Grand Cayman’s Newest Hotel Announces Innovative Dining Concepts

11 April 2024 (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands): The highly anticipated Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman will welcome its first guests in May 2024. This distinctive retreat, presented by IHG Hotels & Resorts and Dart Properties, stands as a testament to the group’s commitment to excellence, following the success of the award-winning Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. Today, the property is thrilled to announce its unique restaurant and bar offerings, delivering fresh and diverse dining experiences to Grand Cayman.

“Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman represents a winning blend of refined and local flavor, providing guests with an unforgettable experience,” said the property’s General Manager Steven Andre. “Our goal in our culinary program is to create a destination that breaks away from traditional dining formats by offering an explorative and non-linear experience for our guests and locals alike.”

From a multi-concept food hall to an exclusive, reservation-only and rotating exhibition kitchen, Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman is home to inspired Cayman Islands dining in an upscale setting. Honoring the brand’s ethos of being the World’s Neighborhood Hotel, Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman’s dining venues and concepts were thoughtfully designed to bring the Seven Mile Beach community together and invite guests to cherish the local spirit and relish in its flavors. it’s a place where both residents and travelers can connect with each other and engage with thoughtful dining, drinking, retail, and creative programming.

Overseeing it all is Executive Chef Massimo De Francesca, an award-winning chef with over 20 years of experience, who has successfully guided Kimpton Seafire’s acclaimed culinary programs since opening. An authority on the multicultural culinary scene in Grand Cayman, he incorporates his extensive knowledge gleaned from locals, restaurateurs and fishermen into the unique culinary offerings at the resort.

Dining options at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman include:

Catalina Bar & Lounge

Serving as the first venue and entry way into the unique food hall journey, the all-day Catalina Bar & Lounge features a seasonal menu that showcases the island’s freshest ingredients focusing on clean, vibrant cuisine inspired by the tastes of California. Named after the PBY Catalina, the first commercial airplane to land in Grand Cayman, Catalina Bar & Lounge offers an approachable and comfortable dining ambiance for guests. Diners can choose from snacks like sweet potato chips with rosemary, hummus and citrus crema and small plates such as the heirloom tomato + burrata with melon, confit onion and basil. The menu also features bigger plates like indulgent duck wings with sesame, hoisin, honey and balsamic. The beverage program offers creative cocktails with botanical and locally sourced elements; wines include rosés and whites, with a couple of lighter red options and orange wines. Beers are largely local, with a smattering of imported options.

Catalina

Sitting adjacent to Catalina Bar & Lounge in the food hall is its more elevated dining room counterpart, Catalina, a venue that celebrates unique Cayman Island ingredients prepared in a classically California coastal way. Embracing seasonality and fresh sustainable ingredients, the menu includes chilled seafood options like daily oysters, and scallop poke, while boasting creative vegetarian dishes such as charred broccoli with fennel and citrus, and house-made gnocchi in fontina fondue. Main dishes like crispy local red snapper and beef tenderloin also have a place on Catalina’s menu. The cocktail list is an enhancement of the offerings from the bar and lounge, adding a focus on wine, where small family-owned wineries are highlighted, with bubbles, whites and rosés taking center stage.

Milkberry

Further into the food hall guests will find an extrodinary, Asian-influenced sushi counter. Open for lunch and dinner, Milkberry’s small plates cover a myriad of Asian food cultures as represented throughout California cuisine. Drawing inspiration from the native flora and fauna of the region, the restaurant is named after the beautiful flowering Chiococca plant, commonly known as Milkberry. The menu features classic California style sushi rolls and raw plates, including several nigiri, hamachi and a wagyu tataki. It also takes guests on a journey with small and large plate offerings that include many Asian favorites, such as miso soup, Thai salad, egg rolls, Korean fried chicken and Vietnamese beef. The bar program features unique Asian inspired highball cocktails, a carefully selected list of sake, and a small but well curated list of wines and beer that pair well with sushi and Asian cuisine.

Rasa

Tucked away in a private enclave within the food hall, Rasa is a one-of-a-kind exhibition kitchen exploring the richest traditions in global fare. Its name, derived from the Latin term for “blank slate,” reflects its unique rotating concept inspired by Grand Cayman’s history as the “Island that Time Forgot.” This history, marked by the absence of indigenous populations until the arrival of explorers, resonates with Rasa’s approach. The restaurant serves as a blank canvas, welcoming diverse culinary influences from across the globe.

Rasa will launch with a Peruvian immersion and will rotate every few months to include other conceptual themes — modern U.K. cuisine, a Sicilian experience and Polynesian gastronomy. Each concept will have a unique tasting menu where guests will need to make reservations in advance to enjoy this sought-after dining experience. Uniquely curated beverage offerings, including bespoke beverage and wine carts will match each concept. There will be storytelling, creative live execution and fun drinking vessels that connect the bar program to the history of the exploration on hand.

Pom Pom

The island’s first and only rooftop lounge, named after one of Caribbean’s most beautiful orchid trees, Pom Pom is a South American inspired small plates and cocktail experience, featuring woodfired cuisine and Latin influenced drinks. Poised to become the area’s premier social hub, this rooftop experience takes its inspiration from the global tradition of the aperitivo. Embracing the South American lifestyle, Pom Pom honors the practice of enjoying happy hour at sunset as a prelude to dinner, unwinding night caps, and indulging in a lively brunch on the weekend. DJ-led programming and activations round out the mood and vibe at this rooftop garden oasis, boasting lush tropical interiors. The beverage program highlights Latin-inspired cocktails and rum selections, perfectly complementing the festive island drinking atmosphere. Cocktails take center stage, featuring enjoyable large-format choices that encourage sharing among guests. Complementing the cocktail list is a well-curated selection of outdoor-perfect whites, rosés, unique reds, and sparkling wines.

Bata Bar

Located poolside, the resort’s Bata Bar is an ideal setting for relaxing, recharging, and enjoying Caribbean influenced cocktails and coastal California inspired fare. Drawing inspiration from the region’s rich turtling heritage and the local term “Batabano,” which signifies the markings turtles make in the sand during nesting, the Bata Bar concept beautifully captures the celebratory essence of the turtle population’s renewal, evoking a sense of joy and festivity. Bata Bar’s menu is largely composed around poolside dining and features items from the Milkberry and Catalina kitchens. Local spices and flavors are infused into menu items like watermelon poke, tuna ceviche, street tacos, composed salads, sandwiches and seasonal finger foods. Mobile beverage carts and drink stations support the outdoor bar in offering spiked granitas, loaded popsicles, aguas frescas, Mexican soda floats, frozen blended drinks and local beers.

Café Alula

Centrally situated between the hotel lobby and the food hall, this fun and whimsical all-day coffee shop and retail market generates a vibrant and lively buzz that complements the many venues the resort has to offer. Café Alula’s concept draws inspiration from the island’s prevalent rooster presence, embodied by its playful emblem—a trio of mischievous roosters that grace products and merchandise throughout the space. Guests can expect expertly crafted coffee drinks (featuring the custom Café Alula house blend) and fresh-pressed juices, alongside baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, and healthy snacks.

“Our dining venues are carefully curated to offer an irresistible range of culinary delights for both guests and locals,” Imre Maraczi, Area Director of Food & Beverage, added. “From the rooftop lounge to the sushi counter and exhibition kitchen, each concept promises to tantalize taste buds and elevate the island’s thriving gastronomic landscape.”

Adding to the allure, resort guests can enjoy beachside service with complimentary beach chair and umbrella amenities, just steps away from the hotel. The resort fee covers this service, and guests can relish beachside food at the adjacent beach club through this third-party restaurant.

Additionally, Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman offers convenient restaurant reservations, available through the concierge or Open Table. Kimpton Seafire guests can seamlessly make dining reservations at Hotel Indigo via Seafire’s concierge team, providing a seamless inter-property experience.

Reservations for stays beginning May 8, 2024, can now be made at grandcayman.hotelindigo.com, with earlier dates becoming available as opening day approaches.