Food Culture

Fish Sandwiches from Art Mel's
Fish Sandwiches from Art Mel's

Our Finest Flavours

Sure, you’ve had seafood. But have you ever tasted fried wahoo served between two slices of freshly-baked raisin bread, piled high with coleslaw and hot sauce? How about sipping on fish chowder (made with the catch of the day, of course) infused with black rum and spicy sherry peppers? Maybe you’ve never considered codfish for breakfast – dive in and explore the deeper flavours of Bermuda.

Bermudian culture is a blend of British, Portuguese, African, Caribbean and Native American influences, and our food has a similarly diverse background that gives everything a flavour that’s totally unique. You can taste Creole spices blended into classic English dishes, spicy peppers accentuating fresh seafood, and comforting, sweet baked goods alongside local fish and produce. It’s that juxtaposition of tastes, textures, and influences that makes the food out here so delicious.

With international roots and a rich natural bounty, Bermuda’s food culture is as unique and colourful as the island itself. Just a two-hour flight from the U.S. East Coast, the island brings fresh and bold flavours to the table.

Surrounded by water on all sides, it’s no surprise incredibly fresh sea-to-table offerings, like tuna, wahoo, and spiny lobster, are a staple on Bermudian menus. Topping the list of quintessential Bermudian dishes are fish chowder – complete with Black Seal rum and sherry peppers – and a fried fish sandwich, preferably served on raisin bread with all the fixings. In fall and winter, find freshly caught spiny lobster on the menu.

Two classic beverages were born in Bermuda – the Dark ‘n Stormy® and the Rum Swizzle. The first is a refreshing libation that layers dark rum – Gosling's Black Seal Rum, of course – atop an iced glass of ginger beer (Barritt's, made in Bermuda, is best), garnished with a wedge of lime. A sweeter option, the Rum Swizzle blends Black Seal Rum, amber rum and island fruit juices, which is finished off with a splash of falernum. 

On weekend mornings, Bermudian breakfast plates tend to be piled high with steamed or boiled salt codfish served with potatoes, a hard-boiled egg, sliced bananas and, of course, onions. Sometimes you'll find it topped with avocado slices. Fish sandwiches loaded up with Bermuda onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, hot sauce and coleslaw are on the menu at popular lunch spots like Art Mel's Spicy Dicy. As for dinner, beloved seasonal favourites include spiny lobster in fall and winter and yellowfin tuna in spring and fall.

Bermuda’s warm, temperate climate and soil quality create a perfect growing environment for a range of fruits and vegetables – from loquats to those onions Bermuda is famous for. Every season has a different harvest offering its own set of flavors. In winter, find hearty greens like broccoli and hard squashes like pumpkin. In spring months, loquats and suriname cherries are on the menu. Find bay grapes and paw paw in summer dishes and harvest fresh guava, spinach and turnips in the fall.

DeShield's Pop-up Bistro – Dessert

Delectable Desserts

With so many locally grown fruits and spices on hand – not to mention varieties of rum – Bermuda was bound have tonnes of options for sweet tooths, be it for breakfast (malasadas, or Portuguese donuts), afternoon tea or dessert (moist rum cake, banana fritters or Black Seal Rum chocolate mousse). Even old-world sweets like syllabub, an English dessert said to date back to Henry VIII's time, have a Bermudian twist; out here, they're served with mango or guava jam.

A group enjoying a raft up in Bermuda

Cocktail Cruises

Few things are more suited for one another than a salty sea and an icy rum beverage, so it's no wonder cocktail cruises abound out here. See the awe-inspiring sights of Bermuda's Great Sound, swizzle (or champagne) in hand, during a sunset cruise. Learn about the island and its rum-making legacy during Gosling's rum-tasting cruise, a 90-minute sunset ride that's guaranteed to put you in the island spirit. Or, take in the dramatic coastal features of Harrington Sound during an evening cocktail cruise. Explore more enticing options with the Island Tour Centre.

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