The warm shores of Freeport on Grand Bahama Island may seem to have little in common with Toronto, Canada, but for Chef Tim Tibbitts, both locales have been home. A Bahamanian native raised in Toronto, in 2012, Tibbitts opened Flying Fish in Freeport along with his wife and restaurant Sommelier Rebecca Tibbitts. The restaurant offers a modern fine dining experience with an updated menu that combines Asian, European, Canadian and Caribbean influences.

Fresh, seasonal ingredients are complimented by handcrafted cocktails and an extensive wine list, all of which make Flying Fish a must for foodies in Freeport.

 

Offering a fine dining experience in a nation where chain restaurants prevail would have caused Flying Fish to stand out no matter what, but both Tim and Rebecca Tibbitts have worked hard to ensure that the restaurant gains notoriety for the right reasons.

 

Flying Fish is Grand Bahama Island’s only AAA Four-Diamond restaurant, and just the third to earn such a rating in all of Bahamian history. The restaurant has also been named one of the “Top 10 Bahamas Restaurants” by USA Today Travel’s 10Best. Considering Tim was named one of the “Top 25 Chefs of 2014 in the Caribbean” by Caribbean Journal magazine—and that Rebecca is the only certified female sommelier in all of the Bahamas—it’s no surprise that the restaurant has earned such praise.

 

The influence of the restaurant’s location can be seen it everything it does, from its menu featuring such island inspired fare as conch, snapper and swordfish to its sustainability practices that ensure the continued well-being of its natural surroundings.

Running a restaurant in Freeport comes with its fair share of hardships too, of course. “Challenges we face are varied,” said Chef Tibbitts. “Procuring product requires a lot of planning, as most of it has to be ordered more than a week in advance. The local items are based on availability; as there isn’t really a commercial fishing fleet, we rely on independent fishermen. In a tourist area, we rely heavily on tourists, so during nonpeak season it’s extremely quiet and we have to make sure we are diligent in financially planning our year. The employee pool is quite small on a small island, so we have to be very mindful of our hiring.”

 

Flying Fish is currently in the minority as a fine dining restaurant in Freeport—“There are so few good high-end restaurants, you could count them on your fingers and toes,” according to Tibbitts—but that makes its inventive and elevated offerings all the more impressive. It is not just a high-end restaurant for Freeport. It is a high-end restaurant that happens to be in Freeport. The passion both Tim and Rebecca have for the kind of food they serve, the kind of drinks they pour, and the kind of restaurant they run is evident from the moment a diner walks through the door. That it’s located on the waters of beautiful Grand Bahama Island is just an added bonus.

 

Flying Fish is located at 1 Seahorse Rd., Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas. More information is available here.