Dinner With G Goes To Hugo's - Gine On?!

I usually avoid new restaurants (hype) but something about this northern eatery led Dinner With G to Hugo’s for June.

The Design Capital of the North

Speightstown has quietly reimagined itself as a high end, design savvy hot spot. Boasting luxury décor stores, elaborate villas and even a modern digital museum, all catering to an upper crust clientele looking for quaint local culture with modern conveniences.

The Restaurant scene hasn’t missed this trend either. Hugo’s is spot on in capturing the essence of this new Speightstown. You fast realize their promotional imagery is not simply airbrushed flattery but a very accurate representation.

All Hail Hugo’s

This design savvy eatery covers all five elements of human centered design:

Sight; visually appealing right from the entry, their eclectic and colourful styling transports you to the likes of NYC or LA.

Sound; the sounds of the ocean blend seamlessly with their expertly curated playlist, top 40 hits reworked in groovy covers.

Smell; the ocean and culinary creations combine.

Touch; eclectic and a little crazy their solid furnishing leave no worry when it comes to their weight bearing ability.

Taste; complex flavours complete the design.

Overall Hugo’s is fresh and exciting. A departure from your usual fine dining restaurant.

Rediscover Dinner

We had the pleasure of the private dining room complete with personal bar space and balcony, as well as retractable glass doors allowing for extra privacy. The dining room is a more traditional space reminiscent of the Caribbean Georgian style, a possible nod to their historic locale but a great loss to the lively essence which defines the restaurant as a whole.

Hugo’s is also not for the faint of hearted spender but worth every penny and the large plates are equal to their portions, no need to worry about empty space to food ratio. Appetizers range from $40 – $58. Entrees range from $60 for a pasta dish, up to $120 for Lobster and $145 for Stake. Sides alone average about $20 each.

We were fortunate to experience the Rediscover Barbados menu ($99 – 2 Courses & $110 – 3 Courses). A great way to mind your pennies while experiencing a new restaurant with minimal risk.

Though limited in selection the Rediscover menu offers enough variety to please any palate. The Tuna Poke, a raw fish salad pronounced “po-kay” (too easy) and the Spicy Cod fish Cake were popular. For dinner the Pan Seared Barracuda and the Braised Lamb Shank had a table throw down with both coming out winners.

Dessert was a rare delight, the Triple Stack Chocolate Mousse, Espresso Cream left nothing to be desired. Only issue, restaurants take note, you can’t serve a hardcore foodie an item listed as Strawberry Crème Brulee that turns out to be plain Crème Brulee with Strawberries on it.

Last but not least, special mention goes out to the Hugo’s mixologist. You can get a good drink anywhere but a good Drank is something quite special and Hugo’s has it.

Conclusion

This place hits the right spot. Classy without being stuffy and food which lives up to the highly crafted expectations. Speightstown is more than worth the time taken to get there with a restaurant who transports you both physically and emotionally to a different place. Take a trip to Hugo’s and let it transport you.