A generous choice of fare at the Tamarisk Restaurant

When dining out in Bermuda it’s easy to stick to the city restaurants, but if you venture a little further there are some hidden gems to be discovered.

Tucked away in the west end, Tamarisk Restaurant & Terrace enjoys a secluded, romantic location overlooking Mangrove Bay.

As part of Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa, its waterfront views and understated charm reflect the hotel’s general ambience and character.

Tamarisk is located in a 200-year-old cottage with a peach and green interior, evoking the island’s flora and fauna.

Although you can’t dine alfresco on its terrace on a chilly February evening, the restaurant is pleasant enough, with tables spaced well apart to ensure an air of privacy.

Tamarisk was named one of Bermuda’s best places to dine by Food & Wine Magazine and it also came recommended by friends, so I looked forward to sampling the menu.

For Restaurant Week, there is a generous choice of fare to whet your appetite.

Appetizers and soups include: Heirloom tomato caviar; smoked wahoo medallion; jerk-spiced chicken roulade; mixed seasonal greens; red bean and chorizo soup; and Bermuda fish chowder.

Entrees include: Seafood platter, with rockfish, scallops and pan-fried coney; pan-roasted queen snapper; slow braised lamb shank; roasted Peking duck; and surf ‘n’ turf.

There are two choices of dessert — flambéed banana in a brandy snap basket or molten chocolate cake with homemade vanilla ice cream and strawberry compote.

As for liquid refreshment, there is a nice choice of house wines, which at $45 per bottle don’t drain the wallet too badly.

The whites feature a Terre pinot grigio, Lindeman’s chardonnay and Brancott Sauvignon Blanc. The reds include a Lindeman’s cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and shiraz.

If you like rosé there is a Sutter Home white zinfandel, and for sparkling wine, a Zefiro prosecco. The house wines are also available by the glass.

Tamarisk’s menu runs until the end of Restaurant Week, on February 16, and costs $49 plus gratuities for a three-course dinner.

For my appetizer I opted for the jerk-spiced chicken roulade. This came beautifully presented, with the food arranged almost like a Bermuda onion.

The jerk chicken accompanied with mango and a balsamic reduction was a sweet and savoury combination for the taste buds.

Before the main course, my dining partner and I asked restaurant captain Derek Bean for a wine recommendation.

As we were both having the steak, he brought us a bottle of Saint Clair Family Estate 2009 pinot noir, light-bodied and full of fruit.

It was a delicious choice, with cherry and blackcurrant flavours bursting in the mouth, followed by hints of coffee and tobacco to finish.

My Surf ‘n’ Turf entrée consisted of a grilled Black Angus medallion, butter-broiled tiger shrimps, Dauphinoise potatoes and Vichy carrots.

The steak was cooked to perfection and “melted in the mouth”, as my dining partner said.

The shrimps were also tender and juicy, leaving little room for dessert afterwards. But who can resist molten chocolate cake?

Again this exceeded expectations and the strawberry compote was a nice, refreshing accompaniment.

My partner also enjoyed the flambéed banana, describing it as “delicious”.

Apart from the delicious food and wine, one thing which stood out for me in dining at Tamarisk was the high standards of service.

The staff were personable and attentive, with an attention to detail you don’t normally see at some island restaurants.

Another nice touch was that executive chef Keith DeShields also came out of the kitchen to chat to diners.

Originally from Roberts Avenue in Devonshire, Mr DeShields told us he tries to use local fare in his dishes but is also inspired by Europe and the Caribbean, culminating in cosmopolitan creations.

“I get inspired by anything… it could be an afterthought from a certain place or time, or a smell. Sometimes my sous chef and I bounce ideas off from each other,” he said.

When it comes to Bermudian ingredients, he said: “I try to bring in as much as possible, in particular fish. My favourite fish is the Bermuda bonito, and the deep sea snapper, also called the queen snapper, is also great. It has a beautiful white meat, very delicate and is slightly sweet.”

He said on quieter evenings he also enjoys creating tailor-made dishes for diners, asking them what they would like to eat. n

Contact 234-0331 or see www.cambridgebeaches.com. Three course dinner — $49, complimentary to the writer.