About Hibernia

VH1 filming Mary Pat & Raoul
for the Travel program on
top destinations in the world.

From Our Guest Book

News from Hibernia

Some Reviews of Hibernia

Restaurant Hours

Directions to Hibernia

Some Extracts From Our Guest Book

"A Wonderful Evening; Thank-You", Liam Neeson.

"Great Food, Great Time; Thanks", Aidan Quinn.

"Thank-you, Terrific", Robert De Niro.

"With Awe & Gratitude for a Beautiful Meal", Kevin Kline.

"Thank-You for a Lovely Lunch", John Malkovitch.

"Merci Mille Fois", Quincy Jones.

"Gracie Molto", Nastassja Kinsky

"Just Amazing", Kyra Cedgewick and Kevin Bacon.

"Wonderful Food & Atmosphere", Phoebe Cates

"Delicious", Natasha Richardson.

"Looking forward to seeing you again & again", Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

"Thank-You for the best meal this side of Heaven", Debra Winger.

"Thanks for a delish meal, a great treat, we can't wait to return", "Susan Sarandon & Tim Robbins.

"Many thanks for the lovely lunch", Elvis Costello.

"Nous avons eu beaucoup de plaisir et souhaitons revinir vite. Bravo!" - Roger Vergé.

"Thank-you for such beautiful food", Michael Flatley.

"Hope all my meals in 2001 are as delicious as this one, thanks & thanks & thanks", Carey Lowell & Richard Gere.

News from Hibernia

Summer 2007

We spent most of our time in Yogya a vibrant and colourful place. We discovered lots of new artists on both islands and to enhance the beauty of the paintings we worked with a family of wood carvers for the frames.

One of our new dishes has been inspired by the Balinese cuisine.

August was wine tasting time as we toured around France buying wines to replenish our cellar.

That was fun! And of course Raoul got together with some of his chef 'Chef Mates' to chat about the latest Food Tendencies.

September took us exploring Kyoto, Nara and Osaka.

Even though we only found a small amount of art, we familiarised ourselves with their cuisine which is so healthy, delicious, and inspiring. The Japanese influence is also in evidence on the new menu.

We did not have enough time to do all the exploring we wanted in Laos, but we found very original miniature stone carvings and small paintings.

Next year we hope to continue exploring the country further. It is still one of those unspoilt places.

Bangkok was as vibrant as ever. It is a stimulating place for restaurant shopping and dining out. This year we finally put our minds to learning Thai and it was definitely worth the effort as we loved being able to communicate better with the charming Thai people.

December 2007

We now have every-thing in place and we look forward to seeing you this year.

Summer 2006

Again we found many things that we loved enough to ship back to Anguilla. As well as paintings we included original wood and stone sculptures. Lucky for us, everything arrived intact 5 months later.

The new places we discovered on our annual trip this summer were Istanbul and Cambodia. The beauty of Istanbul did not disappoint us, but we did not fall in love with their contemporary art or food.

The Temples of Angkor have to be seen to be believed.

Our fondest culinary memory was a tasting menu of frogs. From baby to toad size, cooked whole, stuffed, stir-fried, in a soup or barbequed. We also enjoyed the crocodile meat but found the snake to be rubbery.

After a 4-year break, it was time for us to return to Prague where we have kept in contact with a few Armenian artists that we had bought from in the past. So we now have Armenian art once again.

Thailand is always included in our travels and Bangkok is becoming like our home away from home. It was interesting to witness their 'Golden Ribbon Coup'.

We know it pretty well now and we know where to find every spice and all the unusual dried Asian foods we like to ship back for our menu. We always love to buy their modern ceramics and even they sometimes inspire Raoul's new creations.

Laos is also somewhere we like to return to. It is still an un-spoilt country. This makes it pretty rough going at times so we have to make sure we are in the right mood to live with the unexpected. When we were leaving the country overland, because we had more luggage than is customary for a tourist (having bought lots of artifacts for the gallery) we were taken in by the customs authority for 3 hours of interrogation. Lucky for us, after a pretty un-nerving experience, with good-natured smiles they let us return to Thailand once again!

Our last stop before returning to Anguilla was to visit some one who behind the scenes has been an integral part of the restaurant for the last 14 years. being the first to taste and give judgment on all Raoul's new creations. She had original culinary opinions and a sophisticated palate that was always respected by Raoul. Some of you may have seen her over the years about the restaurant; as a small baby on Raoul's back as he cooked lunch, being given a bottle by one of the staff, doing her home-work at the little table by the bar or had her present you with a hand-made New Year's Eve party hat. In September Nina moved to France to attend high school. Hibernia is a different place without her, but of course we know she will be back. Anguilla is her home.

Summer 2005

Inspiration from discovering new spices, products and ceramics during the two month trip is reflected in the current 2006 menu.

Mary Pat and Raoul continue to travel annually throughout Asia and Europe for inspiration. Their travels have taken them through Laos, India, Thailand, Japan, China, Vietnam, Burma, Malaysia, and Singapore as well as most of Europe.

In Paris, Raoul met with and visited the laboratory of Mr Hervé This, a French food scientist from the College De France. He is a prominent leader in research into a modern approach to cooking techniques. It was a very inspiring experience. We then spent a few days in the capital, checking the current trends in French gastronomy.

While exploring Asia, we quickly found that each country had its own food culture. Raoul attended an indigenous food discovery course in Luang Prabang, Laos and cooking schools in Hong Kong and at Bangkok's Oriental Hotel. We discovered new exotic foods and spices as well as art that we ship back to Anguilla. We complete our shipment in Thailand, with some more spices as well as new crockery. Our remaining time is spent in Bangkok where we experience all the different types of Asian cuisine.

While in Europe, we fly to Hungary and the Czech Republic where we met new contemporary artists whose art we feature in our gallery.

Plans are already underway for next summer's trip to Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Bali.

For current reviews of the restaurant, checkout the 2005 Caribbean guides and Bon Appétit in either April or May. Raoul's biography also features in the publication "International Who's Who of chefs 2004/2005

Some Reviews of Hibernia

ELLE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2005
ELLETRAVEL recommendations on this season's clique-chic getaways:
Who's going: ...
Where to stay: ...
Dinner Party: Hibernia, the elegant seaside home and restaurant of French chef Raoul Rodriguez, serving Asian-Caribbean fusion.

BON APPETIT APRIL 2005
…..Hibernia's cuisine is some of the most creative and delicious on the island. An array of Caribbean fish smoked on the premises, is served like lox, with horseradish and ginger cream cheese and toast; the local crayfish makes its appearance in a piquant Thai casserole, fragrant with basil and coconut milk. The food is ambitious, the setting casually elegant… relaxing over a glass of good wine and listening to Mary Pat greet her customers , you can see that she and Raoul have taken their cues from the easy good cheer of those humbler establishments.

Travel & Leisure March 2005
Expert Advice
George Reid STAR CHEF, MASTER CHEESEMAKER
Anguilla-born Reid reigns over Cap Juluca's three restaurants but still finds time to tend his herd of more than 80 goats and to produce first-rate chèvre. TOP TABLE "My favorite restaurant on Anguilla is Hibernia [264/497-4290], a small [11-table] French-Asian place up at the east end of the island, where I always order the tom yam pla, various Caribbean fishes cooked in a spicy Thai broth and served with wild rice.

FINANCIAL TIMES; TRAVEL SECTION; 29TH NOVEMBER 2003:
Travel Caribbean Round-up 'Griller in Anguilla' by James Henderson
'Crayfish meat is also versatile and is often served outside the shell. Hibernia is a delightful small restaurant, just 11 tables overlooking a tropical garden. It is at the eastern end of the island, a (relatively) long drive but the locals make the effort and they should know. French chef Raoul travels to the far east each summer and this year he is serving crayfish sautéed with Japanese perfume mushrooms and crunchy vegetables, with nems of aromatic Lao rice.'

DEPARTURES MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2003:
"Essential Reservation - the Hideaway"
WHEN YOU NEED A NIGHT AWAY FROM RESORT FOOD, COOKIE CUTTER SMILES, AND GLITZ, SEEK OUT HIBERNIA ON ANGUILLA'S QUIET EAST END. THE EXCELLENT FOOD BY FRENCH CHEF RAOUL RODRIGUEZ AND THE WARM WELCOME FROM HIS IRISH WIFE, MARY PAT, MAKE MEALS ON THE TERRACE HERE FEEL VERY SPECIAL. THE RESTAURANT SMOKES ITS OWN FISH - KINGFISH, MAHI-MAHI AND TUNA - THAT IT SERVES WITH HORSERADISH CREAM AND IRISH BROWN BREAD. BUT THEN, EVERYTHING HERE IS EXCELLENT: THE RED PEPPER SOUP, GRILLED DUCK BREAST WITH POLENTA AND THE APPLE & GINGER CRUMLE WITH BLACKCURRANT SORBET."

CONDE NAST TRAVELER NOVEMBER 2003:
"WHAT ANGUILLA LACKS IN CONVENTIAL SIGHT-SEEING ATTRACTIONS IT MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR WITH A BURGEONING RESTAURANT SCENE. THE NOT-TO-BE-MISSED EATERY IS HIBERNIA, A CASUAL YET SOPHISTICATED RESTAURANT IN THE HOUSE OF FRENCH CHEF RAOUL RODRIGUEZ, ON THE ISLAND'S EAST END

TOWN & COUNTRY DECEMBER 2002: "Anguilla is a gentle place.....you come after all for the salbrious effect on body & soul.....and the possibility of doing nothing......The action on Anguilla is limited to observing baby lizards scuttle under the beach grape scrub, .....snorkeling off Little Bay....going to Shoal Bay to watch the sunset or.....dining well at Hibernia."

FROMMER'S CARRIBEAN 2003: Hibernia: French/Asian. In a modest, breezy West Indian seaside cottage with fewer than a dozen tables, Chef Raoul Rodriguez and his Irish wife, hostess Mary Pat O'Hanlon, continue-after almost 15 years in business--to turn out the island's most cutting edge cuisine, stunningly presented. Chef Raoul, trained in Ecole Hotelier of Strasbourg, France, as well as in Hong Kong and Bangkok, has represented the island in international cooking competitions and is one of the island's star chefs. Count Robert De Niro, John Malkovich, and Richard Gere among the fans who have stopped in to taste the results of the couple's annual two-month globe trotting to glean the best culinary thoughts to deploy in their own kitchen.

A French- and Indonesian-inspired decor serves as the backdrop for modern art (for sale) collected from such far-flung spots as Bolivia, Ireland and Cuba. The menu changes annually, but our favorite beginnings were chilled tomato and zucchini soup flavored with goat cheese and a hint of lavender as well as unusual spring rolls with Anguillan rabbit and prunes, accompanied by an herb dressed salad. Recent main dish choices included succulent pan-grilled lobster medallions with almonds and star anise, accompanied by plaintain wrapped in bacon and a potato puree; sautéed crayfish with shitake mushrooms and fresh ginger sauce served with rice soufflé; or grilled fish of the day with a spice crust, served with zucchini rolls filled with basmati rice and onion. Another nice new touch is the small wine cellar featuring 100 French wines that the couple personally acquired from their favorite wineries.

BON APPETIT FEBRUARY 2001: "The cuisine has been consistently rated as among the best on the island." Photo and recipe of 'TOM YAM PLA' is also featured.

FODOR'S 2001: "Unorthodox yet delectable culinary pairings inspired by the chef's continued travels from France to the Far East ."

FROMMER'S 2001: "When you taste some of the delectable & creative cuisine of Chef Raoul, you'll know why he was voted Chef of the Year..."

PASSPORT; America's original luxury travel newsletter "a recent visit to HIBERNIA reminded us that this small, out- of-the-way restaurant continues, year after year, to be one of the Caribbean's finest"

NEW YORK MAGAZINE: " The cognoscenti's current hot spot…….Worth crossing an isle or a body of water for."

FIELDINGS, AUTHOR'S AWARDS: " HIBERNIA is my 1st choice for independent dining……this place is worth the drive."

CARIBBEAN TRAVEL & LIFE: "My favorite, HIBERNIA … For superb innovative light French cuisine with a Far Eastern touch."

TOWN & COUNTRY: " The Anguilla aficionado's favorite… Raoul is considered the best chef on the island…"

RESTAURANT HOURS AND ART GALLERY

HIGH SEASON:

Dinner: Tuesday through Sunday.
Lunch: Tuesday through Saturday.

LOW SEASON:

Dinner: Wednesday through Sunday.
Lunch: Wednesday through Saturday.

ART GALLERY:

Art Gallery is open during restaurant hours and can also be visited by appointment by calling 264.497.4290

We offer the same menu for lunch and dinner. Reservation required.

 

Directions to Hibernia

For those who are making their way to Hibernia for the first time, here are directions from the western end of the island:

1. AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, PASS BY 'CONNORS CAR RENTAL' ON YOUR LEFT AT SOUTH HILL VILLAGE. CONTINUE STRAIGHT ON, STAYING ALWAYS ON THE MAIN ROAD.
2. JUST AFTER YOU PASS THE 'ACE' HARDWARD SHOP ON YOUR RIGHT, CONTINUE ON THE MAIN ROAD AS IT BEARS TO THE RIGHT GOING AROUND THE ROUNDABOUT.
3. STAY ON THE MAIN ROAD UNTIL YOU REACH THE NEXT ROUNDABOUT (with a digital clock on a pole in the middle). TAKE THE FIRST EXIT ( turn left ) AND ENTER 'THE VALLEY'.
4. STAY ON THE MAIN ROAD UNTIL YOU REACH THE NEXT ROUNDABOUT (with a small water fountain in the centre).
5. Shaped like A CROSSROADS, TAKE THE SECOND EXIT WHICH IS THE ROAD DIRECTLY STRAIGHT AHEAD, ON TO 'QUEEN ELIZABETH ANENUE'.
6. DRIVE TO THE END OF THIS ROAD AND TURN LEFT AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT.
7. AT THE NEXT ROUNDABOUT, (formerly SHOAL BAY JUNCTION), TAKE THE SECOND EXIT, HEADING TO ISLAND HARBOUR VILLAGE.
8. AT THE NEXT 'V' JUNCTION, BEAR LEFT (SEE HIBERNIA SIGN).
9. STAY ON THE MAIN ROAD TO REACH ISLAND HARBOUR VILLAGE.
10. CONTINUE STRAIGHT ON TO THE OTHER END OF THE VILLAGE PASSING A SHELL GAZ STATION ON YOUR LEFT.
11. CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR ANOTHER FEW MINUTES AND TAKE THE NEXT LEFT (LOCATED ON A SMALL HILL) . (SEE THE HIBERNIA SIGN.)
12. YOU HAVE ARRIVED AT HIBERNIA!

From West End hotels to Hibernia, 30 minutes.

Printable Directions

 

Hibernia Art Gallery

Telephone: 264.497.4290
Email: hibernia@caribcable.com
 
Click any picture to enlarge it.
 

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