Hack the Knife Horizons and Cottages South Shore Road, Paget.

Slicing my way through Horizons' nine hole golf course last Saturday afternoon, I suddenly realised that I had never once stepped inside the cottage colony's dining room.

A quick glance at that day's menu made me question why. Although limited – which is hardly surprising considering it changes daily – what was up for grabs certainly gave the saliva glands a quick wake-up call.

How about a starter of gremolata dusted roast veal loin followed by baked rainbow trout with oyster and basil veloute? The putter was tossed back in the cupboard and a reservation made for a few days later.

We arrived 20 minutes early, allowing ourselves time for a quick aperitif in the downstairs bar. This is a cosy little series of nooks and crannies, albeit unusually decked out in tartan upholstery, 19th Century fox hunting prints and horse brass.

No doubt our East Coast visitors lap it up as a slice of quaint Olde Worlde Englandshire in the middle of the Caribbean, when of course it is neither.

D?cor aside, I would have been comfortable enough had my jacket not been cutting into my armpits. Now I'm not against dress codes and fully believe that one should dress appropriately for the occasion – and dining out can be a real occasion.

I can also understand restaurants objecting to guests looking as if they've arrived straight from a day at the beach.

Nevertheless, it is possible to be immaculately turned out without wearing a jacket and tie, both of which Horizons insists upon.

Conversely it's possible to wear both and still look a complete and utter scruff.

In the cutthroat restaurant world, every eatery should be doing its utmost to ensure that every whim and comfort of its diners is served, not make them feel uncomfortable by imposing unnecessary dress dictats.

By all means insist that your wait staff are dickie-bowed and jacketed but why subject your guests to the same rule? We're paying, not being paid.

And what is the point in ruling that gentlemen wear jackets if they can sling them over the back of a chair the moment they're seated anyway? Pointless snobbery really.

Drinks dispatched, we were soon back upstairs for the main event.

Fortunately tartan has been banished from the dining room and was replaced by warm greens, Cedar beams and original oil paintings – a bit like eating in the dining room of a wealthy great-aunt. And Horizons certainly doesn't scrimp on elbow room.

The largish dining area contains only a handful of tables and our nearest neighbours at the next table were a good ten feet away. All very comfortable.

On to the food. I was glad to see our menu was similar in format to the one I had glanced at last week – a selection of three starters followed by a choice of two soups, a salad course and five entr?e options.

It was equally imaginative, eclectic and 'international' with a dash of Asia and a ladle of Italy thrown in.

The tequila and lime brushed tuna ceviche starter was, surprisingly, a bit bland, although the passion fruit and pineapple salsa certainly perked the fish up a bit.

The quail needed no perking up. Accompanied by chicken livers and caramelised shallots, all cloaked in a sumptuous reduction, this was a heavenly, luxuriant starter.

My only niggle was that the proportions were all wrong. In fact it would have been better described as liver and onions with a quail garnish – just half of one of these little birds does not a full mouthful make. That aside, it was top notch.

Soup and salad courses went down equally well, particularly the coconut miso broth, and then it was on to the mains, where once again meat fared better over seafood.

The saut?ed tiger shrimps and seared scallops over saffron rice – a poshed-up paella –was divine. A dusting of saffron on the rice really dressed up what otherwise would have been a rather plain bowl of rice, while the scallops were cooked to perfection.

The sirloin steak got equally high marks. Although not as meltingly tender as its more expensive cousins, this is a far gutsier, more fully flavoured cut which Horizons' kitchen emphasized beautifully.

Simply flame-grilled and served in a Merlot sauce, there was nothing posh about the way it was prepared and it was all the better for it. Really good stuff.

We took dessert and coffee in the lounge, which was perhaps a mistake. Sat in comfy chairs which were more stuffed than ourselves, we felt like taking a post-dinner snooze rather than tackling something sweet. An orange cheesecake and chocolate something-or-other were only half eaten.

And then came the bill. Horizons charges $60 a head for its five course menu, which is staggeringly good value for dishes that are prepared with a good deal of flare and care.

Our final bill, however came to $188. That means we paid nearly 70 bucks for two G&Ts, two glasses of wine, some water and gratuities. That is staggeringly bad value.

I'm not singling out Horizons here. Unfortunately such mark-ups are the norm in restaurants not only across Bermuda but across the globe. The question is why.

Why am I charged $8 for a small, albeit strong G&T (more ice than gin in the glass) when the same drink will cost me less than $5 in any number of Hamilton watering holes?

Similarly I object to paying out $8 for a bottle of water that is sold for $1.25 at the grocery store. That's one heck of a corkage fee.

In the same way that some restaurants order guests to wear a jacket and tie for dinner, I suspect the reason for charging rip-off prices for extras is a very simple one – restaurateurs believe they can. Answers on a postcard please.

Overall Horizons offers a pretty enjoyable night out. The cooking is solid with some exceptional flourishes, service is exemplary and the surroundings pleasant enough.

But although we left more than content, our overall impression was that it's a four star restaurant that honestly believes it's providing a five star experience. Sure, it's special, but not jacket-and-tie special.

Hack's Ratings

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Ambience: 3.5 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Value for money: 3 out of 5

Wheelchair accessible: No

Kid friendly: No