Anniversaries, Birthdays, Sunsets and Champagne: The Best Guarded Secret for Celebratory Dinners on Barbados is a special corner at Harold’s Beach Bar
The eponymous spot on the deck is named after The Sandpiper hotel’s charming bartender, Harold, but it is also fondly known as Powell’s Point, a reference to the man who celebrated the first birthday dinner served on this beautiful beachfront deck.
The long-time guest suggested this area be used for intimate dining and, to inaugurate the space, he celebrated his birthday there with his wife and daughter. With more than 25 visits, the couple are loyal guests at the boutique property – and their daughter, now an adult, is catching up with her parents’ number of stays, says Sandpiper General Manager Russell Croney.
Senior Hostess Olivia Holder delights in planning a special occasion at the private spot. She arranges everything from custom flowers to balloons, elegant centre pieces and specially requested champagne and wines. There’s already live music every night during dinner, so entertainment is essentially included. However, those having a private evening can sometimes enjoy a visit from a single performer, such as the saxophonist, along with a brief private audience. Special requests are encouraged – featuring an opera singer, as was done for one guest, or fireworks for others, are challenges the team welcomes with enthusiasm.
With copper tiki torches, star jasmine flowers, breathtaking sea views and stunning sunsets, the setting is exquisite, even without the extra touches. The panoramic view and the white sand beach stretching both left and right along the shore are the perfect backdrop.
“The appeal of Powell’s Point is its proximity to the water”, says Croney. “It’s also private and separate from the rest of the diners.” And unlike other resorts that place tables directly on the beach, the area is protected from the elements. In case of rain, smart Italian-designed umbrellas cover guests on the elevated vista.
An exclusive location seating up to 25 people, Harold’s only hosts about one celebratory dinner a month, most often anniversaries or special meals for in-house guests, but also for those not staying at the resort. “Some of our regular guests come and ask me for particular dishes they enjoy, like lobster thermidor on their last night”, says Executive Chef Christophe Poupardin. “It’s always nice to do these things because it gives us a chance to showcase what we have and make someone feel special.”
Like Olivia who collaborates on planning and decorations, Poupardin collaborates on specially requested menus, including items such as seafood platters or fresh fish that might have been caught by a guest. Croney remembers a particularly memorable dinner, for a long-term repeat couple who does something special every year: whilst celebrating her birthday with friends, the custom birthday menu featured her favourites – roast beef with classic accoutrements and banoffee pie, a half-chocolate, half-vanilla birthday cake (the lady and her husband prefer different flavours) and a video projection of the fascinating history of their life together.
Poupardin says that while he works around people’s personal favourites to create bespoke menus, he also likes to showcase The Sandpiper’s style of cuisine with dishes that add local flair to fresh ingredients. Seafood, in particular lobster, is by far the most popular request. Cold-poached with mirin and soba noodles, it makes a great start to a meal followed by roasted pork belly with carrots, raisins, pears and grainy mustard.
Since each celebratory dinner is different, the resort doesn’t offer cookie-cutter packages or elevated prices; rather, Poupardin sees these bespoke experiences as a way to surpass expectations. “What we like to do is make it personal”, says Poupardin.
And, of course, such a romantic location has seen a proposal, but just one – so far. A diner who visited for breakfast decided that this was the place to pop the question and worked with Olivia to arrange a special dinner with flowers and champagne for his girlfriend, before surprising her with the ring.
It must have been a wonderful dinner, because she said ‘yes’.
