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Many would agree that the Lemon Tree has redefined the al fresco lunch experience. Why? Chef Jean Claude Garzia MOF and partner chef/ entrepreneur Lee Uddin. On May 2nd, with the opening of Beau Rivage restaurant at Newstead Belmont Hill’s, restaurant goers will be delighted to experience fine dining with Jean Claude. The Lemon Tree’s reputation will extend across the harbour.
Jean Claude paused for a moment to chat with This Week in Bermuda to talk about Beau Rivage. First off, Jean Claude won the Best Chef of France in 1996 (Meilleur Ouvier de France). Can you imagine, that the Best Chef in France is opening up a new fine dining restaurant in Bermuda?
Chef Garzia came to Bermuda in 1981, as the Chef Gourmet, in the Tiara Room Restaurant in the Hamilton Princess. “ I then went down to Cambridge Beaches and was recognized by newspapers and magazines all over.” In 2002, Chef Garzia opened The Lemon Tree with business partner Lee Uddin. Now, six years later they have opened Lemon Tree on the Go, located on the North Shore in Terceira’s Shell service station on the Pembroke Devonshire divide.
About Beau Rivage, Jean Claude explains: “We will be serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and room service. Many of the suites have their own kitchens, so if you want us to cook for you, we will do it, he said. I want people to share good times with us. We have a good laugh and a glass of wine…”
He described the menu to reflect “French cuisine with a lot of island colour: seafood, everything, Bermuda bananas with Gosling’s Black Rum, mussels, frogs legs, scampi, lobster sausage, you name it. I am open and if I can change the menu every three months I will.”
Chef Garzia oozed with oohs and ahs for the views: “Every single table, every chair that you are seated on you see the view.
We have two bars. One of the new bars will be downstairs by the pool. Then upstairs, there is a small bar in the restaurant. We have about 65 seats in the restaurant; outside on the terrace we can sit 35 to 40 people. There is a small private conference room, in which we can sit 35 to 40 people. (Removed)
To make the dining experience even more personal, Chef Garzia is planning something special for patrons: “ I have a Chef’s table in the kitchen for up to ten guests. They can come and sit in the heart of the kitchen and I will cook for them. They can see the whole kitchen and they can hear the noise of the whole kitchen. The tables are already booked for several months.”
Chef Garzia is going one step further by providing people with “picnic lunches” in baskets. “You can get your roasted French Chicken with a baguette and a nice bottle of wine to take with you.” They will also have a small gift shop at the hotel.
“At the moment, at home, I am working on chocolate Easter eggs – which makes my wife go bananas. Voila, that’s my story!”
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