Latin finale

Today is the opening day of a new restaurant in Bermuda, something that doesn’t happen very often, so I normally like to promote them, yet sadly it is at the expense of another.

I had dinner at Latin (photo) on Victoria Street last week, and although the service was characteristically poor, the South American/Cuban cuisine was again very good. Hamilton is stuffed full of steak, expense burgers and catch of the day type restaurants, and Latin was always a nice alternative so it will be a real shame to see it disappear from the short list of options.

The owners obviously felt it was too niche, and today Latin restaurant relaunches as Victoria Grill and will changes it’s cuisine to become a “North American city style bistro”. Tom Tabor, who  previously ran the kitchen at the now closed Seahorse Grill at Elbow Beach, will spearhead the new-look restaurant. Although how new-look it can look after being shut for less than a week is yet to be determined.

One saving grace is that the very good table side made guacamole will survive to appear on the Victoria Grill menu and the outside bar will continue under the RumBar name. It’s disappointing to see Latin go, but it’s hard to argue when Philip Barnett, president of Island Restaurant Group Ltd, which owns Latin/Victoria Grill says: “survival is all about making sure you stay relevant and keep on offering what people want.”

I hope then for Victoria Grill’s benefit that duplication is relevant.

Meanwhile Thai restaurant Silk on Front Street and 64 degrees at Port Royal Golf Club have both closed following a change of ownership. I always thought Silk was rubbish but I liked 64 Degrees when we went in March although I remarked that the pricing was well above it’s station, so interesting to note then that one of the new owners was quoted as saying: “The days of high priced menus and wine lists are gone.” They are luv, even in Bermuda.

Previous owner of both Silk and 64 Degrees, Claudio Vigilante has already this summer re-branded Fresco’s, which is now Maria’s Ristorante – like Bermuda needs another Italian eatery – and the Opus Bar, dropping the ‘pus’ and now called simply the O Bar, which was closed when I tried to get a drink there one night last week.