Carriage House Restaurant, St. George's

We've done brunch before and like everyone else in Bermuda we are doing it again. It's not often that we'd go out of our way to eat in Bermuda's old capital,but we're glad that we gave Carriage House's Sunday brunch a try.

Although it was a bit like eating in a school assembly hall: Take, for example, the chairs. They aren't exactly fold away, but they feel like it as do the tables. In all fairness, the Carriage House had to move into the former Carriage Museum after its downstairs dining room was washed away by Hurricane Fabian last year.

Although they've done an admirable job getting the restaurant up and running again, its temporary home feels exactly that temporary. But decor is not everything.

In fact, it's not anything at all if the food is up to scratch. What the Carriage House lacks in ambience it more than makes up for in the food. OK, this place does not offer a mile-long banquet table that you'll find at any number of the Island's best known hotel brunches.

But what is on offer is all pretty good, and to be honest, doesn't differ that much from what Mr. Fairmont offers.

Sitting down we were offered a glass of champagne (included in the cost of brunch), a nice touch in the days when ordering water can set you back $5.

I half expected some stern-faced, bespeckled headmaster type to stride out and insist that we all say grace before allowing us to tuck in.

Not the case tuck in we did. To begin with, soups, cold cuts, smoked salmon with all the fixings, any number of salads, and plenty more besides.

We tried most of them and loved most of them. On to the hot plates: just like all the major establishments serving up Sunday brunch, the Carriage House has a wide selection.

This included a couple of roasts and several ethnic dishes. Not everything was delicious. But to be honest, given the wide selection not everything can be expected to hit the target.

The dessert table was as expansive as you'd find at any other Island brunch and the real showstopper was a line-up of colourful mousse parfaits topped with whipped cream.

We tried chocolate and chocolate mint. There was one child in our group, but all four of us were like kids in a candy store.

Conclusion: Carriage House, like the town it stands in, may be sometimes overlooked. That's a shame, because just like the town itself, it is damn good value for a day out.

Hack's ratings:

Food: 3 out of 5 Ambience: 2 out of 5 Value for money: 4 out of 5 (the cheque for four came to less than $100)

Service: 3 out of 5

Kid friendly: Definitely. Wheelchair accessible:Yes.