Ascots Dining Experience

What to do for when it's your boss' birthday (we'll call her Helen.  Because that's actually her name) in Bermuda?  Fancy dinner out of course!

The birthday girl's choice was Ascots, so we made a reservation for last Saturday evening.  Ascots is known in Bermuda for being one of the more upscale restaurants, so it is a great place to go for a special occasion.  They also have a private room for larger parties -- this is a huge win for everyone, because if you happen to be in the larger party, you have a room to yourself and designated waiters or waitresses to make sure your party is catered to without delay, and if you are in a smaller group, your dining experience isn't marred by the busy, loud, party table.  In our case, we went as a party of four, so were in the main dining area.  But I have been in the private room as well and we were very well taken care of.

The prelude to our evening was a conversation initiated by one of our party who had not yet been to Ascots -- firstly on the female agenda was what to wear, secondly was what is the menu like, and lastly and of least importance to us was where is it located.  In retrospect, location perhaps should be a priority, since Sakina and I found ourselves giving directions using landmarks since we don't know most of the street names, and of course the Helen got lost (even though this was not the first time going to the restaurant!  I have to confess I was in the passenger seat when this happened, and the only help i gave was "we just passed the turnoff").  So I have posted a location link for anyone looking to find Ascots on 24 Rosemont Avenue.  But going back to item number one, after a lengthy discussion on new shoes that Kadian bought in Panama that she needed to debut (they were lovely), it was agreed that Ascots is slightly more formal than resort casual.  It's a great place to rock a new dress or pull out a favorite, but leave denim, cotton, sneakers at home, and make yourself feel gorgeous because you are about to have a fabulous night out!  It doesn't have to be crazy -- just sharp!  And to address the second topic, the food, everyone agreed that the food was delicious and memorable, and that the service was outstanding.  Service excellence is a bit of an elusive concept in Bermuda, but there are a few places that get it right, and Ascots has a reputation for continuously excelling in service.

Now, to the actual evening.  Typically when you enter Ascots you are seated in the lounge area, where you can order a cocktail and are served a complimentary snack.  This is great if you are waiting on others to arrive, or if the group just wants to to chill out or catch up for a moment.  Kadian and I had a glass of Prosecco, the others stuck to non-alcoholic fruity drinks, and we were served a tray of fresh humus and veggies, peanuts, croutons, and a mix of olives as our complimentary snack.  When we were ready to move on, we just let the bartender know we were ready to be seated and our waiter led us out to our table.  It is always nice to have the waiter pull out your chair and seat you -- but at Ascot's, they are extra diligent.  If you make a move to the restroom, they appear like lightning to pull out your chair, and seat you at your return.  You will never wonder where your waiter is at Ascots.  Your water glass (or wine glass) is always topped up without needed to ask, and the staff are incredibly polite and helpful.  Another nice touch is that when you open the menu, you will see that the restaurant asks you to please refrain from using your cellphone in the restaurant -- i didn't hear a single ring tone the whole evening and it is such a pleasant change!  Ascots is also, of course, non-smoking.

The menu is, in my humble opinion, exquisite!  There are so many appetizer options that it is difficult to choose from.  After a long look i narrowed it down to four possibilities out of twenty plus -- the fresh salmon tempura, sauteed snails (as opposed to traditional escargot), a chilled banana soup (with almonds and rum), and what i finally ordered, the curry pumpkin and lobster soup.  Helen went with the chilled Gezpacho soup, and the other ladies had fish cakes, a very popular Bermuda treat.  The appetizers were as good as they sound with amazing touches -- Helen's soup had the Ascots logo, and my curry pumpkin lobster was as fragrant as it was tasty.  When it comes to main dishes, expect the same level of culinary detail to the flavor, visual presentation, variety, and adornments.  Their menu is available online so I won't go into a lot of detail, but i chose the reef and beef rossini, which is described as chard grilled tournedos, tiger shrimp and seared foie gras rested on a toffee carrot and parsnip tart.  OK, i have to admit i forgot what foie gras was but was so interested in the parsnip tart and steak and shrimp that i went for it.  It was a little surprising when i tasted what looked like a mushroom but tasted like liver...and that's when i recalled what foie gras is.  So although that isn't something i would normally eat, the meal was delicious, and all of us were delighted with our evening out.  We did of course add desert on, and again, there is a marvellous selection ranging from simple fruit and cheeses to lava cakes and coffee mousse tarts,  We couldn't have been happier with our meal!

As for the overall environment, it was great!  It was not so formal as to be stuffy and silent, but it was peaceful with the lack of cellphones and thoughtful layout of the tables so that you weren't overwhelmed by noise or conversations at accompanying tables.  I was surprised to look at my watch (ok, i pulled the cellphone out because i never wear a watch, but i didn't use it, honest!) and realize that we had been there for three and a half hours.  The evening never once felt like it was slow or we were waiting on courses -- the evening felt full -- full of great food, conversation, and laughter.  Ascots really gave us a great night -- oh, and they did sing happy birthday to our guest of honor, and add a candy "happy birthday" plaque to her desert.

I feel that I need to mention the money factor -- because everyone always associates nice dining rooms with high costs.  In Bermuda, a 15% gratuity is automatically added to the bill in 99% of restaurants on the island.  Even with that, and the 3 courses and a cocktail, the price per person worked out to $101.00.  Had everyone had wine with dinner it would have been higher, but we didn't, and for a Bermuda 3 course meal of this calibre seems a really reasonable price!  This may seem high to traveller's, but honestly, in Bermuda you will likely pay $30-$35 for a hamburger, fries, and a draft beer.  So if you are visiting, consider this a place to go to celebrate a special occasion, or just to celebrate being in Bermuda.

I look forward to doing it again soon -- another friend has already booked us in for a pre-Christmas dinner...in the big room :)