On picturesque Achilles Bay, one of the island’s newest restaurants is drawing locals and visitors alike to the northernmost tip — and justifiably so.

Named after the location, Achilles — the Greek warrior known as Aristos Achaion, the greatest of the Greeks — MEF Group and St Regis hotel owner Hotelco have made their ambitious intentions clear.

Serving light, sophisticated and satisfying fare, Achilles is a must-visit for foodies on the island. The light and airy space has been renovated from the old Blackbeard’s Hideout.

While the sun is shining, you can look out of its floor to ceiling windows on to the sea, watching the newly reinstated St George’s ferry go by and the dip of longtails below the horizon line.

Once dusk falls and the lights dim, the bar and sophisticated lighting transform the place and it takes on an altogether more Mediterranean ambience.

One of Achilles’ greatest strengths may be offering truly excellent “gateway” dishes — safe bets and yet compelling enough for the more unadventurous diner.

For instance, the seafood paella is unctuous and deep in flavour — without ever crossing into the dreaded fishy factor flavour line — good enough to convert even a paella sceptic like me.

The Asian element of the so-called “MediterrAsian” that the restaurant marks as its offering is an impressive yet accessible list of sushi and sashimi.

The OMG (who knows if this is pronounced ‘omg’, ‘O.M.G.’ or even ‘Oh My God’ — not even the waitstaff) is clean and fresh tasting with just a slight touch of heat. The Crazy Island Roll is mouthful after mouthful of umami goodness — perfect for salmon lovers, with perfectly torched salmon topping. Both are ideal for sushi newbies and afficionados alike.

What stands out most of all at Achilles, under the watchful eye of MEF food and beverage director Guido Brambilla, is the attention to the extra details. While the burrata features perfectly fine cheese, it is the stunning pistachio pesto adornment that makes it a standout.

Likewise, in its grilled shrimp dish, while the prawns are perfectly cooked, it’s the kalamata olive breadcrumbs that steal the show — so good you’ll want to lick the plate.

The lunch menu features the ubiquitous fish sandwich with a refreshing twist: thinly sliced cutlets of wahoo are marinated and seared before being dressed in a mayo-heavy tartare sauce for a delicious and surprisingly junky (in the best way!) treat.

However, the menu isn’t clear that the sandwich is served cold, which might be considered sacrilege by fans of the classic.

Speaking of junky, if you’ve come fresh from the beach, the fries are a must. Salty, crunchy and served piping hot — think McDonald’s fries on their very best day.

The pacing of the meal, whether lunch or dinner, is pitch-perfect: long enough between courses to digest but never long enough to wonder where your food is.

The friendly waitstaff checked in enough to ensure you have what you need without ever intruding and were diligent in checking on whether a dish was made with animal products for us.

A pet peeve, though: salt and pepper had to be requested and was ground for us before being taken away again, leaving us feel a little Dickensian (“please, Sir, may I have some more?”).

The cocktail menu, designed by local legend Ryan Gibbons, does not disappoint. The best, in this diner’s humble opinion, is the Paloma-inspired Greatest Champion. Delicately balanced, it complimented a surprising number of dishes with the lightest touch of chilli to give it body enough to linger over it over an entire meal, if you’re trying to limit yourself to just the one.

Storm the Beach will appeal to fans of the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, with a tropical twist.

The dessert menu is short but each is a delight. The Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is the most unusual option here, with a pleasingly interesting texture and not too sweet.

For chocolate fiends, the Double Chocolate Mousse Cake hits the spot without tipping into sickliness.

If you’re trying to hold on to the illusion of behaving yourself, the Greek Yoghurt is bright and refreshing. The Affogato is a sundae by any other name but, caffeinated and cool, it’s the perfect way to fortify yourself to re-enter the sultry summer heat.

While prices aren’t cheap at Achilles — a three-course meal for two people, with one cocktail each, set us back a little more than $200 — portion sizes are ample and there’s no skimping on the luxury ingredients. At one point, dunking a sushi roll, I estimated there was about $3 of saffron floating in the soy sauce.

And where is this Achilles’ heel, you ask? Despite its in-depth renovation, the place is shockingly inaccessible, with no elevator or ramp access. Poor acoustics also means that as the room fills up, you’ll need to shout across the table to be heard — somehow more tolerable during the darker hours.