Huckleberry Restaurant is holding a grand soirée tomorrow evening in honour of World Ocean’s Day.

Aquatic creatures of various kinds including shrimp and crab feature heavily on the menu, but the star promises to be lionfish.

The invasive species will be served up as won tons in sweet chilli sauce at the event on the Rosedon Hotel’s front lawn on Pitts Bay Road.

“Lionfish is something you don’t see a lot of on local menus,” said Rob Bruni, assistant general manager of the hotel. “It is a slightly more expensive fish because it is so much more rare, and more difficult for restaurants to take on. In that sense, it is a delicacy in how it is prepared.”

The lionfish is being provided by Atlantic Lionshare, a local company that uses submersibles to catch the invasive species of fish.

“World Oceans Day is technically June 8 but they really celebrate it the whole month,” Mr Bruni said.

The theme suited the restaurant and hotel well, because they have been going through a process to make themselves more environmentally friendly.

“We have eliminated plastic straws,” Mr Bruni said. “We now use bamboo straws. I am looking at getting our own custom-made ones.”

Huckleberry has been trying to eliminate plastic waste in its kitchen and is looking at how it can recycle more. “We even now have our own garden on the property that we utilise strictly for the restaurant, so it is all natural and organic,” Mr Bruni said. “It pairs really well now with the wine list that we have. We now offer the most extensive wine list in the country of organic biodynamic and vegan and naturally sustainable wines. That pairs really well with our farm-to-table concept. We are definitely moving in that direction of trying new ideas that help us promote that green and eco-friendly atmosphere.”

At the soirée there will also be all you can eat canapés, a charcuterie station, tapas and a barbecue. In terms of drink, there will be an open bar provided by Goslings, a Moët & Chandon champagne station and Absolut Elyx speciality cocktails.

Bermudian-born musician Taylor Rankin and his violin Leroy will provide music for the occasion along with Devils Isle Audio.

“Mr Rankin even has some songs geared to World Oceans Day,” Mr Bruni said.

The soirée will be the first in a summer series at the restaurant, the next one being on July 13.

Huckleberry Restaurant first opened two years ago and was run by Take Five Ltd. In January the Rosedon took it back to run themselves.

General manager Nagma Walker said since then, they have taken Huckleberry to a higher culinary level, and are now paired up with Relais & Châteaux, a global fellowship of individually owned and operated luxury hotels and restaurants.

Ms Walker said one of their biggest problems has been keeping up with demand.

“Huckleberry has been more successful than we thought it would be in the first eight to ten months,” she said. “Right now, we are turning away business because we don’t have the staffing to deal with it. We are looking at expanding our kitchen at the end of the year, so that we can cater to the higher volume we are getting. I would say 80 per cent of our clients are local. We have a huge local following.”

But Mr Bruni said he still meets locals who have no idea the Rosedon is still open, and haven’t heard of Huckleberry.

The hope is that the soirée series will get the word out there, about the hotel and restaurant.

“The general exposure in itself will be good,” Mr Bruni said.

The soirée will kick off at 7pm and run until 11pm. Tickets are $250 per person, available from www.ptix.bm.

The soirées later in the summer will be a little less expensive. The one in July will be $175.

“That one won’t have Taylor Rankin, but it will have DIA and an open bar provided by Goslings,” Mr Bruni said. “It will be similar.”