Dinner at Palomino

Lately, I’ve been looking for new ways to be social.  Keeping on the theme of self-discovery, I decided it was time to get out of the house more and meet new people and have new experiences.  So, when I was invited to a birthday dinner at Palomino, I jumped at the opportunity.

Palomino’s website describes them as a company with a “mission to deliver meaningful dining experiences rooted in quality, community, and creativity”.  I will admit that I am not the biggest fan of this company.  I did not have a previous desire to visit this restaurant, even though I am normally eager to try out new restaurants on the island.  However, I decided to attend the birthday dinner for the social aspect while simultaneously having a new dining experience.

I was impressed with the interior of the restaurant.  It was warm, modern and inviting.  There is not another restaurant on the island with a similar ambience.  I appreciated that this set the restaurant apart.  Overall, the lighting was dark.  But the tabletop lamps provided enough additional lighting for the table.

The food was good at Palomino.  It was not bad, but it was not craveable.  I ordered a mango lemon drop with tequila for a cocktail.  The cocktail was made with fresh orange juice and mango puree.  I was not the biggest fan of orange juice in the cocktail.  For my main, I ordered the local wahoo with creamed spinach, parmesan truffle fries and the cowboy butter.  The fish was cooked well.  The spinach and truffle fries were tasty. A little less truffle oil and the fries would’ve been perfect.  The cowboy butter was enjoyable and had a nice flavor to it.  I wish that the butter had not been cold so that it would’ve melted nicely over the fish.   The sides must be ordered separately from the mains. The price point of the restaurant is higher than many other restaurants on the island, so keep this in mind.

While exceptional food is always the priority, I also find value in experiences.  I could accept good to okay food if I had an amazing experience.  However, I am unlikely to return to an establishment where I didn’t have the best experience.  Upon arrival at the table, I was immediately taken aback by what appeared to be an attitude from our server.  Everyone mentioned how it seemed that the server did not appear to be happy to be there.  I did not want to make immediate assumptions, so I decided to be open and see how the night progressed.  However, throughout the dinner service the server did not have a great attitude, was not attentive, was caught rolling their eyes at reasonable requests, and often forgot about or took a long time to return with ordered items.  For example, one of the ladies received her cocktail an hour after everyone else.  The server even continually opened and served bottles of water without asking first, then charged it to the bill.  This is a trick some servers do to drive up the bill because it increases the amount of gratuities they will receive at the end.

While the server could have been having a bad day, this encounter stirred up unsettling feelings within myself.  As a student, I worked as a food and beverage server in a hotel restaurant.  Many servers on the island come from other countries to work.  Bermudians are known to have a bad reputation in restaurants as guests.  They are sometimes known to be demanding, impatient, cheap and often complain about the food and/or service.  While this is not everyone, or possibly even the majority, it has affected how some Bermudians are treated at some establishments.  The service we received at Palomino made me feel like we were prejudged because we were local black-Bermudians.  It made me feel as though some believed that we weren’t deserving of the same level of excellent service although our money is just as good as any other.  It is an interesting dynamic to be served by a foreigner in your country and be judged and treated as less than.  I have the utmost respect for individuals in any service industry because I have also worked in the service industry.

I had the passion to start Black Onion Food & Travel because I was tired of spending a lot of money on dining out and receiving subpar food and service.  Bermuda is known to be one of the most expensive countries on the planet.  It is easy to spend $100 per person while eating out on the island.  I have found that many restaurants behave as though they do not have to consistently offer the best they have to offer, despite how expensive it is to have a dining experience in Bermuda.  I believe that more restaurants should be held accountable for their standards.  This is because patrons spend their hard-earned money to have a memorable experience.  While the cost of food in general is high and will ultimately influence the price of menu items, it does not negate the fact that dining out in Bermuda is expensive. The quality of food and service should be reflective of the price.

As consumers, we have the power to decide who is worthy of our hard-earned money.  I am committed to documenting my food and travel experiences with honesty and integrity, in hopes that foodies alike will find and have their most memorable and valuable experiences.  It is safe to assume that I personally have no desire to return to Palomino currently.  I hope that anyone who does decide to try it has a better experience than I did.  If you do or did, let me know in the comments!