Beach House

Beach House Review

Executive chef Damien Heaney and staff put the sin in scintillating at this outpost of chic on Turtle Beach. The opening salvo of the überluxurious Christophe Harbour development on the island's Southwest Peninsula, the Beach House preens like an advance scout for the army of chic. The tiered 60-seat restaurant and oversize 30-seat lounge wouldn't be out of place in L.A., featuring a rich color palette, plush yet comfy furnishings, hardwood floors, sea grass carpets, billowing white draperies forming cozy nooks, and romantically lighted lanterns throughout. Lionel's eclectic menu showcases the Caribbean's sultry melting pot of culinary traditions—Spanish, Asian, French, and African, taking the confusion out of fusion cuisine. Stunners such as poached mahimahi with parsnip-cassava mash, wilted zucchini leekoven-dried tomato jam, and wild mushroom-roast garlic sauce provide textbook examples of how to juxtapose textures, flavors, even colors. The island's finest wine list runs from Argentina to Alsace to Australia; bracket your evening with trendy cocktails with cojones and the extensive postprandial selection of aged rums and Cuban cigars. Lunch is less expensive and varied but equally hedonistic; try the killer lobster avocado salad or conch fritters reinvented with lime-cilantro-thyme tartar sauce.