Restaurants Grand Cayman Archives - Island Diaries by Kate

7 Best Healthy Restaurants in Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman is the culinary capital of the Caribbean. It boasts a diverse restaurant scene specializing in steak, seafood, and many local favorites. As much as this island’s visitors and residents love to indulge in decadent dishes, it’s no secret that these meals can be quite heavy and calorie-dense. In the land of year-round beach bodies, it’s nice to have a list of go-to healthy dining alternatives.

The restaurants listed below are my tried and true favorites for the health-conscious islander. Of course their menus do not represent 100% clean eating — they feature sweets and greasy fan favorites as well! However, the majority of their selections are nourishing and healthful. I come away from these meals feeling refreshed and energetic. Even more exciting is that these 7 picks are wonderful options for vegans and vegetarians. Myself being vegetarian, I am so grateful to have found them. Without further ado here are the 7 Best Healthy Restaurants to Try in Grand Cayman!

1. Vivo

Location: North West Point Road (West Bay)

Hours: 11 am – 9 pm on Weekdays, 9 am – 9 pm on Sat/Sun & Holidays, (Closed Monday and Tuesday)

Why I Love It: Vivo is a breath of fresh air in the Cayman culinary scene. It is a small outdoor café with an incredible ocean view. You can hear the waves crashing against the shore as you as eat your meal. With only a few tables, Vivo offers an intimate setting. The staff is also super friendly and welcoming! The menu features many healthy options including fresh seafood as well as vegan/veg versions of some Cayman favorites.

Kate’s Menu Favorite: The Vivo Loaf – Lentil and mushroom loaf, stuffed with cauliflower, topped with garlic coconut cream sauce, served with mixed salad and Brussel sprouts (bottom left)

2. Island Naturals

Location: Ground Floor, 12 Earth Cl (Seven Mile)

Hours: 7 am – 7 pm on Weekdays, 8 am – 6 pm Saturday, 8 am – 5 pm Sunday

Why I Love It: Island Naturals simply emanates good vibes. The second I walk in the door I am greeted by smiling faces; people who truly seem to enjoy their job. If you go you are sure to see Jen who will instantly brighten your day with her positive energy. While I tend to stick to a few menu favorites, everything I have tried at Island Naturals has been delicious! This restaurant has amazing variety and the freshest ingredients. It is also centrally located and is only a minute drive from my apartment. (I’m certainly not upset about this).

Kate’s Menu Favorite: Small Zen Buddha Bowl w/ Vegan Chorizo – Quinoa, Red Cabbage, Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Avocado, Tomato, Kale, Beet; Hummus, Sesame Seeds w/ Greek Dressing (bottom left)

3. Jessie’s Juice

Location: Market St (Camana Bay)

Hours: 7:30 am – 4 pm Weekdays, 9 am – 4 pm Saturdays, 9 am – 3 pm Sundays

Why I Love It: Jessie’s provides a cute city vibe that most places in Grand Cayman simply cannot recreate. Striped yellow umbrellas and wooden booths give off a fun and welcoming energy. Their menu offers great variety and is very inclusive, taking into consideration a wide array of dietary needs. They will having you come back time and again to try their coffee, smoothies, pastries, bowls, kombucha, and much more!

Kate’s Menu Favorite(s): Matcha Mint Smoothie Bowl (bottom left), Life-Changing Bread, Harlem Express Smoothie

4. Bread & Chocolate Vegan Bistro

Location: 3 Dr Roys Dr (Georgetown)

Hours: Breakfast & Lunch: 8 am – 3 pm on Weekdays, 8 am – 2 pm on Sat/Sun

Dinner: 5:30 pm – 8 pm on Weekdays

Why I Love It: When I first visited Cayman in October 2019, I was totally vegan. Bread & Chocolate was one of this first restaurants I tried on island. An all vegan restaurant in Grand Cayman? I couldn’t believe my luck! Located in central Georgetown, Bread & Chocolate is a quirky little hole-in-the-wall bistro serving all day vegan breakfast as well as soups, salads, and sandwiches. Nestle into a cozy table or at the bistro bar and dig into a their namesake French toast stuffed with hazelnut butter and bananas. Portions are generous and the food is delicious!

Kate’s Menu Favorite: Breakfast Plate – Breakfast scramble (tofu with red onion & turmeric), hickory smoked tempeh, tomato, and house-made garlic aioli on a fresh baked sesame seed bun. Served with home fries and fresh fruit (bottom left)

5. Bluestone Lane

Location: 51 Fort St (Georgetown)

Hours: 7:30 am – 4 pm on Weekdays, 8 am – 4pm on Saturdays, 9 am – 3 pm on Sundays

Why I Love It: I love Bluestone Lane for the same reasons I love Jessie’s Juice. It has an attractive city vibe that I didn’t imagine possible on this island. With locations also in New York, Los Angeles, and DC, it’s no wonder I feel I’ve been transported somewhere a bit more cosmopolitan. Bluestone Lane boasts a beautifully designed café space in Georgetown center. Their Australian-inspired menu features healthy favorites such as a the Avocado Smash, Good Grains Granola, and Buddha Bowl.

Kate’s Menu Favorite(s): Breakfast Bowl – Tossed baby kale, heirloom tomatoes, feta, avocado, farro & a poached egg, Flat White Coffee (bottom right)

6. Palm Heights Vegan Brunch

Location: 747 W Bay Rd (Seven Mile Beach)

When? Keep your eyes on the Palm Heights Events Calendar. If you happen to be around when they are putting one on, drop everything and go! (Yes, they really are that cool.)

Why I Love It: Palm Heights’ close attention to design details is certainly not lost on their vegan brunch. With an expertly curated menu and intimate family-style seating arrangements, this is truly an event like no other. The brunch has historically taken place at their Turtle Pool which gives off boutique, luxury dining vibes. Prepare yourself for culinary innovation. You will be exposed to flavor combinations you never even thought possible. This is quite a social event with plenty of opportunity for chatting with table mates, event organizers, and even the chefs!

7. Fresh Kitchen & Coffee

Location: Galleria Plaza, West Bay Rd (Seven Mile Beach)

Hours: 7:30 am – 5 pm on Weekdays, 11:30 am – 3 pm on Saturdays, Closed on Sundays

Why I Love It: Fresh’s simple and clean interior is the ideal space for a lunch date or work session. Similar to Island Naturals and Jessie’s Juice, this restaurants offers bowls, smoothies, coffee, pastries…and much more! (They also serve Green2Go juices in their drink cooler) Fresh’s delicious, house made ingredients have left me feeling satisfied and energized every time I have visited. Definitely worth a stop next time you get hungry while running errands!

Kate’s Menu Favorite: Acai Breakfast Bowl – House made granola / almonds / shaved coconut blueberries / a drizzle of honey (pictured below)

Healthy Restaurants Still On My List

As a writer, I want to bring you the most honest & accurate information possible. I understand there are many other restaurants in Grand Cayman that offer healthy options on their menu. I want to try them all! I just haven’t had the time (or money) to do that. (If you’d like to invite me out to lunch somewhere, please feel free to hit me up! 😉 )

That being said, here are some other restaurants I have heard about but have yet to try:

–Brussel Sprouts

–The Brasserie

–Green2Go

–Saucha

-Seven Mile Greens (Coming soon)

(And many more!)

That’s a wrap! I hope this list has inspired you to try a new healthy restaurant or maybe a new menu item from one of your favorites. And hey — if all you end up ordering at these places is a dessert or pastry, that’s fine too 🙂 (I won’t tell anyone).

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MEET KATE

Hi, I’m Kate! I’m a Wisconsin native who traded her snow boots for flip-flops in May of 2020 when I packed my whole life into two suitcases and moved to the Cayman Islands with my partner, Bryan. I created Island Diaries as a way to document my island adventures and share about the Cayman lifestyle. A Midwest girl at heart, I bring a fresh perspective to Caribbean life, serving as a guide for locals and tourists alike on all things Cayman Islands. Whether you are local to Cayman, planning to visit, or just curious about island life, I invite you to explore Island Diaries and let this site guide you on your next island adventure!

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Brunch has become something of a universal Sunday celebration. We’ve all been to one. We’ve all drank the mimosas. We’ve all had to rescue our dill pickles from the bottom of watered-down bloodies. But until you’ve attended a brunch at Tillies in Grand Cayman, consider yourself deprived of the complete brunch experience.

Let me preface this by saying that brunch at Tillies is not for the faint of heart. When you make a reservation for this event, you are making a commitment to a minimum of 4 hours not just eating and drinking, but also dancing and socializing. Consider it the brunch olympics. Each month Tillies announces the Sunday brunch theme. October, for example, is an homage to the 90’s. Given that I spent all of the 90’s either in diapers or in my cousin’s hand-me-downs, my understanding of 90’s fashion is lacking a bit to be desired. Lucky for me, this past weekend kicked off with “90s in the Hamptons,” which apparently means dress in all white. For me, it meant an easy theme to follow, sparing me a trip to the thrift store.

Arriving at Tillies brunch is like stepping on to Grand Cayman’s very own red carpet. Everyone is dressed to the nines, including the wait staff and hosts. There is even an award given to the “best-dressed.” We haven’t won it yet — we seem to have a lot of competition. Seeing the many unique interpretations of the theme is entertainment in and of self. Of course, there is still a fair share of people who arrive in casual dress. One legendary brunch-goer in particular can be seen at Tillies every single Sunday sporting a different sarcastic graphic tee. Even funnier than his shirts is the fact that he is known to make frequent costume changes in between stints on the dance floor. I think we should all aspire to be more like him!

The themed ensembles definitely contribute to the extravagant brunch vibe; however, the real glamour of the event lies in the location and design of the restaurant. For one, Tillies is situated quite literally on the beach. Whether you choose to sit inside or outside, the ocean is just a stone’s throw from your table. If you are really planning ahead, you could even come equipped with your swimsuit for a little mid-brunch dip. Besides the unbeatable location, Tillies has a design team that elevates the experience to a whole new level. An Aperol spritz fountain made entirely of fresh, local fruit…a golf cart elegantly piled with pineapples and flowers… a pyramid of a hundred champagne glasses… You name it, Tillies can make it happen. That is one of my favorite things about them — they always keep it fresh and aren’t afraid to take risks.

Of course, while many are enchanted by the aura of Tillies, artful fruit arrangements alone cannot guarantee a gold star review. That is where food and drink come in. Another area of this brunch that seems to be in constant flux is the menu. Last weekend the menu was “90’s Pan-Asian Craze.” I am sure this has meaning to someone out there but to me it just meant “Yay, Sushi!” The brunch menu is set for each table with vegan options available. The appetizers, seafood tower, main course, and dessert are brought to you in four waves until you find yourself completely surrounded by food and prosecco wondering for a brief moment if you have died and gone to heaven.

At an event that honors socializing and dancing as much as they do food and alcohol, it can be a challenge to find the proper balance between calorie consumption and physical exertion. What happens when the sushi is delivered at the same time that your favorite song comes on? To eat or to dance? The key, like most things in life, is to go with the flow and see where the afternoon takes you. Choose your brunch adventure! This is one of the reasons why no two Sundays will ever be the same.

You may be thinking…that’s great Kate, but how much is it? Well friends, in the world of materialism, you get what you pay for. If you want unlimited low-quality food as cheap as you can get, then sit yourself down at Paul Bunyan’s cook shanty in the Wisconsin Dells and eat flapjacks to your heart’s content. But if you want to experience something original with amazing quality on an iconic Caribbean beach, then reserve a table at Tillies! Most people working and living in Cayman would not bat an eye at the price of brunch — $75 CI per person ($92) for unlimited food, drink, and entertainment. However, I know all of my teacher friends from Wisconsin are having heart palpitations just thinking about spending that amount on BRUNCH.

Look, we all have our priorities, but in my opinion this is something you have to experience at least once if you are visiting or living on the island. Once you do, you will be hooked. It is truly the brunch to end all brunches! See you at Tillies!

https://www.tillies.ky/