23 FOOD & DRINK

Food

& Drink

Cayman’s Culinary Scene 374

Places to Eat - New Openings - Cafés, Bakeries & Bistros - Vegetarian & Vegan Food - Kosher Food - Waterfront Dining - Dining on a Budget - Food Delivery Service - Food Trucks 376 376 376 376 377 377 378 378 378

Bar & Club Scene - The Bar Scene - The Club Scene - Cigar Bars - Mixology - Live Music Scene 378 378 379 379 379 380

Supermarkets - Supermarkets - Farmers Markets - Buying Fresh Fish - Goods Produced Locally - Gourmet Food - Buying in Bulk 380 380 380 381 381 381 382

Beer & Wine

382 - Local & Specialty Beer 382 - Liquor Stores & Wine Merchants 382 - Duty on Alcohol 383

Culinary Things to Do - Weekly Culinary Events - Annual Culinary Events - Cooking Classes - Full Moon Celebrations - Sunday Brunch - Wine Tasting & Dinners 383 383 383 384 384 384 384

OVERVIEW OF CAYMAN’S CULINARY SCENE

2021 continued to be a challenging year for Cayman’s food and beverage industry. Ongoing border closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic, meant that local restaurants, who previously served Cayman’s stayover tourists, have been wholly reliant on Cayman’s estimated 71,000 residents.

While most restaurants have been able to stay afloat over the past 19 months, restaurant and bar owners have eagerly looked towards the return of commercial tourism, which was initially slated for October 2021. However, following a local outbreak of COVID-19 in September 2021, the PACT Government made the swift decision to delay the border reopening until an unconfirmed date in 2022. In an open letter to Government, tourism leaders condemned the decision, warning that the loss of tourism during what has historically been the Island’s high season will impact chances of recovery for the industry in 2022. As such, support from the community has been more important than ever. Thankfully, residents have continued to enthusiastically patronise their favourite bars and restaurants and certain initiatives, such as innovative foodie nights, and special themed menus, have helped shine a spotlight on all Cayman’s dining scene still has to offer.

Fortunately, not all was lost to the pandemic over the past year. Restaurant Month and Cayman Cocktail Week both took place to great success during the month of October – and there were even a