糖心传媒

叠别谤尘耻诲补鈥檚 culinary scene can be a bit confusing if you don鈥檛 know the island鈥檚 history. At a glance, one might expect Caribbean-esque food 鈥� and they wouldn鈥檛 be wrong. But Bermudian cuisine is so much more.

A mash-up of West African (not dissimilar to our sister islands to the south), Portuguese, British and West Indian flavors, Bermudian food is interesting, unique, and delicious. 

Fresh fish is plentiful and spiny lobster is wildly popular when it鈥檚 in season. You won鈥檛 always find traditional Bermudian dishes in most restaurants, but you will find Bermudian takes on popular cuisines at casual fish spots, upscale steakhouses, British pubs and everything in between.

1. Sample a bowl of fish chowder

A bowl of fish chowder is about as Bermudian as it gets. But don鈥檛 get it twisted 鈥� this isn鈥檛 New England clam chowder.

It鈥檚 dark brown, thick and rich, packed with shredded fish, finely minced potatoes, onions, carrots and tomatoes. If you鈥檙e brave (or local), douse it with a splash of Gosling鈥檚 Black Seal Rum and a few shakes of Outerbridge鈥檚 Sherry Peppers.

Fish chowder isn鈥檛 inherently spicy, but it鈥檚 well seasoned and flavorful. It鈥檚 warm, comforting, thick and a flavor bomb in every bite. Add as much or as little pepper sauce as you鈥檇 like: it鈥檚 excellent on its own, but that fiery kick really elevates it.

Where to try it: , , 

2. Enjoy a traditional Sunday breakfast of codfish and potatoes

There鈥檚 nothing like the smell of codfish and potatoes simmering in a Bermudian kitchen on a Sunday morning.

Cod became a staple during slavery, when enslaved people were given dried codfish or bacalao from Portugal 鈥揷heap, shelf-stable and filling.

They softened it by boiling, removed the salt, and created something magical: 叠别谤尘耻诲补鈥檚 traditional Sunday breakfast.

Today, it鈥檚 served with boiled potatoes and smothered in either onion butter sauce or tomato sauce, sometimes both. It鈥檚 often plated with banana, avocado, hard-boiled egg, and either cornbread or Johnny bread, a simple pan-fried quick bread.

When you get the fish, potato, tomato sauce and onion sauce in one bite, you should get salty, creamy, sweet and umami. 

Where to try it: , , .

3. Have an old school Bermuda breakfast

Bermudians tend to love sweet things even for breakfast, despite a sugar tax and high diabetes rates. One old-school favorite is the coffee roll, similar to a cinnamon roll but fluffier and topped with hard white icing.

The best way to enjoy it? Slice it in half, toast it, and load it with a fried egg, bacon (if that鈥檚 your thing) and cheese. Add a hot coffee on the side and you鈥檝e got yourself a classic island breakfast.

Where to try it: (food truck), , .

4. Devour a massive fish sandwich

Seafood reigns in Bermuda and the fish sandwich is a true icon. The fish (usually wahoo, snapper or rockfish) is seasoned, floured and deep-fried, then piled high on your bread of choice.

But do it the local way: toasted raisin bread, coleslaw, tartar sauce, a little hot sauce, fried onions, and maybe a slice of cheese. It鈥檚 salty, sweet, crunchy, tangy and creamy all in one bite 鈥� and totally unforgettable.

Wash it down with an icy cold ginger beer or, if you鈥檙e in the mood, a rum swizzle.

Where to try it: is a local favorite. Also check out 奥辞辞诲测鈥檚,  and for a sit-in restaurant, at the Rosedon Hotel.

5. Don鈥檛 miss the traditional cassava pie

Most Caribbean islands have cassava dishes, often savory, boiled, fried or made into chips.

But 叠别谤尘耻诲补鈥檚 version is unique: a dense, cake-like pie that can be more sweet or savory, depending on the cook. For Bermudians, it isn鈥檛 Christmas without cassava pie.

Made from grated cassava root, eggs, butter and spices, it鈥檚 sometimes layered with shredded chicken.

Don鈥檛 mistake it for dessert 鈥� it鈥檚 served as a side dish and typically topped with chowchow or piccalilli, a British mustard-based relish of pickled vegetables and spices. It鈥檚 very difficult to describe the taste of cassava pie, but it鈥檚 truly decadent, buttery and rich.

Where to get it: During the holidays, you鈥檒l find it at most restaurants. Offseason, look for it on local supermarket buffets: ,  and .

6. Sip a rum swizzle or a dark 鈥榥鈥� stormy

There鈥檚 been a long-standing debate over 叠别谤尘耻诲补鈥檚 national drink: is it the rum swizzle or the dark 鈥榥鈥� stormy?

The rum swizzle is a fruity punch made with Gosling鈥檚 Black Seal and Gold rums, orange and pineapple juices, grenadine, bitters and sometimes lime. Everyone has their own take, but don鈥檛 be fooled by the sweetness, it packs a serious punch.

The dark 鈥榥鈥� stormy is simpler but no less iconic: Gosling鈥檚 Black Rum, Barritt鈥檚 ginger beer, and a squeeze of lime. If it has anything else in it, it鈥檚 not the real deal.

Where to try: For swizzle, , , , . Honestly, you can get a good dark 鈥榥鈥� stormy anywhere on the island.

7. Indulge in a fishcake on a hot cross bun

Bermuda style fishcakes were invented here over a century ago from leftover codfish breakfast mashed with potatoes, onions, herbs and spices, then fried.

While you can enjoy them any time of year, the best way to eat one is during Easter, stuffed into a warm hot cross bun with icing.

The bun itself isn鈥檛 sweet but some can be sweeter than others depending on how much icing is used. Some bakeries make a cross with dough and then brush on icing while others pipe thick white icing into a cross.

Toppings vary: mayo, ketchup, cheddar cheese (my personal favorite) or tartar sauce. The combo is crunchy, sweet, savory, indulgent and a true local tradition.

Where to try it: , , and . Most supermarkets serve them year-round, but the hot cross bun combo shines during Easter.

8. Grab a fresh malasada

Thanks to 叠别谤尘耻诲补鈥檚 Portuguese influence, malasadas 鈥� fluffy, sugar-coated donuts from the Azores 鈥� are a beloved sweet treat. They鈥檙e fried fresh to order and often pop up at fairs, fundraisers or right outside Lindo鈥檚 Family Foods on a Saturday.

Where to try it: Keep an eye out at street fairs and pop-ups during local events.

9. Order a platter of rockfish ribs

Yes, fish ribs! And they are amazing. Rockfish ribs are a specialty at Wahoo鈥檚 Bistro in St George鈥檚, where Chef Alfred Konrad grills them to perfection and brushes them with honey mustard barbecue sauce.

Rockfish are unique to Bermuda, specifically Wahoo鈥檚 and, because it鈥檚 grouper, the meat has a slightly sweet flavor. They鈥檙e usually served with two sides 鈥� coleslaw and peas and rice are perfect matches.

10. Gobble up a spiny lobster

叠别谤尘耻诲补鈥檚 spiny lobster is like barbecue in the South 鈥� people have strong opinions on how it should be cooked and where to eat it. Available only from September 1 to March 31, it鈥檚 a seasonal delicacy worth seeking out.

Caribbean Spiny lobster meat tends to be sweeter than spiny lobster found in other parts of the world and typically has more meat than a Maine lobster.

Popular preparations include thermidor (baked with a creamy sauce), broiled with butter or stuffed. Supplies are limited due to fishing regulations and the use of traditional lobster pots, so grab it when you can. The seasonality and regulations make this a pricey meal. 

Where to try it: , , , .

11. Sample the Bermuda fish plate

One of the island鈥檚 most popular meals, the fish plate ranges from casual to upscale. At its simplest, you鈥檒l get a fried local fish filet with tartar sauce, fries and coleslaw.

At upscale restaurants, it鈥檚 the 鈥渃atch of the day,鈥� grilled or pan-seared, served with lemon butter or beurre blanc, a French butter sauce and upgraded sides like celeriac pur茅e or seasonal vegetables.

Fish varies depending on the day and season, but expect rockfish, snapper, red hind, mahi mahi or wahoo.

Where to try it: , , , .