Calypso Grill October 2, 2008

This is a favorite in the Cayman Islands. Why wouldnt it be? It is a little treck to get out there if you are coming from the South, but it is so worth it.
The great thing about Calypso is that it has the 3 things that everyone wants in a dinner experience.
First off, when you walk in, the atmosphere is fantastic. The hustle and bustle of chatter, clinking glasses and background music sets the scene. The patio is one of the best on the island. OK, so it is a little dark in the corner tables and you cannot see the menu too well – but the ‘Europeanesque’ service is standard and above fair. And the food.
A lot of restaurants on the island have a similar menu. Steak, Lamb, fish – the usual. Times are hard in the restaurant industry with increasing costs to all businesses. It starts from the source of food, predominantly on the main land and is added too; all the way to the back door of the restaurant. Such costs are passed on to the consumer. Before I sound like a economic teacher, I guess I am trying to say it is tough to run a food and beverage outlet in such times. I am not too sure if this justifies the $36.00 fillet on the menu; or even the CI$15 appetizer crab cakes! – but still. The speed of service is great and you would realize why it has to be as they can turn that restaurant 2 or 3 times in season I would guess. Pulling up in your boat would allow for a wait if necessary. If you had a boat you could probably afford the crab cakes to start with. The Greek Salad is chunky and refreshing as it mixes the feta cheese with prepared huge olives. This with a glass of wine as the sun goes down allows you to forget whats going on back down South. The Lobster Bisque is also as good and you should spend some time deciding which one to go for.
So, it seems the staple Cayman restaurants seem to be doing the best on the island. It is safe to say, longevity and building relationships are as a big a factor in ensuring success as controlling costs are. Calypso has it.