The CENTURY 21 Lifestyle Team happen to be foodies. With a country that is comprised of over 100 nationalities from across the globe, along with our local culture, food is a way of connecting on these tiny islands of ours. Thanks to celebrity chefs and a strong tourism sector, the Cayman Islands is renowned for its dining options. We present you with 21 must try dishes from some of our favorite eateries:

1. The Cayman Islands boasts an amazing lineup of restaurants from food trucks to roadside jerk stands to five star eateries. But there are a couple of restaurants that fall under the iconic category. The Lobster Pot is just such a place. It’s been serving dishes of seafood, pasta, and vegetarian options as well as a variety of other entrees for over 50 years. With its waterfront location in George Town, allowing for spectacular sunset views, we admit we love this place for its location and views but we also love it for its menu, especially the iconic “Cayman Trio”. You simply can’t go wrong with a dish that gives you broiled lobster tail, fresh grilled Mahi Mahi and garlic shrimp served up with veggies and plantains.

2. Jessie’s Juice Bar in Camana Bay is where we head when we are ready to feel good about what we are putting in our bodies. We recommend the Holy Chia Bowlie, an amazing blend of chia seeds soaked in ‘Pink Ginger’ juice, coconut cream, coconut and maple walnut granola topping. This hearty dish is sure to give you an all-day energy boost.

3. Turtle is the national dish of the Cayman Islands. In days gone by, turtle along with other offerings from the sea were how generations of Caymanians survived. Many in our country feel that you haven’t had a true taste of the Cayman Islands until you try turtle. We recommend you make the trek to Northside and enjoy the rustic charm of Over The Edge. They offer up a turtle steak in a port wine sauce that continually gets rave reviews.

4. Conch Stew is another must try dish. Every generational Caymanian has a favorite recipe and many restaurants on the islands offer up their version. We like the version at The Light House restaurant in Breakers. Conch stew (pronounced kahnk) comes much like clam chowder does in the United States, either in a white cream based chowder or a red based chowder. Come to think of it, conch is sort of like clams and used in similar dishes. Anyway, the version served at The Light House is the red chowder version and is just spicy enough to tantalize your taste buds.

5. No matter how you slice it, dice it or marinate it, ceviche is a fantastic dish to try when visiting the Cayman Islands. Agua in Camana Bay gets our vote for some of the top ceviche with a whole section of their menu given over to this classic seafood dish. Our CENTURY 21 Lifestyle Team is still debating which our favorite version is. We recommend you try them all and let us know where you stand.

6. Jerk. Yup jerk. While jerk is an import from Jamaica, Cayman has embraced it with gusto. Everyone has their favorite jerk stand to head to on their way home from work to grab some jerk chicken, pork or various combinations. One of our favorite places to pick up a whole jerk chicken (the leftovers make amazing chicken salad sandwiches) is Peppers Bar & Grill. Add in some side dishes and you have a meal to go to feed you and your family or friends.

7. Wraps are a great way to mix up your meal choices, whether it’s a breakfast wrap filled with fluffy scrambled eggs, gooey cheese and bacon for the carnivore in you or a lunch wrap that is filled with yummy healthy delicious veggies. Wraps make noshing a little more enjoyable. Hands down one of our favorite wraps is the Black Bean and Avocado wrap at Island Naturals Café. Filled with black beans, onions, mushrooms, red pepper, tomato and avocado with cilantro lime dressing and cashew ‘cheese’, this wrap bursts with flavor.

8. A burger is a burger is a burger except for when it’s a burger from Burger Shack. Made from fresh ground beef patties that are hand formed and flame grilled these burgers are juicy and cooked to perfection. There are tons of free toppings to make your burger just perfect. You can order online, swing by and grab your order and get home in time to watch your favorite Netflix program.

9. Bread and Chocolate from Bread and Chocolate. If you are a vegan you will feel like you are truly in paradise when you have Bread and Chocolate’s over the top version of ‘French toast’. If you aren’t a vegan, you might just find yourself converting because of this dish. Their signature French toast is filled with chocolate hazelnut butter, bananas and dipped in coconut and tahini batter, topped with fresh fruit and house-made coconut ice cream.

10. Fish Tacos at Sunshine Grill are on our list when we want an award winning version of this dish. Sunshine Grill takes grilled Mahi-Mahi and adds tomatoes, shredded cabbage, cheese, green onions and crisps the whole thing up with wonton crisps, tops it with yogurt and avocado sauces and puts a sweet Thai chili dipping sauce on the side. These tortilla filled bits of goodness definitely add a yummy factor to your day.

11. Lobster Ravioli at Luca raises the bar on the famous stuffed little pillows of pasta known as ravioli. These come stuffed with lobster in a lobster bisque with arugula to offset the richness of the lobster and cherry tomatoes. Divine might be the word best used to describe this dish.

12. Tapas. This isn’t so much as a dish as it is a weekly event at Anchor & Den. We love the vibe, the small plates of Catalonian style tapas and the Flamenco music. This is how tapas should be done when you are in the Caribbean!

13. A Fry Up Breakfast at The Waterfront Urban Diner when you are heading out for a day of grueling fun in the sun or if you might have over indulged a little the night before is called for. It hails from England but this version ads a bit of an American twist. But seriously, how can you go wrong with a couple of eggs cooked the way you like them, bacon, sausage, baked beans, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and breakfast potatoes, oh and toast too?

14. Roti from Singh’s Roti Shop is often the only way we can get through the day. What is Roti? Well it’s a flat bread and it’s savory luscious fillings and dishes to wrap the flat bread around or dip it in and it’s, well it’s just something you have to experience for yourself. We warn you though, once you have, you’ll be coming back for more.

15. Grab and Go Salads are a lifesaver for a busy on the run lifestyle if you want to have a healthy work-life balance. We love the options for building our own salads that are on offer at The Brasserie Market. With plenty of ingredients to choose from, we can enjoy a crisp, cool, flavorful salad while keeping up the pace of our life.

16. Pizza is a food unto itself. We could write a whole blog on our love for all things pizza (hmm, we might just do that). But for now we will settle for recommending you head over to Restorante Ragazzi Pizzeria. We have to admit that picking a favorite is still a raging debate amongst our team members. We recommend that you gather your tribe, head over to Ragazzi and try as many as you can and let us know which one you decide on.

17. Living in the Cayman Islands we are spoiled for fresh seafood and we can often be found at the waterfront outdoor fish market in George Town grabbing the latest catch from our local fisherman, but, we admit, we like to be spoiled and the best way to do that is to enjoy the fresh fish offerings at Blue Cilantro. Whether it is the Market Fish, or The Whole Catch of the Day, we enjoy the freshness of the offerings and the amazing ways they are prepared in surroundings that make us feel pampered.

18. Sometimes you just need Mexican Food to hit the spot. Casa 43 is one of our favorite spots to go but we can’t agree on whether it is the fajitas, the burritos or the amazing tamales that we love the most. Grab some friends, head on over and let us know what you and your friends decide is the best dish on offer.

19. Brunch is a thing in the Cayman Islands. It’s a way to celebrate milestones, family events, holidays and meeting up with friends. We are spoiled for choice but one of the newest places on the food scene is definitely a place we like to hang for brunch, Ave at the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa is definitely a place to do Sunday Brunch or a holiday brunch celebration. We can’t point to any one dish because they all are stellar. Tell you what, go give it a try and let us know what your favorite part of the experience is.

20. Chicken Tikka Masala. Yes you read that right. Indian cuisine is very popular on island and The Sea Harvest Restaurant at Sunset House offers up some of the best. We enjoy all of the offerings on both the regular menu and the Indian menu but the Chicken Tikka Masala definitely tickles our taste buds.

21. Desserts, Pastries, Treats, oh my. Yes we may like to stay fit and all of that but we also have a sweet tooth that we are happy to indulge. One of our favorite stop offs is Petit Paris where we try to limit ourselves to just one item and fail dramatically every time. We defy you to just buy one item, go ahead, and let us know how it works out.