The Point Restaurant, Bermuda

It may hard to believe in this era of shuffling shoeless through airport security monitors, but in the ‘30s-‘60s, one of the most glamorous things about going to Bermuda was getting there. Starting with the luxury cruise ship the Queen of Bermuda, which made its maiden journey in 1933, the voyage to these far flung tiny islands in the Atlantic was pretty posh. As air travel became more common, one of the biggest brands to promote Bermuda was Pan Am, which featured idyllic, stylized images of the island in its posters.

One thing that strikes you as soon as you step into the lobby of this new hotel in Bermuda, Tucker’s Point, is the pure glamour of it all. The wide marble corridors, high ceilings, graceful outdoor corridors, infinity pool and gorgeous views seem almost over the top on an island known more for British restraint. But when you learn that the executive director is Edward Trippe, son of Pan Am founder Juan Trippe, it all begins to make sense. An appreciation for big, American-style glamour must run in the family.

The Trippe family’s long involvement with Bermuda brings a sense of history to a new hotel. A clubby, English-style bar is decorated with antique political cartoons and prints, and in the adjoining restaurant, The Point, an elaborate mural by Gerard Henderson depicts 1880s ports and ships—it originally hung in the Pan Am offices in New York.

Personal touches like these that keep the new hotel and restaurant from feeling like its generic chain cousins, five-star though they may be. Swiss chef Serge Bottelli, formerly of LaCoquille, gets many of his ingredients from Bermuda and works with an artisan farmer to source the meat. Here was the first thing to arrive from the kitchen: an amuse-bouche of salty-sweet lobster bisque.

The table settings were quite elegant, and the wine list impressed even the biggest wine snob at the table.

Alas, this wasn’t the sort of place where I could indefinitely borrow the menu or taste everyone’s food, so I’ll stick to the few things I tried. The components of this grapefruit, shrimp, and lobster salad were pristine, and this combination of flavors could have really been a knockout. It lacked enough dressing, however, to bind the flavors together.

Reports from across the table had it that the hazelnut soup was excellent. The porcini-crusted fish came recommended, but we went for that day’s special of lamb—basically deboned rack of lamb. This excellent cut of meat arrived perfectly cooked, succulent and flavorful, with a pool of rich cherry sauce on the side. Definitely get this special when it comes up again.

The chicken suffered from the same problem as the lobster salad—quality ingredients, but they were placed together without any overarching flavor binding the dish together as a whole. But this is the same sort of complaint people have had about Dan Barber’s food, which would be a major improvement on Bermuda’s food, often oversauced to disguise ingredients that spent a long time getting there. Other than using local fish, little attention has been paid to the sourcing of ingredients until now.

Prices were quite expensive, with many entrees weighing in at about $38 a pop. (You can also downsize the entrees to a sort of “ladies’ portion” for about 3/4 of the price.) But the service, atmosphere and food justified the prices. The best news? Given these building blocks—a luxurious setting, great ingredients, and talent in the kitchen—the budding restaurant is surely on the up and up.

The Point
Tucker’s Point Hotel and Spa
60 Tucker’s Point Drive
Hamilton Parish, Bermuda
(441) 298-4000