One of Bermuda?s finest silver service restaurants became the first in the Caribbean region to be graced with the prestigious AAA Five Diamond Award.

The Newport Room, at the Fairmont Southampton, received the award after stepping up its menu and fine tuning its service.

The restaurant specialises in exquisite classical French cuisine, a signature tasting menu, modern touches, several sea salts, an extensive choice of breads, table side flamb?ed desserts and Artisanal cheeses.

The luxurious dining room is inspired by a Royal Yacht with wisps of other boats sailing in the distance. Mahogany and brass set the scene with bone china and crystal that will steer your pleasures.

Last week Chef de Cuisine, Michael Scott, and Maitre d?, Larbi Chentouf, spoke to about the teamwork that it took to turn an exceptional dining experience into a superb Five Diamond moment.

Both Mr. Scott and Mr. Chentouf agree that it took teamwork, consistency, and all of the staff sharing the same vision to make a restaurant that was worthy of the Five Diamond Award.

Mr. Scott arrived in Bermuda in 1998 from Scotland and his first port of call was the Newport Room. He joined as a senior Chef de Partie, was then promoted to Sous Chef, and in 2002 became Head Chef or Chef de Cuisine.

Mr. Scott, who won the Bermuda Culinary Arts Festival People?s Choice Award 2002, Bermuda Chef of the Year 2003 and the Belco Chef of the Year, was of the opinion that the gourmet restaurant was surviving on its laurels, but was essentially stagnant. His thoughts were that if the staff had something to strive for they could raise the bar and it was then that the staff put all hands on deck and began striving for the AAA Five Diamond Award.

The first time they were assessed they missed the award by three points, but on the second occasion they won it.

?We received the Five Diamond in 2004 and we were the first to receive it in the Caribbean region,? Mr. Scott said. ?And the first in Bermuda and there are only 43 restaurants with this status in North America.

?So, I think it is a good thing for Bermuda and for our guests to see that we have a Five Diamond restaurant in such a small Island. I am very proud of it.

?It is a hard thing (to achieve) and they are really picky on every single thing, like the concierge has to be on the door to greet you and take you to your table, it is all these little touches.

?Basically, we just decided that we wanted to go for this and we pushed for a lot of hard work from everybody and we achieved it. I am over the moon with it.?

Maitre d? Chentouf, who almost 40 years ago hailed from Morocco by way of Europe, was both shocked and pleasantly surprised when the Newport Room received the award.

?We had been working for it for so long and when we got the news we couldn?t believe it,? he said.

?Finally it is here and we are very pleased that we are the only restaurant..... to have it on our prestigious Island.

?The difficult part is to keep the Five Diamond.?

Chef Scott said he has picked up a few finer points from visiting other highly rated restaurants.

He said: ?I have been away to a Five Diamond restaurant in Banff Springs and when I was back home in Britain I went to Michelin Star restaurants, which are the best.

?I got more ideas from other restaurants as well, and I just implemented them here. So, things like tasting menus of six or seven courses, and the service staff now explain every single thing that is on the guest?s plate and the knowledge of the service staff makes the patron feel that they really know what they are talking about.

?We also have more fresh and luxurious ingredients and whatever fresh Bermuda produce we can get from Wadson?s Farm or wherever we get it.?

Little things like different types of sea salts also helped to enhance both the menu and the service.

?We have several different sea salts and you can get Pink Hawaiian sea salt from Hawaii, which is formed when the sea comes onto the rocks, it sticks and they grate it. When you have foie gras it gives it a little saltiness and crunch.

?We offer amuse bouche, which is a complimentary dish before the meal. Sometimes you can get a little hot soup, spring rolls or other little bites.?

The Newport Room is a two-and-a-half to three-hour fine dining experience said the head chef.

?And what I would like to say is that we had a reputation of being the most expensive in Bermuda in 1972, but when it opened up it had $20,000 crystal and all that, but the emphasis wasn?t on the food ? I have seen a menu.

?Also in 1981 it was $30 for a main course, which might seem like a lot of money, but you can come here and have four courses for $75, which it good value for money and you are going to get your money?s worth.

?We do cater for the high-end client, but the local business is equally important to us. But I think a lot of people are put off by the prices in 1985, but you pay these prices today in a some restaurants that you dislike.?

Most people who have dined in the Newport Room are blown away by the experience, but it is not all about the hype.

?If people come here and they want some plain rockfish with lemon butter sauce on the side, it?s no problem,? he said. ?We cater for everybody.

?Basically we have kept the a la carte menu French classical and modern cuisine, but we have designed a tasting menu which is small courses that come to you and it is seven courses, but by the main course you don?t feel too full.

?It is not a traditional three course menu with huge portions. But it is not like the (French) nouvelle cuisine, we still give good portion sizes. The dishes are more upgraded and modern. We have gone a little bit lighter and with the fish we have a vinaigrette. But the good thing about it is that we have the classical food and the modern food so there are both kinds for everyone?s tastes.?

The chef has also added some home-spun winter warmers to the menu.

?Nowadays with the cheaper cuts of meat, you braise for about seven hours, but I like to do that with Pork Belly and it is one of the most amazing selling dishes ? people love it.

?We add new dishes, while maintaining the old.?

The restaurant also tries to have as much local fish as possible.

?Obviously in the winter season it?s kind of difficult because of the weather and stuff, but from May we always have snapper, rockfish ? it is always good to use the local produce.

?We are also one of the only restaurants to have 14 cheeses from all over the world.?

There is a table side service for the desserts, said Mr. Scott who completed his training at the Turnberry Hotel, in Scotland.

?Larbi has done this for 25 years and we do Cr?pes Suzette and I introduced the Dover sole, which will be on the menu long after I am gone.?

But the desserts are not the only menu items, which are prepared in a table side fashion.

?Many people love to have the cr?pes Suzette flamb?ed on the table side,? said Mr. Chentouf, who served both Sir Winston Churchill and President Dwight Eisenhower at the Hotel Mamounia, in Marrakech.

?People love steak tartar but there are not many places left doing that and people are look forward to it.

?For all the years that I have been here and all over Europe, we like to maintain the quality of service. It is a completely different atmosphere ? it feels like you are in heaven and this is the right place for it.?

Both men although successful in their own right, were humble enough not to forget the other members of staff.

?I have been in the Newport Room for 20 years and many staff have been through this restaurant, many have graduated and learned the quality of service for the kind of clientele that we have,? said the Maitre d? who has received commendations from Royalty and Heads of State.

?One thing that we teach everybody in the Newport Room is pleasant hospitality. Some of them are managers now (in other restaurants).

?I have one who was my waiter, who he graduated to a captain, to an assistant maitre d?, and today he is a maitre d? in Canada. He is doing very well.

?There are quite a lot that have been through here and in my position and they keep moving on. I now have a new assistant maitre d?, Marco Syrbe, and really, he is my right hand man.?

Mr. Scott added that he also had a talented team behind him in the kitchen.

?My Sous Chef Shaker Estshaine has been with me for four years and he has a lot to do with it as well,? he said.

?Marco the assistant Maitre d? and I started the same year, and Larbi is a huge part of it as well. It has to be a team effort with us all going for the same goal.

?It is unbelievable because when you think of French Laundry and Danielle?s ? they are all Five Diamond restaurants and we now have one here in Bermuda.?

When asked what were the ingredients for an excellent restaurant, Mr. Chentouf said: ?To make a good restaurant like the Newport Room, it is about an outstanding quality of service that we give to our clients.

?We have many who return so often and this is their favourite restaurant.?