Tom Moore’s Tavern (Walsingham Ln., off Harrington Sound Rd., tel. 441/293-8020, fax 441/293-4222, general manager Bruno Fiocca, bfiocca [at] ibl [dot] bm, www.tom moores.com, dinner only 6:30–10 p.m. daily, closed Cup Match Thursday, Christmas Day, and the month of January) is a AAA four-star restaurant, housed in a historic setting, deep in the forested Walsingham Nature Reserve. The intriguing waterfront building, an old homestead built in 1652, became an inn during the 19th century and is named for Irishman Thomas Moore, who lived on the property briefly in 1804 and penned a collection of love poems beneath a calabash tree. The restaurant, colloquially referred to as “Tom Moore’s,” still inspires romanticism; its silver service, elegant multicourse menus, and hushed interiors make it a favored spot for very special nights out. If you pine for a $2,500 Chateau Lafitte-Rothschild, an $85 glass of “pudding wine,” or fountains of Cristal champagne, general manager Bruno Fiocca will make it happen. In addition to Prince Charles, who ate lunch here on an October 1970 visit to the island, the restaurant’s celebrity guests include oil magnate Ross Perot, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, all three of whom own homes in Tucker’s Town.

Canadian chef Robert Nicolle’s menu has appetizers like pinot noir–steamed mussels ($17.75), whipped brie with honey-poached pears ($16.50), and wild mushroom strudel ($16.75); main courses range from rack of lamb ($38.50) to slow-roasted salmon ($33.50) and a fish of the day ($35.75); and desserts include passion fruit and raspberry basked Alaska ($11.50) and lemon-scented pannacotta with mulled wine jus ($10.50). Your pocketbook will undoubtedly groan (15 percent gratuities are not included), but the experience is worth it. The restaurant seats up to 160 in five rooms on two floors, making it a top choice for weddings and group parties, as well as intimate dinners-for-two. (Special bookings are not restricted by the dinner-only schedule.) In recent years, Tom Moore’s has followed the island trend and relaxed its strict dress code to “elegant-casual,” with no jacket required.