Scilly Cay: Anguilla's Castaway Lunch Ritual
A two-minute ferry ride to grilled lobster, rum punch, and reggae on a private sandbar
Why Go
Wave a colored flag from the Island Harbour dock and a wooden skiff comes to fetch you ΓÇö five minutes later you're barefoot on a palm-fringed cay the Wallace family has run since 1985, with no electricity, no menu cards, and a lobster already sizzling on the grill for your table.
The Experience
Scilly Cay isn't a restaurant so much as a beach day with lunch built in. You're deposited on a horseshoe of white sand ringed by turquoise reef flats, handed a rum punch that's stronger than it looks, and left to swim, snorkel, or sprawl in a hammock until the smoke from the grill tells you it's time to eat. The Wallace family ΓÇö Eudoxie, and the late Gorgeous Scilly's legacy ΓÇö grills everything over coals because there's no power on the island, which is exactly the point. On Sundays a live reggae band sets up under the thatch and lunch stretches lazily toward sunset; on Wednesdays it's quieter but no less magical. Come in your swimsuit, plan to stay hours, and don't be surprised if you end up dancing barefoot with strangers by 3pm.
What to Try
The grilled crayfish (Caribbean spiny lobster) with Sandra's garlic-butter sauce is the signature ΓÇö split, charred, and served with rice, salad, and johnnycakes. Order a rum punch on arrival (the recipe is legendary and generously poured), and if crayfish isn't your thing, the whole grilled snapper and jerk chicken are equally good. Save room for a second punch during the band's set.
Insider Tip
There's no phone signal and reservations are essential ΓÇö call ahead a day or two before to confirm they're open and to pre-order your crayfish (they only grill what's been ordered, and walk-ins on band Sundays can be turned away). Bring cash for the ferry and tip, wear reef-safe sunscreen, and pack a snorkel ΓÇö the reef just off the beach is one of the best easy snorkel spots on Anguilla.
The Practical Stuff
Open Wednesdays and Sundays only, roughly noon to 5pm, closed September through late October for the off-season. Located on a private cay 200 yards off Island Harbour on Anguilla's northeast coast. Access is by the Scilly Cay ferry from Island Harbour dock ΓÇö flag the boat down or call ahead, round trip is about US$5 and often added to your bill. Bring cash (USD or EC), swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen. Expect to spend US$60ΓÇô100+ per person with drinks. No kids' menu but children are welcome. Cards are accepted but cash is smoother.
Pair It With
- Island Harbour Beach — You're already at the ferry dock ΓÇö arrive early or linger after lunch on this quiet fishing-village beach before or after your cay crossing.
- Shoal Bay East — Twenty minutes down the coast, this powdery two-mile stretch is Anguilla's most photographed beach and pairs perfectly with a morning-swim-then-Scilly-Cay-lunch itinerary.
- Hibernia Restaurant & Art Gallery — For a completely different Anguilla meal on your non-Scilly-Cay day ΓÇö refined French-Asian tasting menus in a garden setting just up the road in Island Harbour.
- Little Bay — A hidden cliff-ringed cove reachable only by boat or a rope descent ΓÇö the same skiff captains who run Scilly Cay can often be hired to drop you here for a private snorkel.