New Restaurants in Cayman (And the Owners’ Favorite Dishes!)

Asking a restaurant owner to pick their favorite dish on their own menu is like asking a parent to pick a favorite child—but we asked anyways! Below you’ll find 10 exciting new restaurants adding even more flavor to the Cayman food scene. Get to know a bit about each (including the owner’s favorite dish!) and then make your way to their tables to try their fare for yourself.

Bayside

Location: 2357 West Bay Road, West Bay
Owners: Joe Hughs and Ross Fortune
Opened: January 2022
Food & Drink Served: Casual modern / breakfast, lunch and dinner /pizzas
Environment: Casual, comfortable, modern, family friendly, community, music, passion
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
To offer diners an incredibly tasty meal in a comfortable setting at an affordable price. It’s been my dream for as long as I’ve been a chef to open my own place.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Vietnamese Beef Noodle Salad

Next Door

Location: The Crescent, Camana Bay
Owners: Walter Fajette & Cristiano Vicentini
Opened: August 2021
Food & Drink Served: Tapas style food and our signature of cocktails, wine, beer. We do have something to please all palates!
Environment: Classy, intimate, sexy, fun!
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
We saw a need for the perfect balance of ambience, cocktails and live entertainment in an intimate speak easy type of venue. We love the space as we also offer seating outside in beautiful Camana Bay next to our first restaurant Agua. The opportunity to take over “Next Door” to Agua was there and it has been one of our more satisfying achievements so far!
Owner’s Favorite Dish:
Yes that’s hard! Our chef has created a menu which can be shared amongst friends or just eaten by one self so we have a little bit of everything, but probably one of our favourites is our signature Korean chicken, delicious crispy chicken bites sautéed in a sweet Korean sauce, sprinkled with fresh spring onion and sesame seeds, simply tasty and delicious to pair with almost any of our cocktails!

U’NIQUE Restaurant and Bar

Location: 72 N Church St, George Town
Owners: Mr. Nairne and Nicky Hull-Saldana
Opened: December 2021
Food & Drink Served: Local seafood and island fusion.
Environment: Fine dining in a casual atmosphere.
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
The abundance of fresh, local ingredients, including seafood, available in Cayman was the main inspiration behind U’NIQUE. We wanted to create fine dinning quality cuisine, that would both incorporate and welcome the local community.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Our local ceviche is always a house favorite.

Powerplant

Location: Canal Point Dr, Seven Mile Beach
Owners: Alan & Laura Silverman
Opened: April 11th 2022
Food & Drink Served: Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian, and Gluten Free options for those who just want to eat a little less meat in addition to those with bigger dietary preferences or needs.
Environment: Only for the moment: Food Trucks in a lot with Picnic Tables. Casual. This will change a bit as The Hive opens.
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
An alignment of the opportunity to fulfill the growing niche of plant-based cuisine with the addition of Chef Raymond Jackson to our team. Originally from Memphis, Raymond is the talent behind Powerplant and the other upcoming concepts in this space. Having worked with Chef Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans, Norman Van Aken in Miami and having last opened an innovative plant-based cafe in Memphis, Raymond brings a wide skill set that matches the eclectic experience of The Hive – the larger concept that Powerplant will be a part of in the coming months.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: The Oyster Faux Boy. The all vegan answer to a New Orleans Po Boy. Fried oyster mushrooms on a baguette with lettuce, tomato, onion & remoulade.

Lloyd’s Smokehouse & Grill

Location: 12 Earth Close, Camana Bay
Owners: Lloyd and Max
Opened: December 22nd, 2020
Food & Drink Served:
American BBQ and Seafood with Caribbean flare, Full Bourbon bar with craft cocktails, Specializing in Old Fashioned’s. Over 60 unique bourbons
Environment: Dark wood colors with Bright Caribbean mixed in. Mix of country, southern rock and blues music with lively bar that features 6 TVs including a big screen for sporting events.
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
A passion for smoked meats and great food style that is not available anywhere else in Cayman.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Beef Brisket, Mac n Cheese, Grilled calimari

AREPA 345 (Food Truck)

Location: Food truck at Lime Tree Bay Av, Regatta Business Park (Seven Mile Beach Area)
Owner: John Yssele
Opened: July 1st 2021
Food & Drink Served: Arepas (Venezuelan food)
Environment: Warm, casual, friendly, welcoming
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
The reaction of my friends and people overall every time that I cooked/introduced arepas for them when gathering. Arepas represents home for me and I love to sharing it with people.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Arepa Pabellón or Reina Pepiada!

Union Grill & Bar

Location: The Crescent, Camana Bay
Owner: Paul Slijper
Opened: 2021
Food & Drink Served: Steaks, Seafood, Fresh Fish, Pasta.
Environment: Chic, Dynamic, Friendly, Cool, Eclectic.
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
To give Cayman a ‘Big City’ restaurant with a local twist.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Ranch & Reef (steak and lobster)

Ms. Piper’s Kitchen + Garden

Location: 22 Piper Way, Seven Mile Beach
Owner: Dart Hospitality
Opened: September 17, 2021
Food & Drink Served:
Ms. Piper’s philosophy for lunch hours is to provide her guests with a menu that compliments the life outdoors. She carefully crafts an ever changing menu that consists of a selection of salads inspired by seasonality, which can be mixed and served with a main, or whatever tickles your fancy. For dinner we offered dishes inspired on her travels around the world.
Environment:
Ms. Piper’s cottage is a collection of keepsakes of her travels, inspiring our dishes, cocktails, décor, music and thoughtful details.
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
Her kitchen is a testament of a journey greatly lived. An imprint of the cultural and spiritual life she has pursued and enjoyed. A celebration of graceful aging; that is abundant and eternal. We are creating a meaningful space with a nod to the free spirits, the stylish vagabonds, the young at heart and effortless feminine energy.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Branzino

Seven Mile Burger

Location: #3-104 Governor’s Square, Seven Mile Beach
Owners: Mike Dill & Ross Thielmann
Opened: 2018
Food & Drink Served:Quick service comfort food
Environment: #1 Restaurant in Grand Cayman Trip Advisor 2019
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
Fresh quality food at a reasonable price was much needed on Seven Mile Beach.
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Classic Burger

Seven Mile Greens

Location: #4-104 Governor’s Square, Seven Mile Beach
Owners: Mike Dill, Brent Warren, Ross Thielmann
Opened: 2021
Food & Drink Served: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Fresh Juice
Environment: Fresh, affordable food you keep coming back for
What inspired you to open this restaurant?
There is nothing like it along the Seven Mile Beach corridor. Homemade soup, made to order sandwiches, fresh juice & coconut water and 60+ ingredient salad options
Owner’s Favorite Dish: Mexican Caesar (salad) Turkey Rueben (sandwich)

Now that your hunger is surely piqued, grab a friend and make your way to one of these new restaurants. And let us know how it goes in the comments!