NE of Bermuda's oldest restaurants, the Waterlot Inn was initially a private home, built by the Darrell family in 1670.

Much change has taken place since then. The Southampton property is today a steakhouse and boasts a prestigious AAA Four Diamond rating ? a designation earned by fewer than a thousand restaurants and only a handful of steakhouses world-wide.

To maintain that standard, the Waterlot Inn recently underwent a complete refurbishment, modernising its bathrooms, replacing carpeting with hardwood floors and enlivening draperies and dated furnishings with more appealing, up-to-date patterns.

And further change is in store ? the steakhouse intends to raise its commitment to its patrons, and will now offer year-round service instead of closing during the winter months as it has habitually done.

"The Waterlot Inn was bought by the owners of the Southampton Princess when the hotel was built in 1970," explained Barry Cohen, the restaurant's manager and maitre d'. "The Princess brought with it a commitment to high quality, great food and great service, and today we continue that legacy."

That legacy only began to evolve at the turn of the 20th century. Prior to that, for 300 years, the Darrell family maintained the property as a private home, although its convenient location ? at Jews Bay on Middle Road in Southampton ? saw its cellars frequently used by seafarers for storage of cargo from vessels moored offshore.

Change occurred shortly after the home gained a new owner. As befits a property of such age, there is much legendary attached to what we now recognise as Waterlot Inn. At the centre of much of the lore is Claudia Darrell.

"Mention the words Waterlot Inn and the immediate response is a vision of exquisite gourmet food served in an old Bermuda home setting," said Mr. Cohen, quoting from past records. "Indeed, so widespread is the reputation of the Princess organisation's showcase Bermuda restaurant that it is listed in the obscure, but vigorous whose author, Peter Brown, met Waterlot founder Claudia Darrell on his first visit to the island in 1937.

"The home was traditionally passed on to the eldest son of the Darrell family, but earlier (that) century, Miss Darrell, a legendary Bermudian character, broke the all-male chain when she took possession of the family home."

Miss Darrell served as postmistress for Southampton East for many years ? a job she inherited from her father, James Thomas Darrell, a direct descendant of Bermuda's first postmaster, James Perot.

"Claudia's inspirational mettle was shown back in 1916 when the ran aground on the reefs at Elbow Beach," quoted Mr. Cohen.

"So thick was the fog and driving rain that the flares from the stricken ship could hardly be seen. A detachment from the Royal Naval Dockyard was sent, but was unable to reach the sinking vessel. As night fell the gale increased but no one slept.

"Claudia went about rousing men from their homes and from the taverns. A whaling boat had to be brought overland to the south shore to do battle with the sea if the crew was to be saved. It was Claudia's enthusiasm, the old seafaring spirit of her ancestors ? 'as good as six men' ? that saved the day. The ship's captain was swept overboard but 33 sailors and three kittens were rescued.

"She was a woman out of her time. She rode a bicycle when it was thought unladylike to do so, aspired to be a doctor when women were only considered as nurses, was as skilled as a cabinet maker, handling all of the odd jobs around the inn, and could whitewash a roof or plough the nearby field as well as any man - better, she would no doubt claim."

Miss Darrell converted her ancestral home into an inn reminiscent of an English tavern, preserving aspects of its architecture which were distinctly Bermudian ? tray ceilings, stepped roofs, cedar woodwork and a host of butteries.

Her charm lured visitors from all walks of life. Her patrons included Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of US president Franklin Roosevelt, author Mark Twain, humorist James Thurber and playwright Eugene O'Neill.

Wrote Edith Lightbourn in the March 1941 issue of : "She runs the establishment much in the manner of one of her seafaring ancestors running his ship, issuing orders in short, clipped sentences uttered in a peculiar sort of undertone which brings instant action from her assistants. As you might expect, the service at the Waterlot is speedy, civil and unobtrusive." Flags in Hamilton flew at half-mast upon her death in August of 1949. The inn fell in and out of several hands ? its longevity testament to the reputation she built around it ? before it was purchased in 1970 by the owners of what was then Bermuda's newest hotel. It operated under that management, respected as a fine dining establishment offering continental cuisine, until 2003.

"I came here shortly after Hurricane Fabian struck the island," said Mr. Cohen. "I was asked to transform Waterlot Inn even further, into a steakhouse. The restaurant has an elegant, but relaxing ambience with engaging service. People can really come here and have a good time. Our aim is to create memories that people can take away with them."

In order to achieve that, the New Yorker sets high standards. Having been in the business for more than 25 years, he feels that experience and a "great staff" has helped develop Waterlot into a first-class steakhouse which offers its diners a "wow" experience.

ensure the food matched the level of service, the hotel's owners sent the restaurant's chef, Russell Clement, overseas to canvass high-end steakhouses and incorporate all that the best were offering into the Waterlot Inn experience.

"With him in the back and myself in front, we were able to put together a successful enterprise," Mr. Cohen said. We now have an AAA Four Diamond rating. There are only eight steakhouses in the world which have that and we're the only one in the Caribbean region."

He added that the menu change had been accepted well by residents: "People love it here. They have a great time and they really enjoy the food. The menu is one-of-a-kind for the island. It's very cutting edge ? we offer prime steaks which are aged to get the most flavour and then cook them in a special oven at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit."

However, with little change made to the restaurant decor in recent years, it was determined to transform the interior to make the dining experience there more appealing overall.

"This year, the restrooms were upgraded. Previously, they were outfitted with 1970s-style tiles and cabinets. The windows had air-conditioning units on them. It just looked old and tired. Now it's gorgeous. Everything's done in marble. It completes the picture.

"All the furnishings have been redone. We upgraded the fixtures. Everything's been worked on. We wanted to keep the period in mind. We didn't want to modernise or conflict with the patina of the building. It still has that 1670 feel.

"There's no drastic conflict. The decorators really delivered the old feel and the charm of the restaurant. We put hardwood floors in downstairs ? we looked back at older photographs and tried to emulate that look and feel."

The changes, he explained, took place while the restaurant was closed ? from January 1 through March 31.

The Waterlot Inn is open for dinner seven days a week. The restaurant also offers Sunday brunch.