Lunch in Grand Cayman

[TxBreeze01]

We will be in Grand Cayman in October. We plan to parasail and want to have lunch in town. Reccomendations please. Thanks

 

Bre

[twinkletoes4445]

Right in the port area there is Breezes. It's located in the building that has "Landmark" on it. It's on the second (and third floor-I believe). They have a nice outdoor deck that overlooks the port area.

 

There's also a Hard Rock Cafe right in the port area. Across the street is the Paradise Grill (I think that's the name). To the left of the port area (about a 5-minute walk) is Rackham's. It's right on the water and has a nice view of the cruise ships.

 

We enjoyed Breezes the most (of these). They have a lot to choose from on their menu. If you eat there, be sure and ask for the bar menu (in addition to the regular menu). The bar menu has a few things that aren't listed on the regular menu. It also has some of the same things, but not with all the side dishes.

 

Our favorite restaurant was Coconut Joe's. It down 7MB a bit, so it's hard to get there unless you have a car.

 

Have a great time!

[momtorres]

We had lunch at Senor Frogs and already knew from earlier posts that it is an expensive town. What we didn't know until our bill came was that the prices on the menu were in Cayman dollars -- we foolishly assumed it was USD.

 

The two of us shared a super large margarita (20 oz) and had two appetizers (nachos and quesadilla) total with tip came to $71 USD! Yikes!

 

Our own fault, but we enjoyed the afternoon and the food.

[twinkletoes4445]

We had lunch at Senor Frogs and already knew from earlier posts that it is an expensive town. What we didn't know until our bill came was that the prices on the menu were in Cayman dollars -- we foolishly assumed it was USD.

 

The two of us shared a super large margarita (20 oz) and had two appetizers (nachos and quesadilla) total with tip came to $71 USD! Yikes!

 

Our own fault, but we enjoyed the afternoon and the food.

 

I forgot about Senor Frogs!

 

Yes, it is expensive in GC. Another thing to watch is the tip. Some restaurants add this on, while others don't (but most do). Always make sure and have the waiter tell you what the bill is in USD. They will do this. But the first time there, it can be confusing...at least I was confused. :)

 

When we stopped at the grocery stores there, we asked for the USD total, and the cashiers hit a button and our ticket popped out with this info. I thought that was interesting.

 

When we were in GC this past January for a week, the Cayman Dollar was woth 20% more than the US Dollar. There were five of us, and we never had a meal that wasn't at least $200. We spent more on food there than we have ever spent on food for any vacation we'd been on.

 

A large margarita and two appetizers for $71...that's a lot of money!

[ck1234]

When we were in GC this past January for a week, the Cayman Dollar was woth 20% more than the US Dollar. There were five of us, and we never had a meal that wasn't at least $200. We spent more on food there than we have ever spent on food for any vacation we'd been on.

 

A large margarita and two appetizers for $71...that's a lot of money!

 

Geez, I'd have died in Grand Cayman! Now you know what it's been like for us Canadians in the U.S. all these past years. We (I mean me & my son) go there every year! Yes, my choice, but I love going to the U.S....(My worst year 1998 - Disneyworld - when it was $1.60 to our $1.00!) I charged everything to my AMEX card at the time....saw my cheap $10.00 Denny's breakfast turn into over $17.00cdn after exchange & credit card fees when I got home...I thought I was going to die! :p Actually, I did die after I saw the exchange that year! I only have 1 credit card now! ;)

 

It's a lot better this year! :) But, I've done the last 10 yrs. in the U.S. suffering the exchange rate...

[cruisersnorkler]

We never eat in GC due to the expense. We get enough food on the ship. If we are going to be there all day--at a port-- we have a big brkf delivered early to our room, and take with us a few pieces of snack food. Also, my kids love the little boxes of cereal which we take with us. I've also saved bread from brfst or the noc before. I always bring zip lock bags for this use. It saves us paying the big bucks for food I would rather spend on souvineers. That will hold us over until back on the ship. Once, we planned a special dinner in Aruba, at the Flying Fishbone, which was unique and wonderful, but for a busy touring day--its pack your lunch--save the bucks.

[twinkletoes4445]

Geez, I'd have died in Grand Cayman! Now you know what it's been like for us Canadians in the U.S. all these past years. We (I mean me & my son) go there every year! Yes, my choice, but I love going to the U.S....(My worst year 1998 - Disneyworld - when it was $1.60 to our $1.00!) I charged everything to my AMEX card at the time....saw my cheap $10.00 Denny's breakfast turn into over $17.00cdn after exchange & credit card fees when I got home...I thought I was going to die! :p Actually, I did die after I saw the exchange that year! I only have 1 credit card now! ;)

 

It's a lot better this year! :) But, I've done the last 10 yrs. in the U.S. suffering the exchange rate...

 

Wow, that is something. I'll bet you were shocked especially since it's something you do all the time. We've only been to GC twice, but we knew what to expect the second time. The first time...it was a bit of a shock.

 

It was an expensive week. Nothing was cheap...from the airfare, to the condo, to the food, but it was also my favorite vacation. We even checked on buying a condo. Well, it's not in the cards right now, but it is something I'd like to do in the near future. One thing that surprised me was that you GIVE the government 5% of whatever your purchase price is. You just hand it over! Then if you think you want to ever live there...they have all these other requirements.

 

But I do feel for you with the exchange rate issues. $17.00 for Denny's breakfast is wild! I've never been to Canada...but it's a place I'm anxious to visit. Lots of beautiful scenery. I'd like to take that train that crosses the entire country. It looks like it would be fun. :)

[momof4boys]

We are doing the Stingray Sandbar until 12:45, then plan to head for lunch. Will Senor Frogs be busy at 1 ish? If not there, do we have time to grab several cabs (15 in our group) and go to a beach and swim a bit and eat? If so, where should we go? Thanks.

[twinkletoes4445]

We are doing the Stingray Sandbar until 12:45, then plan to head for lunch. Will Senor Frogs be busy at 1 ish? If not there, do we have time to grab several cabs (15 in our group) and go to a beach and swim a bit and eat? If so, where should we go? Thanks.

 

You might see if the tour company you are using will drop you off somewhere along 7MB. The Royal Palms isn't far from the port area (you'd need a cab to get back) and they offer food, beach toys, chairs...anything you'd need for a nice afternoon.

 

The cabs in GC aren't like regular cabs. They are more like little buses and they are white (at least all the ones we saw). You could probably get everyone into one or two cabs.

 

Sea Grape is another beach area that's nice, but it's further down 7MB and traffic tends to get very congested down in that area...especially if there are lots of ships in port.

 

As far as being crowded, it depends on how many ships are in port. There are several restaurants right in the port area...Senor Frogs, Margaritaville (I think it's opening soon or may be opened already), Paradise restaurant, Breezes, and the Hard Rock.

 

There's also a place called Rackham's. It's a short walk fromt he port area (to your left, toward 7MB). We walked back to the tender line from there while we were there on our cruise. It's only a restaurant, but it is right on the water, but it's a great location. Last January, when we were there, we thought Rackham's had closed. They did have a gift shop in front of the restaurant, and that was closed...so we thought the restaurant was closed. There is a big black iron gate that runs across the drive, and if it's open...the restaurant is open. A waitress told us that the owner of the front part of the building was trying to lease it to one of the submarine outfits, since they load there tours right there. So if you go to Rackham's...walk down the asphalt driveway, and you'll see the covered outdoor eating area.

 

For 15 of you, it will get expensive since the cabs charge $5 per person, each way, to where you are going. It certainly would be cheaper to walk to Rackham's, or eat in the port area.

 

Have a great time! :)