The Fish Pot is Michael Winner’s Favorite Barbadian Restaurant of 2007
Every year, Michael Winner spends his Christmas holidays in Barbados, staying at the world famous Sandy Lane Hotel. It’s arguably one of the most unique places in the world to see and be seen at that festive time of year, with room rates approaching $3,000 a night with a 14-night minimum stay required. Food and drink not included. Release the dogs!
And as he does every year on his return to London, Michael Winner publishes a Barbados Restaurant Review in the ‘Winners’ Dining’ column of the Sunday Times. Restaurant managers and owners have been known to enter DEFCOM 3 on high alert when “Winner, Sandy Lane, 444-2000” appears in his reservation book. His ascerbic wit (some claim cruel) and take-no-prisoners restaurant review style has fans and detractors alike agreeing on one thing: you either love him or hate him.
Michael Winner has made more than 30 films in his directing career. His best known film was probably DEATH WISH, starring Charles Bronson. But his weekly Winner’s Dinners column for The Sunday Times is how he’s best known among foodies in the UK and US. He visits the world’s best restaurants, then gives a rundown of what went wrong, good or both.
In his recently published Barbados Review on February 10, Michael Winner mentioned how the food at Sandy Lane had tanked last Christmas season. Yet he still ate 35 lunches and dinners there, and only went out seven times. One of the restaurants he visited was The Fishpot, a restaurant he had never visited in the 25 years since his arrival in Barbados. The Fishpot restaurant, with its 21-room hotel across the street, is owned by Andrew and Patricia Warden. Winner stated that The Fish Pot is “absolutely great…”
Winner was not so kind to The Cliff, calling it “the so-called great dump of Barbados.” Twisting the knife, he went on to say that it was “the most oversold second-rate place in the world.” Oh. We do not share Mr. Winner’s vitriol having recently dined there with friends. A little stuffy maybe, but we were in our own little world and tuned out to little annoyances like refilling water glasses halfway through; less is more please We’ll agree with his comment about the dull indifference and smug attitude of the 20-something front desk staff, but we find it vaguely amusing in a WHO IS THE EMPLOYEE AND WHO IS THE CUSTOMER kind of way. In short, more good than bad.
Another restaurant that felt the wrath of her indigestion was Daphne’s, Daphne’s sister restaurant in London. Mr. Winner said that Daphne’s “occasionally has reasonable food, but the service is so slow that everyone complains a lot.” We, too, have found the service spotty, but General Manager Marco Pavone works very hard to overcome the island mentality of some waiters that is an Achilles heel for most Barbados restaurants. Daphne’s consistently delivers quality, innovative Italian cuisine and you simply can’t beat the view.
But number 1 on Mr Winner’s Barbados chart was The Fishpot. “Turn left off Sandy Lane and drive for 25 minutes, past endless billboards concealing upcoming apartment blocks and foreboding signs on vacant land reading: Prime Residential Site For Sale. Eventually you arrive in old Barbados.” There are little wooden houses, beachside market stalls, reed beds, and an aura of better times.” That’s a Bajan version of MAPQUEST. “At Fishpot you sit by the sea, in an old 17th century fort. It’s quiet. It’s beautiful. It’s what Caribbean life should be.”
Michael Winner first went to lunch with Richard Hanlon, who he says is his “favorite interior designer”, and was so impressed that he returned for dinner with music mogul Lucian Grainge and his wife.
“For lunch, Fishpot had fresh local lobster, which is more than Sandy Lane could offer at the time. They featured Belizean lobster that must have been on ice for so long that all its spirit and structure was gone.”
Another Restaurant Review will be out soon and we understand it talks about another one of our favorite restaurants, the Lone Star. Winner has been a fan of Lone Star for a long time, but you never know if a sick WINNER will be blowing. We await his words, kind sir, with great expectation.