Rosemary Parkinson, Contributor

Chocolate mousse in a chocolate shell was perfect!

Built in 1887, The Crane was the first hotel to appear in Barbados. Having passed through many hands, from local owners to Canadian, today this fully restored and expanded unique property combines elegance, old-world charm and a natural beauty. It is set on a cliff that overlooks perhaps one of the most magnificent beaches and the azure waters on the south-east coast of Barbados.

In 1922, the Red Book of the West Indies described The Crane as having "fresh, invigorating breezes whose windows displayed the beautifulsea fringing with exquisite colours, the white soft sandy beach of the hotel's superb bathing place, has no superior anywhere in the world".

The accolades have continued through the years with the beach being named "one of the 10 best beaches in the world" by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. The hotel itself, especially around the Grecian-styled pool, has seen many top international models shooting for magazines such as Vogue. Nothing has changed over the years. There is no doubt that a visit to The Crane just simply takes your breath away. It has always been known for its superb Barbadian Sunday buffets and I went there to check out if anything had changed.

Unfortunately, we arrived too late for the early morning gospel brunch with singers in traditional costume giving the best of gospel and folk songs, but instead had steelband, played in soft tones, to accompany us as we enjoyed the absolutely sumptuous array of food. So nice to sit with music in the background, the fresh breeze of the ocean accompanying the sweet sounds. Nothing drives me more mad than loud music blasting away while diners are trying to enjoy a meal in comfort.

LIFETIME AWARD

With me was Simon Foster, Barbados' premier designer, who is about to receive a lifetime award at the fashion awards to be held in Trinidad for his work over the many years on the island. We both used to haunt The Crane many moons ago, and we were so taken aback that save for the renovations (done tastefully and leaving that great design of yore intact), the hotel seemed to have just stopped in time. Furthermore, it was a total delight to have service staff who were really happy to serve you, with big smiles and real pride. I asked one of them the reason for this, as I have found in Barbados recently that many restaurants have staff who never smile. They just give you that Dale Carnegie speech, "Hi my name is Beth, I am here to serve you, here is your menu, I will be back to take your order," before pelting off without even making eye contact.

Nothing more annoying. Anyhow, the answer I got: "We just love working here. Our boss is an amazing man and we are very happy. Would not want to be anywhere else." Wow! The Canadian owners, who seem to stay in the background letting their staff do their thing must be very proud.

We started with the salad offerings. I went for beets covering my mixed salad and just a touch of pasta sprinkled with olive oil and filled with vegetables julienne and slivers of tender chicken. Later, the buffet with all its choices gave me traditional flying fish, fried with Bajan seasonings and in a batter. Roast beef with just the perfect amount of redness within the meat accompanied by mounds of horseradish that, after my orgasmic wasabi, has to top all sauces for me!

SWEET POTATO PIE

Succulent ham with a wondrous piece of perfect fat on the side. Sweet potato pie the way only Bajans seem to make it, smooth, creamy and with a touch of pineapple in there for extra sweetness. Plantains fried perfectly, sprinkled with shredded fresh coconut. And for bit of health - veggies that incorporated carrots, pumpkin and broccoli, perfectly cooked to crunchy and not the usual Caribbean mush that I so often see.

Dessert brought a totally divine chocolate mousse served up in a chocolate cup adorned with a twirled piece of chocolate. Talk about a perfect detox now that we have the news that dark chocolate is so healthy again. We also just had to taste the sweet wontons, as this is something I had not seen before, filled with pieces of fresh banana, they were simply divine.

The Crane's restaurant overlooking the spectacular beach has achieved several distinctions, including two silver awards at the Barbados Hotel and Dining Festival and A La Carte magazine's prestigious gold award for light cuisine.

A birdie whispered in my ear the other day when I was wafting strong on the amazing buffet here, that their Zen restaurant featuring classic Thai and Japanese cuisine in a stunning setting with traditional Tatami rooms some 50 feet above the beach is a must, so guess I will just have to check it out before I leave the island. And now let me leave you with photos to eat your heart out!