The Second Annual Bahamas Culinary and Arts Festival Brings A Stellar Lineup of Celebrity Chefs (and Sting) to Nassau

It was a Friday night at the Rosewood Baha Mar, the coveted five-star hotel in Baha Mar, the Bahamian enclave on Nassau’s Cable Beach. Guests were buzzing in the chic marble-floored lobby in their best tropical ensembles, ready to mingle with extraordinary culinary and artistic talent for the second annual Bahamas Culinary and Arts Festival. 

Teaming up with its Baha Mar neighbors —The Grand Hyatt and the SLS hotel —, the resort orchestrated a weekend of epicurean and artistic marvels that added a new layer of vibrancy to the Bahamian escape.

Being a guest of Rosewood Baha Mar any time of the year means partaking in curated experiences and events that celebrate Bahamian culture. And the Bahamas Culinary and Arts Festival is no exception.

The stellar lineup of celebrity chefs, including Marcus Samuelson, Carla Hall, Geoffrey Zakarian, Dario Cecchini, and Amanda Freitag, descended upon the resort to mingle with vacationing foodie fans. It felt like a gathering of culinary stars fresh from the most popular cooking shows on TV. And to kick off the festivities, Grammy award-winner Sting graced opening night with a lively concert on the beach. But first, the food.

Bahamian Culinary Events

To kick off the weekend of star-studded foodie events, Rosewood Baha Mar hosted an intimate Truffle Dinner at the property’s Cafe Boulud. The six-course dinner themed on the divine delicacy was hosted by the Michelin-starred icon himself, chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud along with Chef Antoine Baillargeon of Café Boulud.

The menu delighted diners with dishes like black truffle terrine de foie gras and white truffle tortellini with thoughtful wine pairings from The Rosewood cellar. Chef Boulud was on the scene mingling with guests and shaving fresh truffles onto each dish.

The next few days were a festive blur of programming for the official Bahamas Culinary and Arts Fest presented by Baha Mar. 

The Welcome Beach Party at the resort’s Baha Bay brought bites and sips from all festival participants.

After perusing through the different stations of treats, the celebrations began with 12-time Grammy award-winner Sting taking the stage. As if his sculpted arms and rockstar finesse and hit songs “Roxanne” and “Every Breath You Take” weren’t enough, surprise guest Shaggy popped on stage waving The Bahamas flag and belting out songs with his friend. The duo, who released a reggae album together, livened the crowd and set a high caliber for the rest of the festival. 

The remaining schedule of cooking classes and chef demos gave ticket holders one-on-one time with the welcoming talent.

Aside from an incredible concert kickoff, the chef-hosted lunches and dinners were the real treat of the weekend. Diners got tastes of dishes from Michelle Bernstein at Rosewood’s Costa, Geoffrey Zakarian and Simeon Hall at Café Boulud, Kentaro Katsuya Uechi at Katsuya’s Bahamas outpost, and many other winning combos with the rest of the visiting chef talent. The innovative tasting menus showed off the best of their unique talents and local Bahamian ingredients. 

Rosewood Baha Mar Luxury

For Rosewood Baha Mar, these events are a way to celebrate the culture of its unique property and offer the signature Rosewood Sense of Place. And for Texans, the property is a quick hop and skip, with direct flights from Houston and Dallas to Nassau. After a short 15-minute trip from the airport, guests will be soaking up the Bahamas beauty by lunchtime. 

With 226 rooms and suites, the hotel feels intimate and calm, despite the bustling opportunities for fun in the surrounding Baha Mar resort. If the Baha Mar casino, expansive family-friendly waterpark, golf courses, beachside food trucks, and other Baha Mar dining concepts don’t entice you, Rosewood’s doting service and pristine gardens (where the famous Flamingo Yoga is held), beachfront, pools, Sense, A Rosewood Spa, and chic lounge spaces will. 

The accommodations boast a bright beachy aesthetic and the luxury suites are spacious for an extended vacation. Rosewood’s studio suites even offer fully stocked kitchenettes and a washer/dryer setup. 

The high-design aesthetic of the hotel adds to the stylish-cozy feel of the property. Rosewood Baha Mar enlisted Wimberly Interiors to bring a stately, colonial setting with curated decor and art at the forefront. 

Manor Bar, a chic watering hole adjacent to the lobby, beckons with sultry chocolate wooden walls and plush velvet seating. The Library Lounge, where breakfast and afternoon tea are served, offers a delightful space adorned with art and architectural details, making you feel like you’re in the living room of a meticulously decorated home.

A Nod to Bahamian Creativity

As if the culinary arts were not enough, FUZE Art Expo was a vibrant curation of over 20 Bahamian artists and galleries exhibiting their work. Festival goers could even partake in drawing classes and a few popups from local artisans. The new addition of a visual arts element to the festival highlighted Baha Mar’s passion for cultivating and nurturing the vast island, as well as the resort’s impressive art collection.

With eye-catching works throughout Café Boulud’s salon, the lobby, and the rest of the hotel, it’s clear that Rosewood Baha Mar celebrates the arts with its thoughtful Bahamian-inspired collection. 

More than 1,000 works on display throughout Rosewood honor the traditions, perceptions, and realities of The Caribbean. Artists like Winslow Homer, Damien Hirst, Ricardo Knowles, and Kendall Hanna are part of this extensive group on display. 

The breathtaking murals that greet guests in the hotel lobby are a take on a painting by John Hussey which depicts a classic notion of the region. 

Just like the talent-filled culinary events and thoughtful art collection, Baha Mar gives a dose of Caribbean luxury hospitality with a focus on its local creativity and culture that everyone can enjoy.