NASSAU — For more than half a century, Nassau’s Graycliff has been one of the Caribbean’s finest restaurants (and home to the region’s largest collection of wines and spirits).
More than that, under the Garzaroli family’s stewardship and unwavering commitment to gastronomy, they have set the standard for food and beverage in the Caribbean.
On Tuesday, Graycliff received another unique honor in the Caribbean. It’s the first-ever Blue Plaque from the British Government, celebrating excellence in gastronomy.
British High Commissioner to the Bahamas Tom Hartley and Graycliff owners Enrico Garzaroli and Anna Maria Garzaroli.
Tom Hartley, the British High Commissioner to the Bahamas, hosted Greycliff proprietor Enrico Garzaroli and Anna Maria on Tuesday in a classic British garden party-style atmosphere at the Nassau Hotel. – Presented Mr. Garzaroli with a plaque along with an impressive selection of British wines, spirits and cheeses. Naturally, scones with clotted cream and jam).
An integral part of the nameplate was British food and wine. This is largely due to Graycliff’s status as the first restaurant in Britain and the wider region. The idea was to permanently feature British wines and sparkling wines (including the wonderful Gadsborne). The on-site list of wines and spirits is almost impossibly long, numbering in the hundreds of thousands of varieties.
Hartley; Roberta, Anna Maria, Enrico Garzaroli; Joy Jibriliu, CEO of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Committee.
The plaque celebrates how Graycliff’s “passion for fine wines and spirits not only enriched the Bahamian community, but also helped strengthen the bond between the Bahamas and Great Britain.” .
This is the first time the British government has awarded a Blue Plaque anywhere in the world, not just in the Caribbean, and follows the long-standing tradition of placing Blue Plaques on imported buildings in London.
“In my quest to bring the UK and the Bahamas closer together through food and drink, I couldn’t have found a better partner than Greycliff, with one of the world’s best and award-winning wine cellars. The best gin and whiskey also comes from England.”
“Greycliff,” he said. “Our commitment to product quality, discerning customers, and excellent service and staff training sets us apart.The High Commission’s first Blue Plaque Award, the world’s first Blue Plaque Award. There is no more deserving place in the Bahamas to receive the Plaque Award.”
However, this is not the first time Graycliff has appeared in British history.
The facility has deep and enduring ties to the UK. Sir Winston Churchill is said to have visited the area several times during the first half of the 20th century, when it was his private residence. And he hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in the late 1960s, when Lord and Lady Dudley, 3rd Earl of Staffordshire, were residents.
More broadly, this honor is yet another confirmation of the booming culinary scene in Nassau and Paradise Island, whose culinary prowess has only grown in recent years.
Joy Jibril, CEO of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Committee, said: “From a culinary perspective we are definitely recognized as a culinary powerhouse in the region. I think it speaks to the superiority of what we offer.” “Whether you’re looking for a top-notch international restaurant, international cuisine from world-class chefs, or the best Bahamian chefs, we’re the perfect combination.”
