There are a couple of requirements for a
good lunchtime restaurant – the location needs to be convenient, there needs to
be sufficient parking, and of course the service and food has to be quick and
excellent. Quite a tough ask, but Guy Harvey’s Grill on the waterfront in
George Town has all this along with a great view over the harbour.
According to Chef Bruno Deluche, the
menu has a strong French influence while still remaining true to the location
with many local dishes populating the menu. Seafood plays a predictably
important role, especially as the restaurant is named for famous marine artist
Guy Harvey, whose studio is located just across the road.
Although I had lunch on a breezy day, I
still decided on a table on the shaded patio outside – the view was just too
good to pass up. Then again, the view inside is quite worth a look as well,
with artwork by Guy Harvey decorating the walls.
As I had a guest from off island
visiting at the time, some local flavour was called for, so I ordered conch
fritters, while my guest explored the more European side of the menu with a
baked brie in filo pastry, served with a mango reduction.
The conch was delicious, and even drew
the approval of my guest, who is not a great fan of any seafood beyond fish. The
fritters contained good chunks of conch and just enough spice.
The brie was delicious, with the mango
combining with the brie in unexpected ways to lift out flavours previously
unheeded. The beautifully presented dish also included chopped fresh mango and
strawberries, which added yet another layer of flavour.
While having our starters I had a moment
to look around at the other assembled guests. They represented a wide cross
section, from local businessmen on a quick lunch break to families meeting up
for lunch and a number of tourists who had probably selected the restaurant for
its wonderful view.
For the main course, my guest decided on
the grilled snapper, with the Nicoisse sauce, shying away from some of the more
spicy options which included Cayman style or Jamaican curry. There are a
variety of sauces to available to accompany the fish, as well as different
preparation methods and a selection of different fish, including mahi-mahi and
salmon.
I decided to explore a new version of
one of my favourite pastas, a seafood puttanesca with truffle oil. The pasta
was very well executed, with the combination of tomato, olives, capers, garlic
and chillies giving it a pungent taste, wonderfully offset by the delicious
chunks of seafood.
According to Chef Bruno, he keeps an eye
out for people on a business lunch and sees to it that they can have their meal
with plenty of time to still get back to the office. Of course, should they
decide to take a long lunch, he is more than happy to accommodate as well.
Although I enjoyed lunch at the
restaurant, they also offer a Flavours of Cayman brunch on Sundays from 11am to
3pm, featuring local favourites including conch fritters, jerk chicken, curried
goat, Cayman style fish and bread pudding to name but a few.
A recent addition to the menu is a four
course prix fixe menu for dinner from Saturday to Wednesday, and of course the
Happy Hour at Guy Harvey’s is a local favourite, with half price alcoholic
drinks from 5pm to 7pm. WH
For more information, call 946-9000 or
visit guyharveysgrill.com.