Reminiscent of a Mediterranean waterfront bistro, Vivo Restaurant exudes the charm of times gone by, where you live for the moment and absorb your surroundings without a care in the world! This quaint, picturesque West Bay restaurant offers an idyllic setting in which to relax and take in the spectacular ocean views while dining.
Viva Vivo! Re-opening and re-inventing. Vegan menu expands to Pescatarian
Vivo Vegan Restaurant was first opened by Michele Zama in 2016 with an innovative, fresh vegan menu that quickly gained notoriety, attracting customers Island-wide.
In 2019, the restaurant was taken over by Franck Bottero. When re-opening the restaurant, Franck explained he wanted to keep the original concept while appealing to a larger crowd by adapting the menu to a more versatile pescatarian menu, with the addition of eggs (locally sourced from one of their Chefs), fish and minimal dairy.
Seizing the Day with Franck Bottero, through travel, culture and international street foods
Originally from the Nice in the South of France, a culture known for its appreciation of good food and drink, it is no surprise that Franck developed a passion for food from an early age. With a combined French/Italian heritage, he recalled having particularly fond memories of watching his grandmother preparing freshly rolled gnocci and ravioli in the family kitchen.
Franck’s love of travel lead him to working in Egypt as a dive instructor for 11 years, during which time he first developed his passion for ‘street foods’. After returning to Europe, he then worked as a tour guide, taking advantage of the extended vacation periods and discounted travel that enabled him to visit many countries covering Asia (China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore), South America (Equador, Galapagos, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru), Europe (England, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Germany, US and Canada. “I loved experiencing the culture of each country, tasting authentic street foods and socialising with locals. It is such a privilege to experience the true culture of a country and its people.”
It was on one of these extended vacations in Buenos Aires, during a five month road-trip across South America, that he received an invitation to visit some friends in Cayman. “I actually came with the intention of staying only for one month but ended up falling in love with the Island and decided to make it my home.”
Franck’s favourite expression is ‘Seize the Day’.
Vivo’s feature nights – experience a world of flavours through culinary travel
With a total of four Chefs all hailing from different parts of the world (Jamaica/Cayman, India, the Philippines, and Ireland), Vivo offers guests a collective culinary fusion that embraces specialty dishes from each country.
It was while developing Vivo’s new identity that Franck was inspired to share his experience of the flavoursome ‘street foods’ from his travels, dedicating Thursdays to offering guests the opportunity to experience authentic ‘street style’ cuisine with a menu that featured an assortment of dishes from each country for one month. This was held over a period of six months with menus from India, Mexico, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Thailand and Caribbean. These nights were additionally themed with traditional with music and drink specials.
They are currently working on the menus for the next six months culinary vacation which guests can look forward to in the near future.
Opening hours: 10am -10pm daily. Closed Tuesdays.
Tel: 1 345 949 3456
Article written by Juliette Heath.
Juliette Heath is a Caymanian foodie, weddings and events planner, and author of childrens’ books.
