Breezes Restaurant at Cambridge Beaches - A Hidden Gem Near Royal Navy Dockyard Cruise Port
Cruises to Bermuda are unique in the fact that they stay in port for three days, allowing guests to get off and on the ship whenever they please. This flexibility allows you to have authentic experiences that you wouldn’t normally have cruising to other island ports.
We had a truly memorable experience going to the Cambridge Beaches resort and dining at the Breezes restaurant. Cambridge Beaches is a luxury cottage-colony resort just about ten minutes away from the Royal Naval Dockyard port area and has been a treasured destination of old Bermuda charm and quiet serenity for almost 100 years. Strolling around this boutique resort felt like you were in a fairytale, and the real world seemed like it was lightyears away. The magic did not stop at Breezes alfresco restaurant - dining at sunset with twinkling lights overhead and overlooking gentle waves was an unparalleled experience!
Getting There
If your cruise ship is docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard, it is easy to find a cab right outside the ship. The ride was quick and cost around $15 each way. You will be dropped off at the main reception building, and Breezes is a 5-10 minute walk from there. The hotel offers golf cart transportation as there are some steep paved pathways to get down to the restaurant. You can also direct your driver to drop you off by the restaurant. When you are ready to head back to the ship, you can get a cab from the reception building, or through the Hitch Rideshare App (similar to Uber or Lyft).
The Restaurant
Open for lunch, dinner, and afternoon snacks, Breezes offers high-quality island cuisine. Before dinner, we enjoyed a delicious Dark ‘n’ Stormy in the outdoor lounge marveling at the beautiful landscape and winding down from the day. As we were enjoying our drinks, a musician played light music and traditional Bermuda favorites.
As the sun was setting, we were sat under a pavilion of market lights with an incredible ocean breeze. The menu provided a variety of island favorites with Caribbean fusion, plenty of fresh fish, and something for everyone to enjoy. We learned that the chef was born and raised in Bermuda and was trained at world-renowned institutes and restaurants providing a first-class dining experience.
The Food
For appetizers, we selected the Local Fish Chowder and the Caesar Romaine Wedge. One of Bermuda’s top delicacies is fish chowder, and this did not disappoint! The soup was authentic and had such depth of flavor with the rum and sherry pepper. The salad was fresh and large enough to share between two people.
While it was difficult to pick which incredible entree to eat, we ordered the Catch of the Day and the Dominican Style Caribbean Reef Chicken. The local catch was wahoo, which is a large whitefish found in tropical waters. Our wahoo was served with a lemon butter sauce, fresh vegetables, and a chosen side of Barbados-style cou-cou. (Cou-cou is made of cornmeal and its texture resembles a smooth version of polenta or grits and served with okra). The fish was super light and flavorful and paired well with the lemon sauce, bright vegetables, and smooth cou-cou.
The Caribbean Reef Chicken was served with Trini pilau rice and ginger glazed carrots. It was a large portion of chicken, but it was delicious with its sweet and spicy marinade. The flavorful rice was dark with spices and matched perfectly with the sweetness of the carrots.
As if we weren’t filled to the brim, we ordered the Bermudian Bread & Butter Pudding and Twice-Baked Cinnamon Plantains for dessert. The bread pudding was delightful with the rum ice cream and caramel sauce! The baked plantains were decadent with the rich custard and the caramelized and crunchy plantains - this should definitely be shared!
Our perfect meal ended with a cappuccino and we admired our surroundings of the nighttime chirping birds and crickets. Our waitstaff was prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly, adding to an already incredible experience.
Breezes is a hidden gem, and visiting Cambridge Beaches was definitely the highlight of our entire vacation. The restaurant is open in the spring, summer, and fall, and you can even make reservations on OpenTable. We cannot recommend dining at Breezes at Cambridge Beaches enough, we will be making a point to visit every time we port in Bermuda!
