19 Best Restaurants in Negril, Jamaica

Opened in 2020, this small dessert shop in the center of the Boardwalk Shopping Village is decorated with bright artistic signs and doles out Mexican paletas, popsicle-like desserts made the traditional (nondairy) way, with real fruit. Ice cream and alcohol-infused pops are also sold. You'd be hard-pressed to eat just one of these frozen delights.

This open-air restaurant right on the beach is Negril's go-to for delicious lobster that you select and the staff prepares anyway you like—grilled, curried, or roasted. You can also get delicious king crab here, along with fresh fish and shrimp. Dine on the restaurant's deck or on the beach.

Upscale Caribbean cuisine, stunning cliff-side dining, and romance make this one of the best places to eat on Negril's West End. Watch the spectacular sunset while enjoying a cocktail by the simple thatched bar and eatery, decorated with funky art. For a special, intimate dinner, you and a guest can dine in the private, candle-lit area. You can dress up or dine in casual wear.

This popular, open-air spot serves delicious Italian food—pizzas, pasta, and local seafood dishes—in a relaxing atmosphere. The restaurant is beautifully lit with stylish all-white decor in the main dining area, along with private cabanas, an outdoor dining area, and a bar. A DJ keeps guests entertained throughout the night.

Like its sister properties in Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, Margaritaville Negril is usually packed with young partiers, though this outpost doesn't have waterslides, just a water trampoline to work off those calories. The traditional Margaritaville meals like nachos and cheeseburgers are joined by international fare like fajitas. There's a DJ playing reggae music and a gift shop selling souvenirs.

This family-operated restaurant is small and casual, but don't be fooled by its size, as the delicious seafood meals will have you wanting to return again and again. The food is made with fresh, local ingredients and is so beautifully presented, you'd think you were at a much more spendy restaurant. Eat in the brightly colored dining room or outside at a picnic table.

A Negril institution since the hippie days of the 1960s and 1970s, Rick's is one of the resort town's best-known landmarks and attracts busloads of revelers for sunset every evening. Love it or hate it, it's worth experiencing at least once on a trip to Negril. The live reggae band that performs several days per week for the sundown hours gets the party mood in full swing, and the local boys jumping off the nearby cliffs are often joined by high-spirited tourists. While the liquor flows you can also dine at the restaurant serving pasta, seafood dishes, and Jamaican desserts.

This restaurant is a must for dinner at least once while visiting Jamaica, as the menu features both traditional Jamaican cooking and Rockhouse's interpretation of "new Jamaican cuisine," inspired by the many cultures that have come to the island. The open-air dining area has huge comfy bamboo sofas where you can relax for an aperitif or after-dinner drink; tables are arranged near the cliff for sensational seaside dining. For special occasions, private tables for groups can be set up in a cabana, on an intimate terrace, or on a lower deck. The staff is friendly and attentive. Much of the food is organically grown right across the road.

With a reservation, nonguests can savor authentic Jamaican cuisine with a twist at this gorgeous boutique resort on Negril's West End. The price ($150 per person) covers a private, romantic, candlelit five-course dinner in a sea-front cave. When the hotel bar, the Sands, is open (Wednesday and Saturday, 4–7), you can join in cliff-jumping, a popular West End pastime, and enjoy colorful cocktails and fare from the smoky jerk grill. Once a month, they have a "Jamaican Night" with a full Jamaican buffet and live musical performances ($120 per person). Much of the produce comes from the hotel's organic farm in the parish of Trelawny.

Zimbali's isn't just a restaurant, it's a culinary experience as guests are taken on a tour of the restaurant's organic farm, before heading back for a delicious farm-to-table meal. The open-air dining space, nestled in the Negril hills, has stadium-style seating with the kitchen in the center, so guests can watch as the chefs prepare seafood and vegetarian meals. The adjoining common rooms are comfortable and spacious, and the drummers keep guests entertained.

This very casual restaurant housed beneath a big roof (and not much more) is best known for its jerk—it hosts the Negril Jerk Festival every November—but also serves other traditional Jamaican dishes and seafood, like grilled lobsters (in season). Lunch is available, but dinner, thanks to the spectacular sunsets, is always the peak time. You can dine in the restaurant or near the cliffside, which provides an optimal view.

A grand piano and a well-stocked premium bar add to the upscale feeling at this restaurant, with stylish indoor seating and patio tables. The cuisine is a fusion of the foods from the many cultures that have settled in the Caribbean—from Africa, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Denmark, Great Britain, and, later, India and China—resulting in a mouthwatering melting pot of contemporary cuisine. There is also a vegetarian and vegan menu.

This low-key eatery with the motto "come and relax" serves made-to-order vegetarian and seafood dishes as well as fresh fruit and vegetable juices, but it's the surroundings—an enchanting garden on Negril's West End—that make it stand out. Mismatched tables and chairs, some of them made from recycled materials, are scattered in the garden, surrounded by orange trees, pretty flowers, and lush vegetation, so that each dining area is private. A small soup and dessert are included with dinner.

Open all day and right on the beach, this charming thatch-roof restaurant is one of the top spots for dinner on Negril's 7-mile (11-km) strip of sand. The menu specializes in Jamaican cuisine with an international twist, with meals covering sea, breeze, and land. All food is cooked to order, so come prepared for a long languorous meal. During the day you can lounge on beach chairs. The restaurant will bring you here for free if you're staying in Negril.

The Charela Inn's pretty restaurant is lit up with strings of Christmas lights, with tables set out on the beach (there's also a covered patio area in case it rains). There are Jamaican favorites on the menu along with the likes of escargot, crepes, and soufflés. A different five-course menu is offered each night in addition to the à la carte dishes. The French-Jamaican owners get much of the produce here from the hotel's own farm, and the delicious pastries and desserts are all homemade. Thursday night brings live jazz, blues, and vintage reggae and on Saturday there's folkloric music, drumming, and dancing while you dine.

Diners can enjoy versions of traditional Jamaican street food in the comfort of a colorful, cliffside restaurant. The menu features traditional house-cooked Jamaican meals and seafood dishes. There's also a bar and great music (DJ or live band) to keep guests entertained. It's a great place to grab a drink (they offer a variety of Jamaican rums) and watch the sunset, too.

Rastafarians are masters at vegan food, so don't expect any chicken or pork dishes on the menu of this colorful beachside eatery that's all about organic Jamaican food. Ackee, callaloo, steamed vegetables, and salads are on offer, and most meals are served with traditional Jamaican root staples like yam, potatoes, and boiled dumplings. Fruit desserts and a variety of porridges (usually eaten for breakfast) complete the menu. 

This thatched-roof restaurant on Seven Mile Beach draws crowds with its water trampolines, waterbeds, swing chairs, beach chairs, and umbrellas, and there's always some form of entertainment—often it's a live band. But the food is terrific, too, from fresh seafood to traditional Jamaican classics. There's also a coffeehouse and a gift shop. 

Along with offering stunning cliffside views, the service here is fast and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Breakfast features classic Jamaican dishes, while lunch and dinner are a range of seafood and island favorites. Don't forget to bring your swimwear so you can explore the amazing caves underneath the restaurant.