If Henry VIII wasn?t such an establishment we might wonder at the irony of an English pub-style restaurant being within a stone?s throw of some of Bermuda?s most beautiful beaches.

While a Cabana-thatched seafood place might be more apt for this locale, Henry?s has really through the years become one of the Island?s stalwarts.

In fact, it is so establishment that Hack rarely gives it a passing thought.

But faced with the prospect recently of dinner out Hack mulled over the choices and decided Henry?s would make a nice change.

True to its pub roots, Henry?s interior is all dark wood, brass fittings and a bar full of songful pint drinkers.

However locals like to joke that the only way Henry?s lives up to its namesake (the six-times married King who beheaded two of his wives) is with the sharp knives used in the kitchen.

Oh, and the wait staff are also decked out in vaguely period garb to give you a bit of that merry Olde England feeling.

While we found the chefs use those knives to good measure (the food was well prepared), Hack felt the yesteryear dress on our waitress a little discomfiting. We just wanted good food, not a theme dinner.

Mind you at Henry?s, you often get more than the meal you may have bargained for with nightly entertainment also laid on for diners and drinkers.

And, the live entertainment was really quite entertaining enough so to keep us on for another cocktail after dinner.

Hack probably would have had enough to write about by merely musing on the d?cor, wait staff dress and the entertaining minstrel sat behind an impressive grand piano at the bar. But we were at Henry?s to dine, and for that we were not disappointed.

Hack started with the mixed house salad, a wise move given the size of the mains: Long Island duckling a l?orange that was served up in a dark delicious citrus sauce while the kitchen achieved the perfect crispy texture with the duck ? something Hack?s found other restaurants to have fallen short on.

Hack?s companion went for the Duck Liver Pate (extra crispy toasts were delivered without prompt by our frocked server, thank you) and Cumberland sauce followed by Veal Scaloppine. The verdict? Delicious.

In many ways Henry?s menu keeps with the theme of Olde England His Majesty?s Owne salad, Hampton Court Crepe, Royal English Mixed Grille: You get the picture.

But there is also a fair smattering of the Bermuda staples and pub grub you would expect from Fish Chowder and Rock Fish to Liver Bacon and Onions to Steak and Kidney Pie.

Tossed in with that are some top-notch steak choices (including a Chateaubriand offering for two diners) and the seafood choices that guests from nearby resorts might be keen on: Shrimp Provencale, Seafood Feast or Giant Spanish Shrimps.

Henry?s prices were on par with most other what you might call ?smart casual? dining establishments on the Island: $6.50 for soups and salads, up to $16.75 for more robust appetizers (escargot or melon with prosciutto ham anyone?) while entrees were in the $25.50 to $32 range.

At those prices few would have a problem hitting the $20 minimum per person food charge rule that Henry?s imposes on customers for some reason.

Hack & Company (two diners in this case) certainly far surpassed that minimum without any strain (except on our waistlines), and left happy and contented.

Perhaps most importantly, we didn?t leave feeling at all bad about the $130 bill that covered the meal as well as two cocktails and two glasses of wine.

Henry?s was packed the night Hack dined there, so we?d guess we aren?t the only ones who might be heading back for another meal, and yes, a little entertaining, sometime soon.