Newport Room - Bermuda

The only AAA Five Diamond Restaurant in Bermuda, The Newport Room is arguably the best restaurant on the Island.

Serving artfully prepared French cuisine, the Newport Room is decorated in rich, dark mahogany and brass. A tasteful mural of the Newport-to-Bermuda race serves as the room's focal point. With a club-like decor, diners sit in booths lining the walls or in tall-back leather chairs. The atmosphere is formal and reserved.

The chef is from Barbados originally. He cooked at the Newport Room for years, left the Island to train under Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, and ultimately returned to cook, once again, at the Newport Room.

We were promptly seated upon arrival, and while my husband's white linen napkin was placed in his lap, mine was quickly whisked away and replaced with a black napkin. Our waiter explained that was because I was wearing a black dress he didn't want the lint from the white napkin to cling to my clothing. This is one of those small touches that demonstrate the restaurant's commitment to excellence. I can't tell you how many times I have stood up from a meal - particularly lunch - with my black suit covered with white lint. An annoyance that will seem far greater now that I know how easy it is for a restaurant to help patrons avoid this issue.

We started the evening with cocktails while perusing the menu. Everything sounded wonderful and it was with great difficulty that we made our choices. Once we had ordered, we were presented with the amuse bouche, a refreshing chilled shrimp salad served with fried shallots and paired with a simple pureed pea soup shooter.

Our first course, the American Sturgeon Caviar ($25 supplement) was served with warm, made to order Yukon Gold Potato Blinis. This course should probably come with a warning about the time it takes to prepare; it was at least a thirty minute wait while they made the blinis and prepared the accouterments which included Lemon Crème Fraiche, baby micro greens, finely diced hard boiled egg yolks, whites, red onion and parsley. The dark pearls of the California farm raised Sturgeon had a wonderfully nutty taste and buttery texture, which the sommelier paired a with a Charles de la Rouche Brut Grand Cuvee champagne. The champagne's arc of flavors - floral, yeast and green apple - complemented the caviar nicely.

I love homemade pasta and chose the Butternut Squash Tortellini for my appetizer. Light, tender house-made pasta was wrapped around pureed butternut squash, set in decadent Madeira thyme broth, and topped with Parmesan foam. This dish, so spectacular in presentation, flavor and texture, was the standout dish of the evening.

My husband's Lobster Bisque with Tarragon and Mascarpone Quenelle was Flambéd tableside for a dramatic presentation. Chilled lobster meat was surrounded by a warm lobster broth that was thin, not creamy as expected. The accompanying wine, a buttery Far Niente Chardonnay, was exquisite and complemented the buttery rich broth and lobster meat.

The intermezzo, a refreshing watermelon shooter with honeydew foam, effectively cleansed the palate before our next courses were presented. For my entree, I enjoyed the Dover Sole with Citrus Meuniere and Caper Hazelnut Butter. Fileted tableside, the fish was moist and the sauce simultaneously buttery and tangy (I love French sauces!). The fish was accompanied by potatoes au gratin and a baby vegetable medley consisting of bok choy, zucchini, broccoli, snow peas, waxed beans and white asparagus.

My husband's entree, the Bouillabaise, consisted of dungeness crab broth filled with Maine lobster, Scottish langoustines and sea bass. It was a bit bland and lacked the creativity he was seeking in an entree, though he devoured every morsel. The Saintsbury Pinot Noir paired with the dish had strong tannins that softened as the wine opened up, revealing black cherry and cocoa undertones. It was an odd selection to pair with the bouillabaisse; a buttery chardonnay would have better complemented the dish. Nonetheless, my husband enjoyed the wine immensely.

We were too full for dessert, though we did enjoy the plate of complimentary sweet treats from the chef. Our dinner, accompanied by cocktails and one wine pairing was $381, including tip. Set prices for 2, 3 and 4 course dinners are $75, $95 and $110 per person, respectively.

With artfully prepared cuisine and attentive service, the Newport Room is my favorite restaurant in Bermuda. I can't think of another restaurant that even comes close. Rumor has it that the Newport Room may close its doors for good in the near future, given that locals and tourists alike prefer more reasonably priced, casual restaurants. That would be a shame, as Bermuda has a plethora of restaurants, yet so few for those seeking culinary excellence and a refined dining experience.