Grand Cayman Restaurants
 

We are thinking of going to GCM but have read about how expensive the restaurants are. We are bringing 4 young adult children, 3 who are boys that eat like marooned sailors. Any deals that we should know about. We will be in the 7 mile beach area..thanks

Food is very expensive since the US and Canadian dollar is worth alot less.
The menu prices are like here but then you have to add 25% for the exchange.

We were just in Curacao and prices were ok. I just have been reading that Grand Cayman is quite expensive

Grand Cayman currency rate is based upon the British pound which is worth a lot more. Curacao's dollar is like ours.

Sorry I was wrong - Curacao's $1 is equal to 56 cents US - so food should've been reasonable.

Right abt in the middle of 7 mile beach (in a plaza of some sort) there's an Outback Steakhouse. If you've ever eaten at that chain, you know that portions are enormous and not awfully expensive. Not gourmet fare by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad either. In that same plaza last time we were there, there's a little place called "Chicken,Chicken." Good rotiserrie style and decent vegetables; can't remember whether it's eat in. There are also a couple of chinese restaurants.

Have you thought about a condo with a kitchen. We saved a ton eating breakfast and lunch at the condo.

my wife and her girlfriends are going down in march...how expensive are the cabs if they want to go around for dinner..they will be staying at the new ritz..was wondering how far they'de have to travel if they didn't want to eat dinners at the hotel

iluvny... wrong, whilst Cayman is a British territory, the pound sterling has nothing to do with the Cayman dollar. The term dollar might have been a clue. It is fixed to the USD at 1.25:1

I just came from a meeting with the tourism association including our restaurants, and a key point was the perception of Cayman restaurants as expensive.

They are not cheap, sure, but they are consistently excellent and provide value for money.... easily comparable to high end restaurants anywhere, and less expensive than many places...

However, like the OP, I am a parent of boys who eat like hungry wolves.... so high end restaurants, value for money or not, are not always the way to go.

Re the post by "poss", Outback is closed now, but Chicken is a good option on 7MB, plus also the suggestion of a condo (ie with kitchen) is a good one. When my Dad comes to Cayman, he normally rents a condo, and he raves about the meat counters in Fosters (supermarket) and the quality of meat he can get there for the BBQ. Last time he was here, he ended up barbequing outside his condo almost every night, that was how much he loved the steaks etc !

Another low cost but quality option is Lone Star Bar and Grill, particularly their "all you can eat Fajita nights", which, if I recall correctly, are on Monday and Thursdays

Hi CaymanTom,
I didn't realize that - but thanks. I just remember 25% being added to our restaurant tabs for the currency difference. Are all the restaurants be the old Holiday Inn (now ritz) all gone? Was that from Ivan? There was some great ones. Is Eats Crockadile Rock open? That was very reasonable and kid would love it.

You can check out the restaurants at www.caymanrestaurants.com.

Coconut Joe's is a great place for an inexpensive breakfast.

Hey,
hub and I recently got back from our honeymoon in Caymans.
The exchange rate is fixed, but even without the extra 25% prices are way higher than in the US.
On seven mile there are a couple of jerk chicken places. A chain... I totally forget the actual name, I think it's like chicken!chicken! or maybe chiken... but you'll see it. Anyway, it's inexpensive (you can get half a small chicken-plenty of food for two (or one ravenous growing boy) for around $8 US.

Avoid-lighthouse/Grand old house. We dropped $100 for each meal for two

Colleen, it is Chicken!Chicken!... and yes, the food is great.

Re Grand Old House and Lighthouse, if you are saying to avoid them as you spent $100 for two, then I think that is your call, but I think those are two of our top restaurants, and $100 for two is a reasonable price for a quality restaurant anywhere in the world.

I feel that restaurants in Cayman preset good value for money, the issue is two fold. One, people compare them to prices at "family" restaurants in the USA (eg Olive Garden etc) and yes, they are way more expensive than that, but in Cayman the food tends to be more high end than that. Second, the price of alcohol is much more expensive in Cayman due to excise duties, so if you drink a fair bit with your meal, it will set you back a lot of money.

Eating in Cayman has always cost more than in the US. And that is NOT taking the $1.00 US equals ,80 Cayman into account. Since Ivan - we were there in May - prices in all restaurants have increased about 25% from pre-Ivan prices. Having said that, you can find places that are more economical (usually places that serve the local food that we enjoy). Nice restaurants are pricey and to bring 4 young adult children could be a costly proposition. I think someone mentioned a condo where you could do some of your own meals. That would be a good cost saver.

Restaurants previously mentioned -- Eats has been closed since the hurricane. And Chicken Chicken - we thought it was pretty bad tho many people like it.

Cayman dining IS expensive but they put out a good product and they are worth it if you want to spend that sort of money.

I guess it all depends on what you consider expensive. If you are comparing Cayman restaurants to any major hub in the US, sorry, but the prices aren't much different. We're from the Boston area, and the good restaurants in downtown Boston are easily if not more than the GC restaurants. If you don't want to spend a lot on dinner, you can find less fancy restaurants in GC that are priced accordingly.

Remember, you have a choice. If you want to dine in the better places, than you'll pay good money to do so. I agree with Tom on the $100 tab mentioned above as being expensive for dinner for 2. I think $100 for two at a fine dining establishment sounds pretty good.