When I was little, my family had a tradition of visiting Bermuda every year during spring break as it was a quick and easy tropical getaway. By plane, it takes less than two hours from NYC. Even then I was a big foodie, so despite my parents’ attempts to visit different hotels every time, I always begged to go back to the Fairmont Southampton. Now the reason I dragged my parents back to this same hotel time and time again was because of this one restaurant, the Waterlot Inn.
It was one of the fanciest restaurants I had ever been to, and, although I don’t remember much from my earlier visits there, I do remember wanting to back there again and again. This year, I got to go to Bermuda for the first time in about four years, and of course, I insisted on staying at the same hotel and going back to the Waterlot Inn. We went there two times in the six nights we were there, and I must say, it did not disappoint. I can say with confidence it is one of the best restaurants in Bermuda, and quite likely one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten at. That’s why I believe it is the one restaurant you must visit in Southampton, Bermuda.
What is the Waterlot Inn?
According to its website, the Waterlot Inn was originally built in 1670 and was the family home of the Darrells, until Claudia Darrell inherited the home. It has since then been converted into the restaurant it is today and currently owned by Fairmont Hotels. The restaurant is a steakhouse, but specializes in seafood and steak, which makes sense considering its location right next to the water.
Atmosphere
The restaurant itself feels very cozy and inviting, despite being rather formal. The decor definitely highlights the age of the building but manages at the same time to not to seem like you’re sitting in someone’s grandma’s house. Instead, while you’re dining, especially when you sit inside, you feel like you’re sitting in a museum.
When you go, ask to sit in the sunny room, as there you can get beautiful views of the dock and watch the sunset as you enjoy your meal. The service there is also very personal, and the waiters constantly check on you to make sure your meal is going well. Additionally, the plethora of dishes served tableside means that the food has a more personal touch, something you don’t really find in restaurants these days.
The Food
Ahh yes. The most important part. Since I went with my parents, we decide each time to order a bunch of stuff to share in order to try as much food as possible.
Each time we were there, we were started off with an amuse bouche, which is a small complimentary bite a chef sends to start off your meal at an upscale restaurant. The first time, we were sent a fig, bacon, and maple amuse bouche. All three flavors perfectly complemented each other, which bacon adding a nice saltiness and smokiness to the sweet and soft fig.
The second time, we recieved a spinach and tomato quiche, which was delightfully creamy, although to be honest, I liked the fig amuse bouche better.
Soon after, our waiter came around with complimentary bread, and we were given the option of the sourdough or onion brioche. The bread was served with a paprika infused butter and plain butter sprinkled with sea salt. Out of the two, I liked the sourdough better, as I felt it had more flavor, and paired exceptionally well with the paprika butter.
For our appetizers, we had ordered a beef tartare, lobster bisque, and tableside Caesar. Our Caesar salad was made by a friendly waiter named Oliver, who rattled off the surprisingly long list of ingredients in the dressing while mixing and tossing our salad.
The Caesar dressing was probably one of the best I’ve ever had in my life, as it was totally unlike the gloopy, white, and vaguely cheesy dressings I was used to. You could taste every ingredient in the dressing, from the lemon to the pepper to the cheese, and every flavor felt like it belonged and paired perfectly with the crisp romaine lettuce.
The beef in the beef tartare was chopped into just the right size, and paired well with the simple toast and mustard, although the mustard was a little overpowering.
The lobster bisque was poured table side over small pieces of lobster. The lobster chunks were cooked perfectly and added some nice texture to the bisque, which was quite creamy, and not overly heavy or thick, which many cream based soups can fall victim to.
However, the main dishes were the real stars. The first time around, we ordered creamed spinach, a porterhouse, truffle mac and cheese and truffle fries. The creamed spinach was delightfully creamy and flavorful, and unlike in most creamed spinach, did not cook the spinach to death. The porterhouse was perfectly cooked to medium rare, and had a nice balance of fat to meat ratio.
The truffle mac and choose is one the few things I would come back to Bermuda for. This mac and cheese was both creamy and cheesy, a balance hard to find elsewhere, and was topped with an addicting crispy crust. Once you take a bite, you are hit by several sensations: the stretchy, salty, and creamy cheese sauce, the perfectly cooked pasta, and the hint of truffle oil, scented with real truffles. Once you take a bite of this, you don’t want to stop until you’re finished.
The truffle fries are another highlight. The fries are perfectly crispy and yellow on the outside, while steaming and soft on the inside, and tossed in the perfect amount of truffle oil and salty grated parmesan, which has every so slightly melted, making the fries extra cheesy. Once again, we completely plowed through these fries until none were left in the giant cone they were served in.
The second time we ordered, a tasting trio of giant scallop, yellowfin tuna, and petit filet mignon, lobster surf and turf, brussels sprouts with pancetta, and ordered for the second time truffle mac and cheese and truffle fries. The filet mignon was perfectly cooked to medium rare, and managed to have a nice crust on the outside while still being tender on the inside. The scallop was perfectly tender and not rubbery at all, and was complimented by a creamy avocado and jalapeño puree that had just the right amount of spice. The yellowfin tuna was perfectly seared and went well with the slightly sweet pineapple salsa, which added a different texture.
The surf and turf was pretty good as well, as both the filet mignon and the lobster tail were, like everything else, cooked to perfection, especially the lobster tail.
Although I was stuffed, I personally still wanted dessert, so we ordered the baked Alaska and sticky toffee pudding. The baked Alaska was flambeed with rum tableside, which made for some pretty pictures, as you can see above. But it also tasted pretty good. The soft and toasted meringue, the cool and creamy ice cream, and light sponge combined to form a not too heavy dessert that we polished off easily.
The sticky toffee pudding though, was a study in contrast. The pudding itself was dense, sticking to your spoon, dotted with chopped up dates, coated in a luscious butterscotch sauce, and topped, as all good desserts, by a scoop of cool and creamy. It is a dessert that epitomised the sheer decadence of the food at this place. And it was mind-blowingly delicious. Once got home, I immediately began searching for places to get my sticky toffee pudding fix in the hopes maybe some restaurant in NYC would have sticky toffee pudding that compared.
At the end, when the waiter came with our check, we were also given chocolate truffles topped with sea salt to round out our meal. Like everything else, the truffles were delicious, as they were not too sweet, and as you bit into it, the hard, crunchy exterior melded into the creamy rich interior.
When you’re on vacation, sometimes you just want to splurge and go all out on a meal. If you’re ever in Bermuda, the Waterlot Inn is the perfect place for such a meal. The food, ambiance, views, and service all make this restaurant one of the best restaurants in Bermuda that I’ve ever been to. Once you visit, you’ll start planning your next trip. I know I’m already planning my next trip to Bermuda so I can visit the Waterlot Inn again.