When Hurricane Fabian struck in September, 2003, it shattered the life?s work of Carriage House restaurant owner George Hoermann.

Surges of water ? some as high as five or six feet ? flooded the Somers Wharf restaurant and all of the furniture, equipment and freezers were tossed and strewn about like they had been ravaged by madmen.

After that drama, Mr. Hoermann was numb with worry for weeks.

But he, his wife Julliette and his dedicated staff refused to give in and worked diligently towards restoration.

Today they are reaping the joys of their successful realisation ? a restored Carriage House that supplies Bermuda with gracious harmony, delicious food and beverages, and impeccable service by international staff.

Today, the Carriage House, housed in a building dating back to the 1700s, has been elegantly and beautifully restored and surpasses its former presence.

?I am so happy to say that we are back to normal as of late June,? Mr. Hoermann said. ?We are newly decorated with white tray ceilings adorned with chandeliers from China, and restored antique furniture. It is a relief to be back into a viable business again and we offer many new menu selections.

?With meticulous maintenance, The Carriage House has a very pleasing new look of elegance with our backbone structure returned.?

Patrons have lavished Mr. Hoermann with praise and are enthused with the light and airy feel of the restaurant. All the French doors and windows welcome Bermuda?s bright light.

In the evening it is enchanting sitting harbourside on the lovely teak benches overlooking the fairy lights of St. David?s and St. George?s harbour. If you are seated inside you are bound to notice the pair of lovely Screw Palms thriving on the side patio.

Down but never totally out following Fabian, the Carriage House Museum was turned into a large upper dining room. This allowed regular patrons and tourists to happily flock in to enjoy superb dining ? both at lunch and dinner.

?My staff has been wonderful and we were able to adapt to our secondary location. This meant that the servers had to walk up and down a lot of stairs. They became very fit and slim indeed!?

Another operator might have easily thrown in the towel after Fabian but with his drive, experience, and dedication, it was a case of Mr. Hoermann?s previous work life preparing him for Fabian?s path of turmoil.

Mr. Hoerrman, now 59, arrived in Bermuda having previously worked at the the Savoy Hotel in London where he served the Queen and many members of the Royal Family. He first worked at Castle Harbour prior to moving to the Hamilton Princess, Waterlot and then to Southampton Princess as the assistant director of food and beverage.

Mr. Hoermann reflected upon his life and shared that in 1958 he was a trainee waiter in Germany at a five star hotel. At age 16 he was the resident butler at the American Embassy where he met President Eisenhower and spit shined his shoes for four hours, not getting to bed until four a.m.

?My work is my life and I thrive upon it just as much today as years ago,? he said. ?I?ve had many memorable moments such as the creation and restoration of Carriage House, my work for the last 23 years.?

The head chef for the last six years, Ronaldo Pacheco from Brazil, spoke extensively about the new menus from lunch and dinner and even a new bar menu which is proving to be very popular.

From the bar, the chef recommends the deep fried Camembert Cheese with red pepper jelly and crackers for $9.75.

?Another item which is just bursting with flavour is the Crab Meat Au Gratin which is Alaskan crab enhanced with tomato, onion and coconut milk topped with Parmesan cheese and baked for $13.95. This goes so very well with Carlsberg draft beer or a nice glass of wine,? said the chef.

For lunch he suggested chicken salad Goa Style (south of India) featuring spicy chicken strips over house salad. The chicken is marinated in lime and spices served on a mixed greens with garlic bread for $11.25. Also popular is their pan steamed mussels served in natural juices with essence of fine herbs and garlic for $11.50.

?For a wonderful dinner meal I would suggest our lamb chops in a delicate rosemary sauce which I prepare or one of our luscious Brazilian lobster tails broiled in garlic butter.

?I use many of Brazil?s ethnic spices. I take delight in people enjoying our creations. Some people prefer a mild flavour while others instruct me to ?throw the fire out to them?.?

Also you can choose from an exotic island drink such as the ?Bermuda Triangle? that promises, ?one taste and you are lost!? This is a blend of ?Black Seal Rum? cranberry and orange juice. They offer an extensive international wine list to accompany their excellent food. If you choose to start at the top you can choose from their vast selection of Champagne starting with a Louis Roederer Cristal 1996 for $275 a bottle. If you want a more reasonable selection you can choose wines from South Africa, Chile, Italy and Germany from $28. Also, wines are available by the glass.

Your experiences at the Carriage House are bound to be captivating and memorable.

Even more restoration is to come to the sea wall that borders the outdoor dining patio. BF&M was praised by Mr. Hoermann for their dedication to the restoration project as were the team of contractors who worked together.

?We are building custom shutters to give us more protection from the wrath of hurricanes. Who knows when it might happen again? (Landlord) the Wilkinson Trust is doing everything possible to help us be prepared,? concluded Mr. Hoermann.