Ask most Caymanians – what is the first restaurant Italian they think of? Often, the answer will be Casanova. It has been an institution on this island, but was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
Authentic Italian food that has a bit of a Caribbean twist to some of it.
Those large family gatherings where you can share bits of everything.
Wanting to see the sun set over the Caribbean whilst you dine.
Ambience & Décor
The décor of Casanova told you this was an old establishment. The beige, weathered tiled floors, the dated, knackered dark wooden furniture, dim lighting, and beige walls all screamed 80’s. In this modern age, there was something endearing about it, but not my personal preference. The pièce de resistance was that stunning view of the Caribbean. Not many restaurants in Cayman have that view. The restaurant was packed, creating a lively dining vibe.
Service
The Italian waiters here have bags of personality and add to the vibe of the restaurant. Thought the service was pleasant because of this.
Food
The Burrata with tomato, balsamic vinaigrette was a starter special and was lovely. The burrata itself was as creamy as expected with the vinaigrette providing the tang associated with balsamic. The tomatoes were fresh and a great start to the meal.
For mains, I had the Gnocchetti Bolognese (see left). Gnocchi (potato dumplings) is tough to cook, and thankfully these were not stodgy. The Bolognese for me lacked seasoning and flavour. I needed shed load of cheese and chilli oil, so overall was average. The entire meal was not cheap, but reasonably priced for Cayman.
The history, view and service gave Casanova its unique charm, and there are locals that will swear loyalty to this restaurant. For the quality of the food, there are other places on island that can do better for the price. As such, I would say this was a B- rating.
Photos of Casanova and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: B-
Final comment: Casanova is a Cayman institution and for that it’s worth a visit.
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