During our recent trip to Bermuda, we had the wonderful experience of dining at the Fairmont Southampton’s famed Waterlot Inn. This is Bermuda’s premiere steakhouse, having won several AAA Four Diamond Awards and Wine Spectator Awards, as well as Bermuda’s Best Steak of 2011.
The restaurant was warm and inviting from the moment we walked in. Dark exposed beams and nautical paintings adorned the walls throughout the establishment. One couldn’t help but be somewhat overwhelmed by the fact that this restaurant had been around since 1670. Their menu states “Centuries in the Making”, and they aren’t kidding.
Once seated, we got to ordering. Our waiter, Jamal, a very friendly outgoing young man from Barbados, made his recommendations. Some of them we accepted.
My wife, Lynn, started with the Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail while I had the Jumbo Lump Crab cake. Both were very good choices. Her shrimp were quite large and my crab cake was very meaty with almost no filler. The half lemon in the cheese cloth so no seeds fell into the food spoke directly to the attention to detail we would see throughout the rest of the evening. The corn chutney on my crab cake was fantastic.
Next, we both went to the Caesar Salad. Cold and flavorful with a nice sprinkle of cheese. What more could you ask for?
From there, we hit the main course: Lynn had Surf and Turf, an 8 ounce filet minion that was so tender she could cut it with a spoon, and two nice sized lobster tails that were perfectly cooked. Her dinner was excellent on all counts.
I took one of Jamal’s recommendations and chose the 14 ounce Rib Eye. This is one of the steaks that the Waterlot is known for, and now I know why. It is perhaps the best Rib Eye I have ever eaten. The outside had a perfect crust while the inside was pink and juicy. This steak was cooked to perfection.
We also ordered the butternut squash and sage as a shared side, but in hindsight we should have chosen the truffle macaroni and cheese. First, I have to say that they bring out a large portion. Although it is for two, it could easily feed four. That aside, the sage added nothing to the squash but gave it an odd flavor. We later found out that the truffle macaroni and cheese is a house specialty. We’ll know better next time.
When Jamal came back to see what if we were interested in desert, we looked at him like he had lost his mind, however, after listening to his desert recommendations, we couldn’t resist. We chose another house specialty, the Sticky Toffee Pudding. This is a chocolate sponge cake covered in a toffee sauce with vanilla ice cream, and as someone said the next day, it is made “in the devil’s kitchen”. If you go there, don’t miss this treat.
Make no mistake, this is a five-star restaurant at five-star prices. But, like many other things, you get what you pay for. Not only is this part of the Fairmont Southampton’s dining options, it has also become the go-to spot for Bermudians to take their significant others for their most important life events: proposals, anniversaries, new job acceptance, etc…
If you are in Bermuda, this is a restaurant experience that should not be missed.
