Mezza Luna in Nettle Bay
Tasty Italian – this place is a gem!
The weekend was very full: SXMFest was underway; house music, incredible fun, a lot of dancing and far too many late nights/early mornings. We needed to eat as much as we needed to chillax, and having seen the sign to Mezza Luna in Nettle Bay, we decided we should try it out.
This place was such a find! It was a fabulous setting and so peaceful and quiet. We sat in one of the cabanas under the tall trees right on the beach front. The large ship that went aground was beached to one side of our view giving us an interesting take on the way it was rolling a fair amount. The water from the beach to the bay was varied in those lovely shades of green to deep blue that mesmerize and will never be taken for granted. The surf swished softly, the breeze rustled the pine trees gently and we chillaxed in the shade along with other patrons, many of whom were obviously also taking time out from the SXMFest; we could tell by the wristbands they wore.
Parking out front and walking through the large indoor dining area, we were greeted by staff along the way. Our reserved table was waiting for us (it is a good idea to reserve here). The table was set in grey and yellow giving a nice contrast to the sand, shrubs and sea. We were asked if we needed water, wine, anything else to drink by a cute waitress with an Italian/French accent – always adds to the ambiance having these accents explain the specials menus too.
As we live here, we are always keen to try cuisines that are not necessarily Caribbean. Mezza Luna does have a choice on the menu. Earlier in the day, the menu is mostly “tapas” and pizzas; the lunch menu is not too large, which is very nice, no deliberating over an extensive menu; we did not see the dinner menubut understand that there are Tiki torches lit among the palm trees and on the water making it very romantic. The menu is Italian; the specials are brought out on a blackboard tableside to review. There is nothing fussy or fancy just fresh, simple food that proved to be oh-so-delicious!
As we were a fairly large group, we all got to taste a few different dishes. Each person made a great choice. Skewers of beef, sautéed potatoes with roasted veg and rice were shared amongst the younger ones. This was followed by a luscious scoop of ice cream – mango and chocolate and vanilla. Very happy, the little ones then climbed trees and played in the sand.
The adults imbibed in their favourite tipple, Rose wine and beer, while they enjoyed an incredible Burrata surrounded by prosciutto with tomato and toast on the side. All the dishes were served together so although some were ordered from the appetizer menu, others were ordered from the mains menu; therefore, everyone could share. We had some delicious, thinly sliced roasted pork, a platter of a variety of cold roasted veg, which we doused in the excellent olive oil on the table and ate with the good sourdough bread offered in a basket to the table. There was a dish of baked muscles with tomato and cheese sauce, an excellent eggplant parmigiana; we also had a perfectly cooked duck breast, tomato bruschetta without cheese, a pizza, a mahi mahi dish and a wonderful salad with shavings of parmesan atop. Honestly, not a single dish had anything left on it after we had had our fill.
Desserts were a chilled, perfect homemade panna cotta with a coulis of raspberry, homemade tiramisu and a variety of ice cream; coffee and chilled limoncello ended the meal; and then it was time to freshen up and head back to the SXMFest. What a weekend!
Info:
Mezza Luna
Nettle Bay Beach Club
Phone: 590 690 73 19 18
Reservations recommended
Ratings:
Staff friendliness: ****
Service speed: ***
Restaurant cleanliness: ***
Food quality: ****
Value for money: ****
Ambience: ****
