Getting around this monumental hideaway will definitely work up an appetite as I found out, and I was looking forward to learning about the gastronomy options on offer. The hotel has four restaurants and five bars in total, and I managed to sample three of the eateries during my stay.
“Legend Restaurant” is located in the main building, set on a hillside with great beach views, surrounded by an abundance of vegetation and copious amounts of green landscape.There is a wide selection of excellent buffet style cuisine for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
“DIVA” is the fine dining restaurant of the hotel, located by its golf course and serves ultra-modern, flavoursome Mediterranean cuisine which is skillfully presented and complemented by the superb service. The 86-cover restaurant sparkles at night thanks to its rich, chic layout by French interior designer Marc Hertrich. I really enjoyed the Beef short rib, braised with Guinness beer for my main course which was sumptuous and easy on the palate. For dessert, I went for the Yuzu mousse, crisp arlette and preserved lemon compote which was very refreshing.
However, my personal favourite of all the restaurants I visited was “The Nest” which offered crisp fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean and is located advantageously on the rock peninsula between the two Anse Kerlan beaches. It is aptly named “The Nest” as birds very often nest under the deck and between the rocks around it. This appealing and well designed 58-cover eatery overlooks the bay, is round in shape, and is decorated with branches and a polished wood finish. The deck located “on the rocks” behind the restaurant offers breathtaking views out towards the Indian Ocean and is the most private location of the hotel, designed for very exclusive dinners and those wishing to celebrate special occasions.
I thoroughly enjoyed the laid back and relaxed ambience of The Nest. The cuisine and service were also first class. During lunch, the views to the beach are fantastic, allowing guests to spot the tender flight of the Paradise flycatcher birds. Here I sample the Reef fish and prawns served chilled with a tangy curry dressing and a touch of Chili which was delicious. For my main course, I was advised to try the Seafood Penne pasta which is a firm favourite with guests and I could see why this was such a crowd pleaser.
The Nest transforms at night and the soft lighting combined with the soft acoustic music being played live by the guitarist felt very intimate and was certainly well received by all the diners. For starters, I tried the Prawn tortellini in a Creole style shellfish broth which was sublime. Sticking with the Creole theme, I opted for the Kari Koko Sesel for my main course which is a traditional Seychelles curry that can be served with either fish, prawns, octopus or chicken.
I went with the hot, spicy chicken option which was full of fragrance, flavour and lashings of coconut cream. I really enjoyed this savoury dish and I was told it is by far the island’s most favoured dish and is the focal point of most family tables across the islands. I was more than full at this stage, but I had just enough room for the signature Coconut experience ice cream dessert, which, if you love coconut, then you’ll adore this dreamy frozen treat.