Eating With A Local: Where To Eat In Bermuda

In an effort to find the best eats around the globe, I’m connecting with food-loving locals and putting my stomach in their hands. Come along as I ask them to take me to five of their fave spots for my Eating With A Local series. The only criteria? Good food. The kind you want to share with friends. A huge thanks to tripcentral.ca for making this jaunt to paradise possible! 

Local Glutton (LG): Karriem. Bermuda resident, multimedia producer and travel blogger. Lover of jerk chicken, all-things-fried and pad thai. Hates mayonnaise. Once ate a bat wing in a remote village in Laos. Favourite midnight snack? Wahoo nuggets at Ice Queen. His stepdad – a chef from Louisiana – fueled his love of food through delish cajun and creole creations.

Trying to decide where to eat in Bermuda? Here are five spots Karriem recommends…

1. Bulli.Social

What do you love about this place? 

Karriem (LG): The food is creative and the bartenders are awesome.
My Two Cents: I love, love, LOVE their patio. The huge tree provides a nice canopy, the draped string lights create a cozy ambiance and the outdoor bar is super cute. Great playlist too!

Who would you bring here? 

Karriem (LG): Group of friends after work.
My Two Cents: I could spend all night drinking cocktails with friends on this patio.

If you could only order one dish, what would it be? 

Karriem (LG): The IED burger topped with BSH smoked jalapeños, Habanero cheddar, candied bacon, roasted red pepper aioli, Linghams hot sauce — but only order the burger if you like it spicy!
My Two Cents: The Persian Shepherd. We had to order this given I’m Persian AND the burger is made with lamb and topped with halloumi (which made the Greek hubster happy). Since we’re also Canadian, the Traditional Poutine was also obligatory — it was great!

2. Rock Island Coffee

What do you love about this place? 

Karriem (LG): The owner, Lisabet, is very generous and the coffee is always fresh. But I come here for the atmosphere: it’s super casual and artsy.
My Two Cents: These guys have been around for a couple of decades and have built a beaut community over the years. You can feel the good vibes as soon as you step inside. And I love that they display and sell local art.

Who would you bring here? 

Karriem (LG): Anyone and everyone. From friends to the Premier of Bermuda!
My Two Cents: Hubster! He appreciates a good cup of coffee — especially when it’s made using freshly roasted beans (Rock Island Coffee has a roast shack onsite so it doesn’t really get any fresher than that).

If you could only order one thing, what would it be? 

Karriem (LG): A large caramel latte made with whole milk.
My Two Cents: Macchiato. But their Mexican Hot Chocolate sounds pretty amaze too.

3. Bouchée Bistro Français

What do you love about this place? 

Karriem (LG): They serve quality food in a casual setting. It kind of feels like a diner.
My Two Cents: The popular breakfast/brunch spot is charming, has reasonable prices and friendly staff.

Who would you bring here? 

Karriem (LG): My hungover friends — the hearty brunch hits the spot.
My Two Cents: The bistro is great for family dining.

If you could only order one dish, what would it be? 

Karriem (LG): The Big English! Two eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans, toast and seasonal fruit.
My Two Cents: Huevos Benedict. Two poached eggs on an English muffin with avocado, salsa and hollandaise sauce.

4. Jamaican Grill

What do you love about this place? 

Karriem (LG): It’s authentic, down to earth and the jerk chicken is amazing.
My Two Cents: This joint is literally a hole-in-the-wall. I love the laid-back vibe, the chatty locals (as they wait for their takeout orders) and the incredible food. Oh, and it’s super cheap: even the $5 order of jerk filled me up! It’s a bit tricky to find, but that makes it a fab place if you’re looking to avoid tourists.

Who would you bring here? 

Karriem (LG): I head to Jamaican Grill after the bar with friends. It’s open super late on weekends.
My Two Cents: Everybody. Yes, it’s that good.

If you could only order one dish, what would it be? 

Karriem (LG): Jerk! With The Devil’s Cousin Sauce, mac and cheese, rice and peas and brown stew gravy.
My Two Cents: OMG the jerk! Rivals any jerk chicken I’ve devoured in Jamaica.

5. Wahoo’s Bistro and Patio

What do you love about this place? 

Karriem (LG): It’s an institution in St. George’s Parish. The staff are super local, the view from the patio is great and the food is solid.
My Two Cents: Wahoo’s came highly recommended from practically every islander I surveyed. Known for their Bermudian cuisine, they have a gorg patio and some really fab dishes on the menu (like fresh Wahoo nuggets, rockfish Picasso and an award-winning fish chowder).

Who would you bring here? 

Karriem (LG): This is a nice place for a casual date night by the harbour.
My Two Cents: I agree with Karriem — it definitely has a nice date night vibe, especially at sunset.

If you could only order one dish, what would it be? 

Karriem (LG): Fish tacos.
My Two Cents: Fish tacos without a doubt. They alone are worth the drive to St. George’s Parish!

Before I sign off, I wanted to share a short video that Karriem produced to recap our day out. He was kind enough to take us beyond the food mission to show us some of his favourite spots, including a few gorg cliffs and beaches in Bermuda. You guys should definitely check out his YouTube channel to admire his beautiful vids!

Huge thanks to tripcentral.ca for sponsoring this trip to Bermuda. Hope you guys enjoyed our local food hop. Would love to know what your favourite eats are via comments below! And if you need to do more food “research” you can always find amazing deals to Bermuda here.