The Cove, Paradise Island (Bahamas), the luxury, beachside resort at Atlantis, announced the opening of Fish by José Andrés. The Michelin-Starred chef’s newest fine-dining eatery is open exclusively for dinner and offers resort guests and locals a premium selection of responsibly sourced seafood that pays creative homage to traditional Bahamian cuisine and the ocean that surrounds the islands.
Celebrated for his humanitarian efforts as much as his culinary abilities, Andrés’ Fish menu serves to underscore The Cove’s commitment to flourishing Bahamian ecology and the protection of one of the nation’s most precious natural resources, the ocean. The menu highlights sustainable Bahamian fishing practices and includes a signature dish of simply prepared, fried local lionfish—a species that while delicious, has been severely damaging to the coral reefs of The Bahamas.
“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the ocean—whether it’s enjoying the freshest delicacies of the local waters or going diving,” Andrés said. “Fish tells the story of this beautiful, mysterious thing we call the sea, through food—and my team and I are very excited to create this new experience at The Cove. Our Bahamian team is as committed as I am to supporting sustainable fishing practices and the protection of the Bahamian coral reefs.”
Preparation of the restaurant’s menu items range from simple and flavorful to innovative and creative and can be served as either small plates for sharing or in the style of larger-format dishes. The restaurant highlights the freshest possible seafood such as local Bahamian conch, served as traditional scorched conch or, with a José twist, as conch fritters with a liquid center, much like Spanish croquetas. The menu also features Andrés and team’s take on other Bahamian favorites such as local hog snapper, grilled over a wood fire and served with a crisp endive salad, marcona almonds and radishes and seared scallops, with Hawaiian hearts of palm, tamarind, caperberries and citrus.
Fish’s open ‘fire stage’ features two Josper ovens, whose high temperatures are harnessed by the chefs for dishes such as grilled oysters, their own fiery version of jerk chicken and many of the menu’s vegetable dishes, all cooked to a smoky perfection. The Josper also lends a delicate caramel char to the grilled pineapple dessert, served with tamarind and coconut sorbet. Or guests can enjoy Chocolate Paradise, featuring spiced chocolate cream, cocoa streusel, passionfruit caramel and meringue ice cream.
To start or accompany their meal, guests can choose from an array of hand-crafted cocktails including A Bird in the Hand (Plantation Pineapple Rum, Appleton Estate Rare Blend Rum, Aperol and Carpano Formula Antica sweet vermouth) and Apollo No. 2 (Elyx vodka, St. Germain, Cocchi Americano Blanc vermouth, lemon, ginger and soda). The restaurant’s extensive wine list features wines produced in regions known for the world’s best seafood, throughout Europe and the United States.
The design of Fish at The Cove, by Spanish firm Capella Garcia, is meant to give guests the impression that they are diving into an underwater world—immersed in the marine life, the rocks, the sand and the flora and fauna that inhabit the ocean. Dappled with a romantic palette of cerulean, pearl and azure hues, the open layout creates a tranquil, tasteful atmosphere. The space is chic, yet comfortable, with a modern and organic design.
As guests enter the space, they are greeted by a lounge with an undulating seating area crowned with a cylindrical hanging light sculpture made of hundreds of white and gold ceramic fish, swirling to welcome people. To the right is the bar, whose dramatic glowing backdrop gives the impression of a giant blue wave, luring guests to partake in a refreshing cocktail under the shelter of the crest. In the dining room, an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows connects the space to the resort’s white-sand beaches, the Bahamian sky and the local vegetation. The dining room, bathed in rich oceanic hues of teal, sand and coral, offers guests several different dining options, ranging from intimate banquettes and rattan partitions to private dining spaces for larger parties that can be enclosed with fishnet curtains to offer privacy yet still allow guests to be part of the restaurant action. The restaurant’s central “fire stage” grill station, raw seafood bar and several fish tanks bring the restaurant’s preparations directly in view of diners, highlighting the very best of the surrounding ocean.
Large format photographic murals from Bahamas-based artist, Elena Kalis, whose images immerse guests in a silent, tranquil underwater world are displayed around the dining room. The center of the dining space features a large hanging koi fish that was hand-constructed with delicate interlacing strips of wood by Spanish designers Inocuo The Sign and LZF Lab.