10 Best Restaurants in West Bay, Cayman Islands

This popular locals' insider spot (though celeb sightings have run from Shaq to Sly Stallone), straddling the unofficial "border" between Seven Mile Beach and West Bay, resembles a little neighborhood diner transported to the ocean. Enjoy equally fresh sea breezes and food on the waterfront wood deck under one of the mismatched umbrellas. The co-owner is a longtime fisherman, and the fish-and-chips would make any Londoner proud. Other savvy seafood selections run from fiery tiger shrimp curry to specials such as lobster ravioli in gossamer pumpkin-cream sauce. Indeed, the menu is as much Capri as Cayman, with fine pizzas (try the Scotch bonnet–lobster), chicken Marsala, and fried calamari served with jerk mayo and marinara sauce.

Shack-chic describes this inviting split-level eatery; the interior feels like a Caribbean painting, while the outdoor deck, with a view of frigate birds circling fishing boats, is a Winslow Homer. The menu emphasizes fish hauled in at the adjacent dock, fresh and rarely overcooked. You won't go wrong with the unvarnished catch of the day—grilled, blackened, or sautéed. Though this is seafood turf, landlubbers can savor escargot bourguignonne, beef carpaccio, or a proper rack of lamb. End with the sticky toffee pudding.

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.

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.

Pappagallo, Italian for "parrot," hauntingly perches on the edge of a lagoon in a 14-acre bird sanctuary. Inside, riotously colored macaws, cockatoos, and parrots perch on swings behind plate glass, but Italian-born chef Alex Menegon's food is definitely not for the birds, especially his sublime risotto, pasta, and oh-so-yummy osso buco. The lost-in-the-jungle exoticism is enhanced by locally hewn stones, bamboo, homemade rope, and thatched palapas for outdoor seating. Yet the sleek deco-inspired black marble and polished brass accents bespeak the underlying seriousness. Be sure to thank Bogey, the African gray parrot, who really rules the roost.

This island institution effortlessly blends upscale and down-home as the capable chefs reinvent familiar dishes to create such delectables as crispy calamari with cardamom-marinated carrots, saffron aioli, chili jam, and chipotle sauce. The interior gleams from the elaborate light-and-water sculpture at the gorgeous mosaic-and-mahogany entrance Bubble Bar to the plush booths with subtly embedded lighting. Take in the remarkable water views through large shutters, but for maximum impact, dine on the multitier patio. Stellar signature items include the conch chowder or ceviche, silken short rib ravioli with truffles and Parmesan foam, and seared scallops with lemon verbena beurre blanc, purslane, and wasabi caviar over squid-ink fettuccine. Locals flock to Sunday brunch and hang out at the dockside Macabuca tiki bar (fab sunsets and sunset-hue libations), which lives up to its mellow name, indigenous Taíno for "What does it matter?"

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.