Recently a Cobblers Cove dinner and meet and greet with Executive Chef Michael Harrison enabled me to experience first-hand the delicious Barbados influenced cuisine of Cobblers Cove's award-winning Camelot Restaurant.
Cobblers Cove is perhaps better known to British visitors, thanks to Barbados' history as a British colony and even after independence in 1966, ties to the UK as part of the Commonwealth. But it's increasingly popular with American and Canadian guests seeking a relaxing stay in an English-style country house set on a beautiful Caribbean beach.
As a Relais & Chateaux property, dining is a highlight, and Cobblers Cove is also a Virtuoso property, so TravelSort Clients receive these benefits when booking:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
- Complimentary one-way airport transfers (with a minimum five night stay roundtrip transfers are provided)
- Boat trip to ‘swim with the turtles', once during stay
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
When to Visit Cobblers Cove
I recommend visiting Cobblers Cove during Barbados' dry season, which generally runs December to May. But if you want to book for the popular festive season around Christmas and New Year's, now is the time to start planning (for Cobblers Cove and for other top Caribbean resorts as well). Every year, I have clients who wait until spring or summer to plan their winter breaks, and usually their top choices have already been booked up. So plan early!
Executive Chef Michael Harrison
Cobblers Cove's Executive Chef, Michael Harrison, is the only top chef in Barbados that hails from the island. Back in 1996, he left Barbados to work for Michel Roux Jr. at Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London, after which he worked at Gleneagles in Scotland; the White Barn Inn in Kennebunk Port, Maine; the exclusive North Island in the Seychelles (where Prince William and Kate Middleton honeymooned); and Sandy Lane, Cobblers Cove's chief rival on Barbados.
Refreshingly, Chef Michael remains funny and down to earth, and a highlight for many Cobblers Cove guests is a Saturday Market Tour with him.
Cobblers Cove Menus
The daily breakfast could easily carry you through the day until an early dinner, with freshly squeezed juices, Scottish smoked salmon, omelets and crepes cooked to order, pancakes, french toast, yogurts, fruits, and even a full English Breakfast if you want something especially hearty.
The sample dinner menu features starters such as Lobster & Melon Tasting and Pan-Fried Foie Gras with Vanilla Apples, with mains ranging from fresh local caught seafood to Herb Marinated Lamb Rack, but we were honored with a special menu that read as follows:
Cobblers Cove Dinner
Pre-dinner canapes were amazing, including fresh crab claws, lobster salad, and wild game with caramelized butternut squash.
Our seated dinner started off with a light and crisp sesame shrimp tempura, with an addictive soy chili sauce:
Tied with the main course as my favorite dish of the night was the Trilogy of Quail, beautifully plated with slow roasted beetroot carpaccio, rosemary caramel popcorn, roasted butternut squash, orange segments, cherry tomatoes and micro greens. Quail, especially the crisp quail skin and the confit, is such a treat, and the richness was complemented well with the bright fruit and vegetable flavors, as well as the earthy sweetness of the beetroot and butternut squash.
One of the recipes I definitely want from Executive Chef Michael Harrison is the palate cleanser of Lemon Sorbet with Melon Mojito. Summer in every spoonful!
I'm normally skeptical of surf and turf entrees, as they often seem to fall short both on the meat and seafood side, but the Pan Roasted Beef Tenderloin with truffle sauce and Lobster with Grilled Watermelon, Baby Bok Choy, Asparagus and Lemongrass Sauce was fantastic. The lobster was fresh, buttery and tender, and the beef tenderloin was also fork tender, knife scarcely needed.
I'll confess I've never been much of a fan of Creme Brulee, or even of Grand Marnier, so while this wasn't my favorite dessert ever, I will say that it was prepared perfectly, with a crunchy caramelized top and silky custard infused with Grand Marnier and vanilla bean. The mixed berry compote was a nice touch.
Needless to say, I didn't have room to even try the chocolate truffles, but they looked tempting, had I been hungrier:
While I haven't yet been to Cobblers Cove or to many Relais & Chateaux properties, I better understand why many of my clients tend to stay at Relais & Chateaux properties such as Cobblers Cove exclusively. At many, even upscale hotels and resorts, dining is adequate, but you'll often do better by dining off property. At Cobblers Cove, dining, as much as the beautiful setting and gorgeous beach, is a huge draw for its many repeat guests.
If you've stayed at Cobblers Cove, what was your dining experience like?
Related Posts
Beaches, Haute Cuisine and Creole Delights in Sunny St. Martin
St. Lucia, Caribbean with Kids
Disclosure: I was a guest of Cobblers Cove for its NYC dinner and meet and greet with Executive Chef Michael Harrison.
Need Award Booking Help? Our fee is as low as $75 per ticket if you book your hotel through us.
If you enjoyed this, join 150,000+ readers: please follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book Your Hotel with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred VIP Amenities!