Bermuda: Food + Drink + Dining

At Bolero Brasserie, Dustin ate this delicious looking pork belly topped pasta!

UPDATED: 2/5/2023

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setting the scene: bermuda food + drink

We weren’t really sure what to expect from Bermuda’s dining scene before we went. Visiting without any preconceived notion, we found ourselves surprised by the multicultural and eclectic options. It became evident in our experience that Bermuda has combined the flavors from many parts of the world and put its own Caribbean spin on some classic dishes. A really good example of this is the lunch I had near the Royal Naval Dockyard at a restaurant called Bone Fish Bar & Grill. I had a Bermuda Fish Cake sandwich, a fish sandwich that looked like a crab cake, served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and a banana and mango chutney.

At Bone Fish Bar and Grill, Lindsey had the Bermuda Fish Cake Sandwich.

We had our pick of fine dining that could compete with restaurants in any major metropolitan city as well as other options that varied from pub fare to restaurants specializing in Caribbean, Asian, Middle Eastern, or African dining. And some spots are an amalgamation.

Seafood is popular, which is no surprise for an island. One of the locally popular fish is the Wahoo (also known as Ono in Hawaii). A couple of beverages that are popular on the island are the Rum Swizzle (which we tried at a few places) and Dark ‘n’ Stormy (which we did not try). The Rum Swizzle primarily contains rum (of course), pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine. The Dark ‘n’ Stormy has dark rum, ginger beer, and lime.

Perhaps in part because it was 11 pm and we hadn’t eaten since lunchtime but our room service at the Princess Hamilton served the best chicken club sandwiches and the fries were on point!

what to expect when dining in bermuda

Not all parts of the island have ample or convenient dining options. We stayed in Hamilton, the capital city, and had plenty of options there. But when we were booking our trip and determining where to stay, it was clear that other parts of the island don’t always have a lot of nearby options. This is especially true for some of the more remotely located resorts that often only have their on-site dining options for guests.
In Hamilton, we found breakfast restaurants opened as early as 7 or 7:30am, which is not always the case in some countries that can have later starts to the day. Several places offered brunch.
We found even during our off-season (late November) visit, where some restaurants were seasonally closed, that reservations are a good idea, particularly for fine dining. On the weekend, we had a wait for breakfast at a French bistro, and a few evenings we had difficulty making reservations late in the day. I would imagine reservations are paramount in peak tourist season.
Some restaurants are closed on Sundays or seasonally, so ensure you check the restaurant’s schedule before showing up for a meal.
A few places take cash only but the vast majority accept credit cards.

our favorite restaurants

With a meager four days in Bermuda, there are of course many restaurants we didn’t try, but here are a few of our favorites that run the gamut from fancy to casual.

For breakfast:

Dangelini’s Cafe and Bakery , located on Front Street in Hamilton in a pink building next to the ferry terminal - We had breakfast there a couple of days, and it is a perfect, casual spot to grab a table with water views, have a warm cup of coffee, and a breakfast sandwich.
Bouchee Bistro , located on Front Street in Hamilton - We had breakfast at this popular spot twice on our trip, and found it to have a wide variety of breakfast and brunch options. One morning I ordered a Crepe La Paysanne, which was a crepe wrapped around scrambled eggs with gruyere cheese, onions, and bacon, and topped with Bechamel sauce and definitely preferred their crepe (which is the specialty as a French bistro) to some of their more Americanized breakfasts.

I think the Moroccan-spiced grilled lamb at Bolero Brasserie was the highlight of the trip for Lindsey.

For lunch and/or dinner: (check opening times as some places are dinner only)

Marcus’ Rum Swizzle has a wonderful amber color.

Bolero Brasserie, located on Front Street in Hamilton - As I write this, I can still practically taste the melt-in-your-mouth lamb. This fine dining establishment is located on the second floor of the building and has a modern, sophisticated atmosphere in terms of its decor. The service was wonderful and friendly; when we entered, we were greeted so warmly that it felt like we were entering someone’s personal home, which was very nice. The restaurant is independently owned by a husband and wife. I ordered Moroccan-spiced grilled lamb ribs served with merguez (spicy fresh mutton sausage), lentil tabbouleh, and a slight drizzle of mint yogurt. It was absolutely delicious, possibly the best lamb I have ever had anywhere. Dustin had an equally good meal of slow-braised pork belly with chorizo, pickled apple puree, and smoked jalapeno mojo verde. Somehow we had room to spare and split melting chocolate pudding. This restaurant was amazing, and we would absolutely return on a future trip.
White Horse Pub, located along the water in St. George’s - Housed in a building that dates to the mid 1700s, though it has only been a pub since about 1930, the main restaurant is in the old part of the building with a dark tavern and bar feel to it, and then a more recent addition is a covered area for dock dining, which is where we decided to eat. What makes this place special is the history of the building and the ambiance of the dock dining. We both went with the easy and obvious choice for our orders: fish and chips. For lunchtime entertainment, we got to watch beautiful mallard docks bobbing in the water next to us, and we were watched by various species of birds that were very interested in our meals. In the water, we could see large schools of fish, and the waitstaff pointed out chubb and bream, plus Dustin spotted a parrot fish.
Marcus, located in our hotel (Hamilton Princess) in Hamilton - This fine dining restaurant is named for chef Marcus Samuelsson, also known for his New York City restaurant Red Rooster. The restaurant has a nice interior ambiance and sits overlooking the water, though in the winter it was long past sunset when we were there. The servers and managers were all very friendly and accommodating, and we absolutely loved our meals. Dustin ordered his first Rum Swizzle, a beautifully colored drink. For dinner, we both ordered the same: Wahoo (a fish also known in Hawaii as Ono) served with kimchi, red pepper jam, bok choy, and broccoli in a miso broth. For dessert, we both opted for different selections: Dustin got a chocolate bomb, which is basically a chocolate covered raspberry mousse cake with hot chocolate sauce poured over so that it partially melted, and I had a cheesecake with honey and caramel because I always have a soft spot for cheesecake.
Portofino, located a short walk from Front Street on Bermudiana Road in Hamilton - This place makes perfect pizza! We grabbed dinner here as the Christmas parade was wrapping up and were able to sit in the outdoor seating that had seasonal coverings to protect against the November wind and chill. We split a Marathon Pizza, which is topped with ham, mushrooms, red and green bell peppers, and olives. The crust was delicious – thin and crispy, and they had what I think was olive oil in a bottle with red peppers that we drizzled on the pizza and dipped the crust in. For dessert, I got a tiramisu, and Dustin got one of their ice creams served over Profiteroles and was massive. Pizza spots are a dime a dozen but good pizza spots like this one are relatively rare.