fruit punch based) with a heck of kick if you order it from The Swizzle Inn.
What time of year is the cruise? If you're around Easter, you can always try local cod fish cakes served with hot cross buns which is a local tradition, along with going out to fly kites.
Otherwise, there's not too much that is specifically Bermudian except what's best served in somebody's home. With globalization, the cuisine in Bermuda tends to reflect that.
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