24 Best Restaurants in Cayman Islands

Mariachi music, sombreros, and intricate Talavera tile work set the tone at this authentic and innovative Mexican eatery tucked away off West Bay Road. Start with the savory ceviches (winners include Caribbean shrimp, Peruvian-style red snapper, and tuna Chino Latino in soy with sesame, chili, mint, and cilantro). Or try such terrific tacos as the Tecate-battered rock shrimp, chicharron, or fish. Sterling main courses range from a salmon quesadilla to a pork chop in tamarind-orange-chipotle reduction. But the two musts are the delectable duck confit chilaquiles and fabulous torta de cochinita pibil (suckling pig sandwich) brimming with avocado, refried beans, pickled onions, and roasted tomato aioli, served with a heaping helping of the signature chili fries. Wash it down with magnificent margaritas.

At this eatery, the food romps from Malaysia through the Mediterranean to Mexico: spicy chicken tikka, Thai chicken-lemongrass soup, and tzatziki, as well as unusual salads and creative sides. The chef-owner calls it a building-block menu; you can modify the bread and sauce—there are a dozen varieties, including several curries, peanut satay, jerk mayo, mango raita (yogurt, tomatoes, chutney), tahini, teriyaki, garlic cream, and even gravy like Mom used to make.

You'll find happy locals mingling with island visitors at this friendly place with a fun atmosphere, working air-conditioning (not a given on this island), delicious cocktails, ice-cold beers, and welcoming bartenders. It's locally famous for its wood-burning oven and New York–style pizzas, live music, and domino games. There's also free Wi-Fi and coffee (espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes).

The market is always packed. Get some coffee or tea, or design your own wrap or salad.

This easygoing vegan café whips up simply glorious plant-based plates. Or just get a flat white (with almond milk), homegrown kombucha, or vegan cookie.

This weathered, powder-blue, wooden building wouldn't be out of place on some remote New England shore, except perhaps for the garish pirate at the entrance. The nautical yo-ho-hokum continues inside—painted oars, model sailboats, and droll touches like a skeleton with a chef's toque—but fortunately the kitchen isn't lost at sea, despite voyaging from India to Italy. Teriyaki chicken and scampi Florentine are worthy house specialties. Lunch is less expensive, and includes classic standbys (wraps, burgers, nachos, Lolita's chicken-fried tacos, fried or blackened grouper) and more creative options like "honey-stung" chicken fried in chili powder and crushed corn chips. The outdoor poolside bar is a popular hangout for dive masters.

Ads trumpet that this restaurant—overlooking a garden with a cheery tropical motif—is "where the islanders dine"; indeed they have since the Robinson family started selling takeout from its kitchen in 1965. The West Indies breakfast, themed lunch, and Taste of Cayman dinner buffets are legendary spreads. Local food (curried goat, oxtail with broad beans, turtle soup, and heavy cake) is authentic, hearty, and cheap. Pricier global dishes range from chop suey to enchiladas and fine Indian vegetarian options like samosas and masala dal (lentils simmered with green chilis).

Devotees would probably award four exclamation points to the marvelously moist chicken, slow-roasted on a hardwood open-hearth rotisserie. Most customers grab takeout, but the decor is appealing for a fast-food joint; the clever interior replicates an old-time Cayman cottage. Bright smiles and home cooking from scratch enhance the authentic vibe. Hearty but (mostly) healthful heaping helpings of sides include scrumptious Cayman-style corn bread, honey-rum beans, jicama coleslaw, and spinach-pesto pasta. Prices are even cheaper at lunch.

This animated space celebrates all things fun and Caribbean with pastel walls; cobalt glass fixtures; National Archive photographs and old newspapers about the spot's namesake, Cimboco, the first motorized sailing ship built in Cayman (in 1927); and flames dancing up the exhibition kitchen's huge wood-burning oven. Everything from breads (superlative bruschetta and jalapeño cornbread) to ice creams is made from scratch. Artisanal pizzas come topped with balsamic-roasted eggplant, pesto, and feta or with jerk chicken with Bermuda onions. Signature items include banana-leaf-roasted snapper and fire-roasted bacon-wrapped shrimp. Amazing desserts include a sinfully rich brownie. The popular breakfast and brunch are equally creative.

This seaside eatery daubed in a virtual rainbow of blues from turquoise to teal serves up fine local food, emphasizing fresh seafood and, on weekends, mouth- and eye-watering barbecue. The lusciously painted outdoor bar offers equally colorful sunsets, cocktails, and characters (one regular swears, "If I were any better, I'd be dangerous," before buying another round). At night, spotlights illuminate the reef sharks and lobsters lurking in the turtle grass below the patio. The congenial owner, Carlton Ebanks, offers regular entertainment from DJs to fashion shows and domino tournaments, whenever possible on weekends in season.

This busy and eclectic eatery has a vast menu (Cajun to Chinese), including smashing breakfasts and 10 kinds of burgers (fish and veggie versions are available). The decor is dramatic—crimson booths and walls, flat-screen TVs lining the counter, steel pendant lamps, an exhibition kitchen, gigantic flower paintings, and Andy Warhol reproductions. Other options include a Caesar salad, samosas, Philly cheesesteak, and chicken fajitas. It's noisy, buzzing, and hip—but not aggressively so.

West Bay's popular family-run restaurant serves up legendary raconteur Tunny Powell's fish tea, coconut grouper, barbecue ribs, and fish fry—with a generous portion of local lore and sterling sea views. The colorfully painted, gingerbread-trim lean-to is easy to miss from the main road, so look for it when you're in the area.

Just follow the boisterous laughter and pulsating Caribbean tunes to this hard-to-find mint-green Caymanian cottage, where you feel like you've been invited to a family reunion. The Sunday Caribbean buffet attracts hordes of hungry churchgoers (call ahead to ensure they're open that week), but every day offers authentic turtle steak, oxtail, jerk, and delectable fried snapper with sassy salsas that liberate your taste buds from the humdrum. Avoid the overpriced Chinese dishes. There's also a George Town outpost.

This temple to sports and the cowboy lifestyle serves a Texas-size welcome and portions. If it can be barbecued, deep-fried, jerked, pulled, or nacho-ized, it's probably on the menu. Many locals swear the burgers (six options piled high with fixings from pickled jalapeños to pulled pork) and hickory-smoked barbecue ribs are Cayman's best. Such Tex-Mex standards as shrimp fajitas are appropriately mouth- and eye-watering, and regulars lick their chops at the reasonable prices, especially on theme nights, when you can get all-you-can-eat fajitas and Budweiser bucket specials.

Transforms from a casual tiki bar for divers by day to an exquisite high-end restaurant at night. One must-try: the homemade ice-cream sandwich.

Nestled in the backyard of Seven Mile Beach, Ms. Piper’s cottage holds mementos of her travels, influencing the dishes, drinks, decor, music, and special touches. Her kitchen is a reflection of her life journey—a representation of her cultural and spiritual pursuits as well as her celebration of graceful aging that is abundant and never-ending. Ms. Piper has created a space marked by free spirits, fashionable wanderers, spirited youthfulness, and natural femininity. 

A faux cow and pig greet you, and you can savor Miss Rankin's scrumptious turtle stew, lobster curry, and jerk dishes in her alluring garden. Don't miss her homemade bread pudding for dessert. If you're cooking in your condo, consider the ultrafresh produce and meats from the adjacent Rankin's butcher and farm. It's open continuously from 7:30 am to 8 pm.

This cheerful, cherished locals' secret serves haute comfort food—great burgers, wahoo-mushroom bites, and fabulous fish tacos—that elevates pub grub to an art form at bargain prices. Even the poolside building, painted a delectable lemon with lime shutters, multihue interior columns, and orange and blueberry accents, whets the appetite. Wash your food down with a signature libation like the Painkiller, and take advantage of affordable nightly dinner specials such as red snapper amandine in lemon butter caper sauce, and Cuban roast chicken marinated with sour orange, garlic, lime, and olive oil.

Ultracontemporary design with industrial elements (exposed piping, raw timber, tugboat salvage) is a counterpoint to the down-home fare at this bustling glorified diner, whose choice seats are on the patio. Comfort food aficionados can launch into the splendid chicken and waffles, meat loaf, and poutine. The kitchen is also adept at more inventive dishes, such as a polenta-portobello burger with goat cheese and a pork belly taco with cilantro and spicy kimchi sauce. Finish off your meal with the enormous cinnamon bun, though it might finish you off.

Cars practically block the road at this unprepossessing hot spot for classic Caymanian food—literally Vivine and Ray Watler's home. Prime seating is in the waterfront courtyard, serenaded by rustling sea-grape leaves, crashing surf, and screeching gulls. The day's menu, sourced locally for freshness, is scrawled on a blackboard: perhaps stewed turtle (one of the few places you can still find it), curried goat, barbecued chicken, and snapper, with cassava and sweet-potato-cake sides. Burgers, dogs, and chicken-and-chips make a concession to more timid taste buds. Alcohol isn't served, but fresh tamarind, mango, and sorrel juices pack a flavorful punch. Vivine's generally closes early (and occasionally on Monday), but stays open if there's demand—and any food left.

This peaceful waterfront restaurant offers one of the best views in Cayman. You may be wowed by the gluten-free yet delicious dishes—all Caribbean inspired, of course. Tucked neatly under the Lighthouse Point Hotel, the café uses only sustainable, organic local products including freshly made kombucha and juices. For lunch or dinner, must-tries include the coconut ceviche to start and the fish burger or vegan curry.