Trip Advisor

"Wow, My new husband and I went to the Brasserie based on the recommendation of our hotel - Turtle Nest Inn. It was definately the best meal we ever had together (and we live in Boston, MA where there are good restaurants to be found on every corner).

Everything from the decor, the service, the menu selection, the presentation, to the taste was impeccable. The menu is imaginative and creative with flavors from around the world. Don't be turned off by the fact that this restaurant isn't on the water - the decor is consistent with the island motif. Further, with appetizer, entrees and dessert our dinner was either the same price or cheaper than every other dinner we had at touristy 7 - mile beach locations but 10x better.

Visit their website and see what you think - consider the Wednesday sampler special they have. We wish we had. Like I said, we are not exaggerating - take a break from the beach food for one night and check this place out!"

An oasis of style

CI Journal
Article by Laura Von Reumont
Contributing Journalist

Some of the island’s most wonderful restaurants are well hidden in unassuming surroundings and the Brasserie is one of my favourite examples. Just far enough away from the heart of the capital to have enough parking, yet close enough to lure even the most hurried execs out of the comforts of their space to delve into an oasis of style.

Jennifer Newton wrote a beautiful piece on the eclectic decor of the Brasserie in the second of Inside Out magazine and it is obvious from the minute you enter through the heavy wooden entrance door what inspired her there. From the warm shades of brown and red in the bar area, achieved by juxtaposing rustic terracotta tiles and solid teak furniture, to the decadent palm leaf fans, soft inviting cushions and whimsical table settings (I love the lucky bamboo and baby pineapples) the senses are overwhelmed by the owners’ eye for detail. You will find yourself discovering something new each time you visit.

Your host (and manager of the restaurant) is the charming Guy, whose continental manners blend in with the elegant surroundings. The international wait staff, Aurelio, Claudia, Jerome, Lina and Anthony, impress with their professionalism and manage to look both comfortable and crisp in their impeccable Cuban-style shirts. Behind the scenes, Alex, Laeticia, Mosquito and Jurgen, hailing from Austria, France, India and Holland respectively, surprise patrons with an ever-changing array of delicious dishes.

The menu is short and concise but filled with specials, featuring a different tart, ravioli, fish and meat dish every day, so you never have to order the same item twice. While you are choosing you will be brought a bread-basket, which could have made Dr Atkins throw in the towel. The usual home made flavours include sourdough, pistachio, walnut and olive and are a bread lover’s Nirvana.

Being incapable of resisting duck, ever, I ordered the seven-spice duck breast with pineapple glaze, roasted potato and vegetables. Ooh la la! My lunch date was very impressed by the ravioli filled with roasted peppers and feta in a creamy pesto sauce. We each had a glass of wine from the reasonably priced and well put together selection and wished we had time for a bottle of Tignanello, a Tuscan favourite of ours, which we had enjoyed there previously, complete with decanter and reminiscing with Aurelio about wine fests in Verona.

Looking around the dining room, there can be a company party taking place in the function room, wheeling and dealing in one corer and meaningful glances in another, the lay-out of the room is done so that privacy prevails.

Should you have saved a little room for desert, the lemon nectarine and pine nut tart come highly recommended. Otherwise finish with a café latte, good strong coffee layered with frothy milk in a tall glass and start thinking of your next reason for an indulgent lunch out.