While there are resorts of all kinds, the word “resort” itself inherently broadcasts the same heavenly scene—pristine beaches, crystal waters, lush palms, and all the time in the world. We think of rummy cocktails the color of sunset. A breeze tumbling across your body. About how nobody stops smiling. Definitively, the “good life.”
This week’s #BirthdayBucketList is the beachy magnificence that is Malliouhana, An Auberge Resort as luxurious as it is laid back, as timeless as it is modern. Resting easy in Long Bay Village on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, Malliouhana is the paradise you expect when you the word “resort” sends gleeful shivers down your spine and places fantastical scenes in your mind. It’s a escape for relaxers of all sorts, with architecture that a tycoon would approve and a rum selection that a scoundrel would admire. It’s where everything melts away, leaving you in a zen-like state laid out on the beach or by the pool, wondering how anyone ever goes home. I mean, how is “visiting paradise” not on your bucket list?
Eat Well Everywhere on the Caribbean Coast
A notable destination for foodies who put money where their mouth is—especially since it was the first Michelin-starred restaurant in the Caribbean—Malliouhana has been celebrated for its fine cuisine for decades. Fresh ingredients parade through the many beloved menu items, with chic vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options as well, so nobody ever goes back to their room hungry or unhappy.
Crafted by respected Executive Chef Jeremy Bearman, from New York City's talk of the town eatery Rouge Tomate, the seasonal specialty dishes of Mediterranean and Caribbean cuisine that charm guests in each on-site restaurant and café. Just as there’s no bad view at Malliouhana, there remains no less-than-stellar meal.
Celebrate in Glorious Style With Friends and Family
The private dinner events that guests host at Malliouhana are the kind you imagine globetrotters and jetsetters make a habit of—all candlelit, torchlit, or moonlit—with festive conversations wafting into the sea air of night. Groups can enjoy dinner on the restaurant terrace, near the pool, or on one of the beaches, with Turtle Cove being the most secluded option and therefore most popular.
The Grand Life That Comes With Rum and Wine Tastings
To live as a class act, one must act classy—and drinking fine wine against a sunset that wraps the entire sky in orange, red, and yellow above jewel-like sea is surely a way to do that. Few places on Earth offer the saintly style of barefoot luxury than Malliouhana’s Sunset Bar.
Overlooking the turquoise sea that surrounds Anguilla, the open-air lounge, with its marble bar, studded stools, and window benches featuring pillows aplenty, is the way you’re supposed to drink rum. A Caribbean ocean breeze strumming through your hair, as a light yet inescapable salty taste brushes your lips, giving you a thirst for liquor that melts in your mouth like dark chocolate—that is how you drink rum.
Signature cocktails and a sensational wine cellar, paired with a well-researched and engaging staff who knows the ins, outs, and in-betweens of what they’re pouring in each glass, have served the resort’s reputation and its guests strikingly well. The caliber of what’s available here for $55 a tasting, choosing either wine or rum, makes the decision seem like a no-brainer. When again will you and a small group of friends or family have the chance to toast to the good life while never living better?
Gourmet S’mores By the Firepit
Whether it’s following a wedding reception or a dinner worth writing home about, s’mores are a welcomed treat. But at Malliouhana, my goodness, it’s an art form. Surrounded by palm trees, tucked beneath a clear night sky, and just steps from a secret beach, the Malliouhana bonfire makes for a unique and memorable dessert experience.
You’re in for an evening of laughter, likely out there longer than you expect, because one s’more just won’t do. It never does. Heck, it’s in the name! Even so, this particular marshmallow roast comes with a delectable spread in addition to the usual chocolate bars and graham crackers. We’re talking M&Ms, pecans, chocolate sauce, chocolate buttons, and fresh-grated coconut. Then, once you’ve satisfied your sweet tooth, you can go to bed without guilt by enjoying a fresh fruit smoothie beside the fire.
Capturing the Malliouhana Sea in the Perfect Cocktail
For $18, you can drink a mystical cocktail that looks like you’re drinking the sea like some kind of lounging god. It’s a particularly light cocktail, but the exquisitely named drink that is the Malliouhana Sea was indeed crafted to honor and reflect the crystal waters that enchant those on the island. Fresh and flavorful lime and mint bounce through the white Mount Gay rum, prosecco, and floral bitters.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz - White Mount Gay Rum
- 1/2 oz - Blue Curacao
- 3 1/2 oz - Prosecco
- Dash - Floral Bitters
- 6 Leaves - Fresh Mint
- 1/2 oz - Squeezed Lime Juice
- Dash - Simple Syrup
Mixing instructions:
- Place fresh mint and lime juice in a shaker glass and muddle well.
- Fill shaker with ice, then add rum, floral bitters and simple syrup. Shake well.
- Serve in a highball glass, and top off with Prosecco.
- Add a fresh sprig of mint for garnish.
So now, even when you come home and go back to your usual routine, you can at least have a taste of the Malliouhana Sea and be reminded how supremely good life can be.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Malliouhana, An Auberge Resort
