This Grand Cayman itinerary for foodies will guide you to all the best culinary adventures while you’re relishing in the sun and waves of this incredible island.
The Cayman Islands include Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.
In partnership with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, we spent time on the largest of the three islands, Grand Cayman, which is the culinary capital of the Caribbean.
When it comes to restaurants, you can expect lots of fresh local seafood, Cayman-style beef, and fresh fish like tuna, mahi mahi, red snapper, and wahoo.
Fish is typically served as a ceviche with coconut milk, cooked whole, or covered with a “rundown sauce” made of sweet tomato, onions, and peppers.
The Cayman Islands have deep ties to Jamaica, so you’ll also encounter real jerk chicken since cooking with spices like scotch bonnet peppers is very common.
Additionally, not only will you see impressively large conch shells on the beach, but you’ll find them on restaurant menus, from conch fritters, to conch stew, to conch chowder.
Let’s explore how to take your taste buds on a culinary journey with this Grand Cayman itinerary for foodies.
Experience Cayman Islands Brunch Culture
Prior to arriving, we heard all about the incredible Sunday brunches.
It wasn’t until we arrived at Anchor & Den inside the Grand Cayman Marriott Resort that we truly understood the amazing Cayman brunch experience.
Many luxury hotels and resorts boast a massive brunch spread with bottomless bubbles, but Anchor & Den is truly impressive.
We felt like Alice in Wonderland as the brunch spread crept from room to room, buffet table to buffet table.
The brunch service starts with a welcome drink, unlimited sparkling wine, beer, signature cocktails, as well as white and rose wine.
You can also upgrade your brunch package to premium champagne, if you so desire.
Once the (first) bottle of Moet was popped, we headed to the raw bar and sushi area.
We were in awe of the fresh crab claws, Atlantic oysters, fresh-cut salmon sashimi, and gigantic shrimp alongside platters of sushi rolls, potstickers, and even build-your-own-ramen.
After about three rounds at the raw bar, we continued on to the other brunch stations.
A table of fresh charcuterie, hand-cut marinated pork on a spit to make al pastor tacos, a tostada station, and all the sweets you could imagine.
These are just additional offerings to the long buffet line in the back which offered traditional breakfast foods, lunch dishes, a salad bar, and what we liked to call the “carb cavern”. This was an entire section dedicated to breads, crackers, and pastries.
They also had a dessert section with everything from global influences, to local cassava cake, which was our favorite sweet treat.
The next time we book a trip to Grand Cayman our itinerary will definitely need to include two Sundays in order to experience their lavish brunch scene more than just once.
Relax with Oceanfront Dining
Grand Cayman is one of the most picturesque islands that we’ve traveled to, so obviously oceanfront dining is a big highlight for food lovers.
The waterside ambiance adds romance to every meal. Here are some great dining options for tasty food with a remarkable view.
Bonny Moon on Seven Mile Beach
The most famous strip of powder white sand beaches in Grand Cayman is undoubtedly Seven Mile Beach.
There are a number of resorts and restaurants on this strip overlooking the Caribbean Sea, and we dined at Bonny Moon Beach Club. Located in the heart of seven mile beach, this was one of the best meals we ate in Grand Cayman.
Sometimes beachfront restaurants offer all the stunning views, and none of the culinary talent, but Bonny Moon couldn’t be more opposite.
We dined with our feet in the sand, overlooking the turquoise waters filled with jet skis and swimmers and savored one of our favorite meals.
This restaurant features a variety of dishes from fresh seafood to flatbreads.
What makes Bonny Moon Beach Club special is their wood fired oven. It created the perfect char for our roasted cabbage side dish and we were in awe of their wood fired branzino dish.
The whole fish was deboned, stuffed with sliced vegetables and cooked in their wood fired oven.
This cooking method created the most irresistible, crispy skin while keeping the fish moist.
The branzino was served with rice and a delectable curry sauce which added loads of flavor.
Bring your bathing suit for a beach day because after our meal we transitioned to the beach chairs and enjoyed some cocktails in between a few dips in the crystal clear blue water.
NOVA in West Bay
This seaside spot was the last dinner on our itinerary and we wished we discovered it sooner! NOVA restaurant sits along a pool and hot tub overlooking the shore, which even has beach loungers and umbrellas.
It’s a perfect place to come in the afternoon to enjoy the beach club, then stay for a delicious dinner.
We enjoyed grilled oysters topped with crispy prosciutto as we watched the high winds cause the ocean waves to crash into the dock in front of us.
Then alongside some inventive cocktails, we ordered the light and crispy asparagus tempura and soft shell crab sliders as appetizers.
For entrees, we contrasted the light and flavorful whole Mediterranean branzino with their rich and luscious wagyu burger. The burger featured a parmesan fondue with roasted onions and shitake mushrooms. It was beyond incredible.
Historic Grand Old House
Right next to the picturesque Smith’s Cove, you’ll still enjoy the stunning views of the craggy shore contrasting with the turquoise waters while dining on the deck of The Grand Old House.
This historic site was designed in the style of a stately Caribbean Great House on the Petra coconut Plantation in 1908 and has been operating since 1969 as a restaurant and event venue for weddings.
Our favorite starters, without question, were the poached lobster salad with mango puree and horseradish cream as well as the conch fritters.
They were beer battered and served with key lime aioli and smoked pepper puree which made them our favorite conch fritters from our trip.
The Grand Old House offers premium dining with a focus of both land and sea.
There are a number of elevated dishes to choose from, but our top pick was their curry.
The seafood curry is packed with lobster, shrimp, mussels, and fresh fish and then also served with chutney, rice and papadom. It’s loaded with big flavors and lots of fresh offerings from the sea.
Be sure to extend your stay at this picturesque restaurant by adding on another cocktail and some dessert.
Their pina colada was the best we’ve tasted and the desserts are masterfully handcrafted works of art.
Macabuca at Turtle Reef
The Macabuca Tiki Bar is the more casual waterfront restaurant below The Cracked Conch. The colorful chairs and umbrellas serve as the perfect viewing point for the divers who head into Turtle Reef at the foot of the peninsula dock.
This is the spot to go to if you are looking for Grand Cayman’s famous conch as they serve it four ways: conch chowder, ceviche, fritters, and also breaded then fried.
We ordered a Caybrew local beer as we feasted on coconut shrimp and fried conch with an addicting curry tartar sauce.
We loved all the seafood appetizers for a casual snack, but we finished our lunch with lobster tails served with island beans and rice.
Plus, we enjoyed a burger that was topped with fried escovitch, a common Caymanian topping of thinly sliced, lightly pickled onions and veggies.
Go on a Gourmet Picnic
One of our favorite foodie activities while in Grand Cayman was a romantic picnic on the beach through our hotel, VIDA.
Originally, the picnic was to occur in a private beachfront spot in Barkers Park, but due to very strong winds on that side of the island, we moved our al fresco dining experience to Cemetery Beach, which was calmer and also beautiful.
You’ll start by selecting the type of wine you’d prefer and four picnic items from VIDA’s vast picnic offerings.
Then the amazing staff at Vida do all the rest!
They will pack up your picnic basket with everything you need for a memorable meal on the beach.
From serving ware, to blankets, beach chairs, to cushions, they have you covered.
We enjoyed a dip made of local pumpkin, a charcuterie spread, sausage rolls and curried chicken salad sandwiches while we listened to the waves crash on the beach as we relaxed on the sand.
Savor Unique Craft Cocktails
The Cayman Islands actually invented the mudslide cocktail, so they’re no stranger to tasty libations.
There are some pretty amazing cocktail bars in Grand Cayman and here are two can’t miss spots for a mind-blowing drink.
Door No 4
Our favorite place for a cocktail had to be Door No. 4. We started by taking a cocktail class with the owner and bartender, Simon Crompton, and then stayed to continue to enjoy all their delicious concoctions.
During the cocktail class, you start with a welcome drink and amuse bouche, and then learn to craft both shaken and stirred cocktails like a true mixologist.
Each drink comes with additional curated food pairings and you even leave with a mini recipe book and a freezer cocktail to take home.
We are pretty exposed to a lot of cocktail classes and demonstrations, but we still learned some techniques at Door No. 4 that were new tips which will elevate our cocktail making at home.
Once we created some traditional cocktails during the class, we turned it over to the bartender to showcase some of their advanced cocktails and were blown away.
We loved the banoffee Irish Coffee; after just returning from a trip to Ireland, we were experts in all things Irish coffee and they nailed it!
Their version had an added banana essence that paired perfectly with their pate eclair snack.
A fizzy clementine drink was perfectly crushable in the tropical weather, but the cocktail that really stole our hearts was their savory martini.
Infused with tomato water and brine, this cocktail was so well balanced that we came back for another nightcap a few hours later just to taste that perfect martini once again. We will continue to dream about Door No. 4!
Library By The Sea
We had the pleasure of getting a first taste of the amazing cocktail concoctions from Library By The Sea while at Tales of the Cocktail this year in New Orleans.
However, nothing compares to the experience of watching the mixologist work their magic at their craft cocktail bar inside of the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa.
Perusing the menu at Library by the Sea is similar to reading a children’s book, with whimsical drink names, descriptions, and illustrations.
Each drink has a unique presentation whether it’s unique glassware to tell the story, intricate ice cubes, or illustrative garnishes.
Every single detail took great care, which created libations we loved.
Learn about Island Flavors with a Cooking Class
When traveling we always recommend taking a good cooking class if you can find one, and we couldn’t have been luckier because the Nourish restaurant at our luxury resort, VIDA, offered a personalized culinary class.
You can instantly tell if it’s a good cooking class or not by their use of fresh local ingredients, and Nourish knocked it out of the park.
Their head chef has so many great connections on the island that she got all of the ingredients locally, including local fishermen to bring her their best catch directly from the sea.
We sliced up fresh tuna to create a delicious ceviche, used fresh local herbs, and even added heat with some peppers from the island.
If a cooking class isn’t your thing, Nourish is our restaurant of choice for where taste meets health.
From Cayman style beef tacos, to the freshest fish, to acai bowls and fresh squeezed juice in the morning, we loved the tasty options that didn’t leave us feeling heavy before a day at the beach.
Indulge in Cayman Restaurant Month
A lovely time to visit the Cayman Islands is in October because you can take advantage of great weather before the busier holiday season, and you can dine at some of the best restaurants creating the best food during their Restaurant Month!
Participating local restaurant establishments and local chefs offer special, three-course menus at a discounted price, which includes an appetizer, entree, and desert.
The three course lunches start at only $15! It’s a perfect way to get great food during your time on the island.
Here are a few of the restaurants we visited during restaurant week, as well as a number of restaurants that are listed in the oceanfront dining section.
Catalina
Located inside the new Hotel Indigo, Catalina is a chic hotspot with modern decor, premium wine and cocktails, and elevated dishes. Our meal from the restaurant week menu started with a beef tartare complete with a cheese garnish that looked like flower petals.
For entrees, we enjoyed the black cod that was served with leeks and served with a coconut curry sauce as well as a tender short rib. It’s a great dinner option after spending the day on Seven Mile Beach.
Island Naturals
If you are interested in healthier meals with more plant-based options, Island Naturals is a good choice. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it’s a flexible option that starts with island smoothies and ends with dinnertime cocktails.
If you’re carnivores like us, you can still find some meat-based dishes on the menu. In fact the jerk chicken that we added to our entrees was a very generous portion!
Enjoy Cayman Cocktail Week
Also during the month of October, enjoy a number of events for Cayman Cocktail Week.
Select restaurants throughout the island who are participating in Cayman Cocktail Week will offer special cocktails at discounted prices.
Additionally, since this is the main drink festival of Cayman, the week features a number of special events and parties that you can purchase tickets to attend. We were lucky enough to experience two of the Cayman Cocktail Week events.
Pom Pom Sunsets & Cocktails was a special event that featured Ketel One Botanicals and Tanqueray at the only rooftop bar in Grand Cayman, Pom Pom.
We were treated to stunning sunset views over the heart of Seven Mile Beach, festive decor, and tasty cocktail concoctions infused with a botanical focus such as orange blossom, jasmine green tea, and camomile.
The Pisco Party at Bon Vivant in Camana Bay was the other Cayman Cocktail Week event we attended. This was a more hands-on and intimate session. The event featured Catan Pisco, which comes from Chile.
We have experienced a lot of Pisco while dining at the Best Restaurants in Lima, Peru, but never tasted a Chilean pisco before!
The pisco party showcased a cooking demonstration for a number of delicious Chilean recipes served with a pisco cocktail pairing. Then, cocktail connoisseurs got to learn how to make their own pisco sour cocktail.
Sail on a Catamaran to an Island BBQ
For the perfect mix of a romantic activity plus a meal, take a Catamaran to the Rum Point Backyard BBQ with Red Sail Sports.
You’ll start with a 45 minute cruise to Grand Cayman’s famous Rum Point.
Take in the sea breeze on the boat where you can purchase wine, beer, or cocktails for the cruise.
Once you get to Rum Point, you’ll be greeted with live music and an island buffet overlooking the beach.
Offerings included jerk pork, jerk chicken, and burgers being grilled up on the BBQ next to the buffet, as well as a number of salads and side dishes.
For dessert, enjoy hot churros with a chocolate dipping sauce.
Our excursion was in October, and we’d probably recommend this activity during the summer months with longer days of sunlight so that you can catch the sun setting while at Rum Point for added ambiance.
Eat Like a Local
Grand Cayman island is a British territory, but it has such an international flair with people from all over the world.
You’ll see this is apparent in their restaurant scene with lots of global-inspired restaurants and dishes.
However, if you’re looking to eat like a true Caymanian, head to Island Taste for amazing local food. This spot is popular with the locals and you’ll find traditional classics like patties, a flaky pastry filled with meats, veggies, or cheeses, as well as classic stewed oxtail and jerk chicken.
If you’re an adventurous eater, you can even visit on Friday to try turtle stew, the national dish of the Cayman Islands. It’s full of flavor and textures and one of the best things we tasted.
All of the food is made for carryout dining, so head to your favorite picnic spot to savor the caribbean flavors. We enjoyed our meal at the stunning Smith cove.
We truly believe the best way to immerse yourself in local culture is to eat what the locals eat, so grab a fork and dive in.
Fun Activities to Work Up an Appetite
In between savoring local cuisine, we worked up an appetite by discovering all of the incredible things to do in Grand Cayman.
Stingray City
Hands down, this was our favorite activity while in Grand Cayman. Stingray city is not a commercialized tourist trap, it’s a natural area of the sea where stingrays love to congregate. Captain Marvin’s guided tour took us by boat to this majestic place and taught us about stingrays, let us hold a stingray, and even had us feed them some squid. Legend states that kissing a stingray brings seven years of good luck, so pucker up!
Starfish Point
Not far from stingray city, you’ll find starfish point. A shallow area near an island that starfish seem to love. Our Captain Marvin’s guide snorkeled to even grab a few more starfish and the next thing we knew we were surrounded by a dozen starfish and giggling as their little suction-cup fingers were grasping on our hands.
Snorkeling
After exploring stingray city and starfish point on the boat tour, we took some time with Captain Marvin’s to put on some snorkel gear to explore marine life. The crystal-clear waters made it so easy to see schools of tropical fish, another stingray, and even sea turtles.
Scuba Diving
The clear water in Grand Cayman makes it a great choice for diving. We were able to dive with Seahorse Diving School and explore the caverns of Devil’s Grotto. We marveled over the coral reef and spotted lionfish, pufferfish and even a tarpon!
Pedro St. James Castle
The birthplace of democracy in the Cayman Islands, Pedro St. James provides a great history lesson about Grand Cayman, includes a tour of the historic house, and has a stunning coastline. After your tour, head to Thatch and Barrel for a rum tasting!
Cayman Islands National Gallery
If you are interested in art, take some time to tour the National Gallery. During our visit we were able to admire the color-drenched works of local Caymanian artist Bendel Hydes. It’s a great place to spend some time if you get caught up in a quick tropical sunshower.
We had such an amazingly delicious time in Grand Cayman and loved our accommodations at VIDA with a gorgeous bathtub overlooking the ocean.
We’re confident that if you’re food-focused travelers or coming to the island via cruise ships, you’ll love this Grand Cayman itinerary for foodies.
For more resources in planning your trip, check out Visit Cayman Islands.
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