A new restaurant headed by former Monte Carlo Restaurant chef Livio Ferigo is to open in Dockyard.

For the moment Chef Livio is to be found surrounded by cement, building tools and architects’ plans rather than his normal environment of a sparkling kitchen preparing mouth-watering Mediterranean and Italian dishes.

That will all change come mid-March when the Bone Fish Restaurant opens its doors to customers, having been given a top-to-bottom transformation from its former life as the Pirate’s Landing restaurant.

Apart from the new name and new owners, the restaurant that has views of the nearby cruise ship moorings and yacht marina, will be re-styled with a bar area that has a counter both inside and outside allowing customers to enjoy a patio drink or to get cosy inside.

There will also be a bar upstairs and eventually an upstairs balcony area with even more commanding views of the surrounding area, where drinks and cocktails can be served.

That is just a sample of what the new Bone Fish Restaurant will offer. Before describing more of his own and partner Martin Estis’ vision for the eatery, Mr. Ferigo explained why he is confident the venture will be a success — and what he has been up to since he was last preparing meals at the Hamilton city centre restaurant Monte Carlo.

“I was at the Monte Carlo for five years. It was very successful and then I went back to Italy because my father was not well,” said Mr. Ferigo.

However within a year he returned to Bermuda. “I came back to help at the Mediterraneo Ristorante and I realised how much I loved Bermuda. I met a girl and got married — she is Bermudian — and I was going to open a restaurant in Florida,” he said.

But his friends in Bermuda, and fans of his cooking from the Monte Carlo days, wanted him to remain on the Island. Then the West End Development Company (Wedco) approached him to ask if he was interested in taking on the Pirate’s Landing restaurant as the owner was retiring.

Mr. Ferigo admits Dockyard was not an area of Bermuda he knew much about. But since visiting and meeting the close-knit business community of traders and the Chamber of Commerce he has been overwhelmed by the positive and friendly attitude that exists there.

He has particular praise for Wedco, and said: “It is a great organisation and they give you the opportunity to do business and get you involved. What they do is fantastic.”

The chef intends to pay back Wedco’s faith by giving Dockyard a restaurant that will be memorable for customers, whether they be Bermudians or visitors.

As the name suggests, Bone Fish Restaurant will have a predominately seafood menu, although Mr. Ferigo intends to add Italian flourishes and some Mediterranean fayre.

The seafood will be fresh, caught by local fishermen. There will also be imported specialities such as Alaska crab legs, fresh oysters and other foods not generally available on the Island.

One thing Mr. Ferigo is counting to work in his favour is customer loyalty. He feels he has goodwill from many on the Island on the strength of his reputation working at other restaurants, particularly the Monte Carlo where he prepared dishes for the likes of former US president Jimmy Carter, Hollywood actor Michael Douglas, model Naomi Campbell and former Italian President Silvio Berlusconi.

“Bermudians love seafood, and for visitors it will be a big attraction. I was always successful and I had a big following. I think a lot of the people will come up here because they love my food,” he said.

“It is also a great getaway from the city. I expect a lot of people will come up for our Sunday brunch. I believe a lot in atmosphere and I’m going to make this a happening place.”

The welcome that Mr. Ferigo and Mr. Estis have received from other businesses in Dockyard has been encouraging.

“The Chamber of Commerce is great and the community is great. When we first arrived we had about a dozen people from the shops here came over to meet us and wish us well. It is a great little community. Everybody works together for Bermuda.”

Plans for the new restaurant feature an outdoor dining area where customers can have food or simply enjoy a cappuccino in the sunshine. There will be pergolas and a “tented” covered area at the rear of the main restaurant. One of the surprising features inside the restaurant will be a large fish tank stocked with aquatic life from around the shores of Bermuda.

Mr. Ferigo has worked as a chef in top hotels and establishments in Europe, including his native Italy and Switzerland, before coming to Bermuda. He is excited by the prospect of opening a new establishment and is keeping his eye on the renovation work that is transforming the former Pirate’s Landing premises.

He is particularly happy about the new kitchen equipment being installed to allow him to work his culinary magic for customers.

Bone Fish Restaurant is expected to open for business in the second week of March. The upstairs balcony area that will lead out from the bar is subject to a planning application and will be installed in time for the 2008 if given approval. The restaurant and bar is to open seven-days a week for lunches and dinners.

Chef Ferigo works on new venture