Puerto Rico’s St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort has debuted a multi-million revamp to its beachside club, rebranded the Beach Club by Jose Enrique after the space’s executive chef who has a history in the area, having already opened several restaurants in San Juan and Vieques.
Born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, Enrique graduated in 1998 from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He worked in New York, Florida and Louisiana before he returned to his homeland. In 2007, he opened his first restaurant, Jose Enrique, at La Placita de Santurce. In 2013, he was also the first Puerto Rican chef chosen as a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards.
Local dominates at the Beach Club, with salads, fresh ceviche and an inventive take on Caldo Santo, a traditional Puerto Rican fish stew made with coconut milk, which Enrique serves with lightly fried snapper filet, local roots and tubers, and coconut slaw.
Produce for the club comes from local vendors in addition to the property’s garden, which takes up over two acres of land and produces a wide range of fruits, vegetables and herbs, including five different varieties of mango, passion fruit, bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, avocado, basil, rosemary, cilantro, ginger, romaine and a variety of peppers among many others. The property also keeps hens providing eggs daily for the kitchen.
The restaurant itself has beamed ceilings, a neutral color palette and a wall of glass doors that open up to seamlessly blend the indoor space with the outdoor terrace.