Holy cow Cayman has some nice juicy steaks. Here's where to go to chow down on the best.
1.Steak Social
When you saunter through the doors at Steak Social, there's a pretty good chance you'll be tucking into a steak during your visit, but nothing will prepare you for the sheer magic to follow. Grilled and glorious steaks is what this swanky spot is famous for, and don't get us started on the sides; parmesan-flecked fries, broccoli florets charred to perfection, and for the calorie unconscious, the mac 'n cheese is as spectacular as it is sinful. This buzzing New York-steakhouse-by-way-of-Cayman restaurant and cocktail bar in Caribbean Plaza comes courtesy of Certified Angus Beef brand ambassador and Chef Jonathan Rivard, whose well and truly earned his reputation for whipping up a bloody good steak. Steak Social puts mighty slabs of quality tender beef above all else, choose from a selection of thick (really thick) cuts served by the weight — up to 32 oz, and you can decide whether to share. If you're not a raging carnivore, fear not, the tuna steak served alongside gallons of wasabi mash and lashings of soy glaze is a seafood dish that you will bow down to for the rest of your life.
2. The Falls
Glitzy roaring '20s decor and low-slung chandeliers greet you at this snazzy traditional chophouse where 'everyone goes to meat'. The Falls sultry low lighting eases you gently into the evening and the smoky, meaty smells snap you right back to your senses, so cosy up in an intimate velvet booth and enjoy. The splashy interior doesn't hint at The Falls longevity, this 2005 steak staple re-invented itself in the year that must not be named (2020), but can be identified easily by its menus, relics of gluttonous days gone past. Melty glistening lobster tails and slabs of red meat—black on the outside and dripping pink on the inside— grace the tabletops and copious sides of potatoes and vegetables, prepared the way God intended. There’s plenty for carnivores to love here (the remarkably textured steak Dianne with brandy mushroom sauce) but veggies can feel just as satisfied with a mound of crispy penne pasta loaded with olives, tomatoes and cashew nuts or a broccoli tofu stir fry. The portions are ginormous, but no one's judging you for scraping your plate clean, hacking apart a chocolate lava cake and crushing the martini of the month ( Lychee is the bomb).
3. SEVEN
Richly marbled and perfectly cooked steak is one of life's greatest carnivorous pleasures, and Seven at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman knows this all too well. Housed beneath the huge high ceiling is the calm and classy lounge bar decked out in leather banquettes, weighty wooden tables, a scatter of squashy leather stools, paintings, and all the ornate accoutrements you’d expect from the Ritz-Carlton. The locals vehemently approve, and can be found in their droves indulging in some of the best steak-eating on the island ( mainly special occasions $$$).
The seats tucked between grand wine cabinets and under a giant woven chandelier deserve a special mention and will make you feel like an unwitting extra on the Titanic. Seven serves up the notorious Niman ranch all-natural beef, which ensures cuts are from cows that lived a long life chomping on luscious green grass, and you can taste the difference. Order from the melt-in-your-mouth menu, which includes some luxurious steaks, including the 12 oz rib eye with all the sides your stomach has ever dreamed of (go for the truffle mac' n cheese), or 12oz Wagyu: Iowa prime New York striploin with the option to personalize with a lobster tail poached in silky butter, seared foie gras or blue cheese crust.
This is a place with glamour and personality, but it’s not all show – these guys can really cook, and their dishes are a triumph of careful composition and texture and then there’s the service – affable, clued-up and perfectly paced.
4. Ave
Where’s the beef? Here's the beef.
This trendy-luxe restaurant at the Kimpton Seafire Hotel is a firm favourite on the Cayman steak scene. At Ave, if you dream it, you can probably eat it. This sleek space, with a front row view of the bright blue water, resembles the serene, clean look of a museum, and the dishes may as well be works of art.
The 8oz cab beef tenderloin for example: a lobster tail is dramatically drenched in your choice of chimichurri, butter, (herbed or truffled) or red wine demi-glace, propped upright against a succulent steak with a smattering of juicy heirloom tomatoes. Executive Chef Massimo de Francesca and his team gives global ingredients a workout and carnivores all over a feast for the ages. Honestly, if you don’t dine here, it’ll be a huge misteak. If you go during the 345 menu it’s ludicrously reasonable, enjoy three courses for just $45 and kids under five dine for free. This glam-but-chill restaurant also boasts a massive terrace and a varied brunch menu peppered with on-trend ingredients.
5. Carnivore
You’ll find dude food with attitude at this Camana Bay meat-lover's haunt that celebrates all things carnivore, (in case you needed clarification). You'll feel like a triumphant African Lion just tugging on the doors. A hip soundtrack plays as meat-lovers huddle at casual tables outside and hoover up top-tier meat, dry-aged steak and popular lunch dishes from lauded Chef Dylan Benoit: Asian short rib salad, shaved sirloin sandwich; tenderloin and dry age blend sarnie with housemade dijon dressing or choose from a brigade of juicy Bratwurst sausages. What’s more, Carnivore promises to sizzle up anything you choose in store if you dine in. After a fortuitous meal, whisk away a witty-named 'meat kit' like, 'Natural Born Griller's' or 'Almost Flamous', or sign up for ‘meat club delivery service’ which includes enough meat and grilling ingredients to to survive an apocalypse.
6. Lloyd’s Smokehouse
This laid-back smokehouse serves up low and slow Texas style BBQ, seafood, steaks and all the fixins’ with a bourbon and rum focused craft cocktail bar. Offering up dry-aged rib-eye and NY strip steak and not even a crappy may-as-well-have-cooked-it-myself kind of steak, we’re talking proper meaty if-you-ask-for-well-done-you’re-offending-us kind of steak.
** Just because a restaurant isn’t on here, it doesn’t mean it’s not awesome. These are just our picks. Comment your favorites below. **
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