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Probably the most famous Jamaican dish is jerk pork—the ultimate island barbecue. The pork (purists cook a whole pig) is covered with a paste of Scotch bonnet peppers, pimento berries (also known as allspice), and other herbs, and cooked slowly over a coal fire. Many aficionados believe the best jerk comes from Boston Beach, near Port Antonio. Jerk chicken and fish are also seen on many menus. The ever-so-traditional rice and peas is similar to the moros y cristianos of Spanish-speaking islands: white rice cooked with red kidney beans, coconut milk, scallions, and seasonings.
The island's most famous soup—the fiery pepperpot—is a spicy mixture of salt pork, salt beef, okra, and the island green known as callaloo. Patties (spicy meat pies) elevate street food to new heights. Although patties actually originated in Haiti, Jamaicans excel at making them. Curried goat is another island standout: the young goat cooked with spices is tenderer and has a gentler flavor than the lamb for which immigrants from India substituted it. Salted fish was once the best that islanders could do between catches. Out of necessity, a breakfast staple (and the national dish of Jamaica) was invented. It joins seasonings with saltfish and ackee, a red fruit that grows on trees throughout the island. When cooked in this dish, ackee reminds most people of scrambled eggs.
There are fine restaurants in all the resort areas, many in Kingston and in the resorts themselves. Many restaurants outside the hotels in Mo'Bay and Ocho Rios will provide complimentary transportation.
What to Wear: Dinner dress is usually casual chic (or just plain casual at many local hangouts, especially in Negril). There are a few exceptions in Kingston and at the top resorts; some require semiformal wear (no shorts; collared shirts for men) in the evening during high season. People tend to dress up for dinner; men might be more comfortable in nice slacks, women in a sundress.
One of Kingston's best fine dining experiences, this restaurant is known for its intimate atmosphere and creative menu, which garner rave reviews for classic international dishes that incorporate local and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant is small, so it doesn't feel overwhelmingly crowded, and guests can choose to dine indoors or on the patio.
Located at the luxurious Geejam Hotel, Bushbar stays true to the property's reputation by offering a fine dining experience and stunning views of the surrounding jungle and Caribbean sea. The menu features savory Jamaican seafood and pasta dishes, with an international twist. When you're not eating, have some delicious cocktails, listen and dance to reggae tunes by the stage, relax by the stunning infinity pool, or shoot a game of pool.
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.
The intimate atmosphere, classy decor, and top-notch liquor selection make this quaint restaurant a popular date-night spot. The menu reveals plenty of international influences—Korean barbecue ribs, Thai curried shrimp, and New Zealand lamb chops are among the favorites. On Wednesday evenings, Jamaican-style seafood is the specialty. On the north side of the city, it's one of Kingston's more upscale eateries, with a friendly staff and soft, relaxing background music.
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.
Set in an 1860s gingerbread house fronted by an old convertible roadster, Evita's—an island institution and the self-proclaimed “Best Little Pasta House in Jamaica”—is a chic, charming restaurant. Its renowned pasta is a spicy mashup of the best of Italian and Jamaican cuisine. The friendly staff, and sometimes the proprietor herself (the effervescent Eva Myers, who still busily oversees everything to ensure perfection), will guide you through the many inventive meal choices.
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.
One of the funkiest places to down a cold Red Stripe, this whimsical structure sits on stilts ½ mile (1 km) offshore between Treasure Beach and Black River, atop a small sandbar, and reachable only by boat. It has become a local legend and a mandatory stop for many visitors to the South Coast. The place serves platters of lobster and other fresh seafood for lunch and dinner. Floyde Forbes (who runs the bar) and local hotels can arrange boat transportation, but the short rides can be pricey.
The intimate ambience, varied menu, excellent service, and contemporary decor have made this one of the top restaurants in Kingston. The menu features mainly European dishes, but Caribbean influences are strong. Weekend brunch features delicious cocktails, gourmet pancakes, chicken and waffles, and other specialties. A second location, Fromage Brasserie, is located in Kingston's Marketplace village.
As part of the restoration of Downtown, Kingston's most beloved seafood restaurant opened a location at the Victoria Pier; the original location is still in Port Royal. The restaurant, designed with windows and glass doors to take in the water views, serves up classic Jamaican seafood dishes with sides like rice and peas, bammy (thick flatbread made from cassava), and crackers. The open-air third floor has a lively bar and a terrace overlooking Kingston Harbour.
A sign on the wall of this friendly pizzeria reads: "You can't buy happiness but you can buy pizza, and that's kind of the same thing". Indeed, here you'll find the best pizza in the area, along with tasty pasta, seafood dishes, and burgers, and a good selection of wines. The chef tends to add a local twist to his daily Italian specials—look out for the ganja mahimahi or ganja lobster.
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.
It's no surprise that this restaurant shares its home resort's bohemian style (it's the beachside dining spot at Jakes). The menu features jerk dishes, pizzas, and seafood, served with traditional Jamaican sides, and ice cream or pie for dessert. From the casual outdoor tables to the late-night dance-hall rhythm, it's a place to come and chill out. Tables are either shaded by trees or in the open-sided dining porch.
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.
This hidden gem of a French restaurant is a rarity on the north coast—a chance to enjoy excellent service and deftly prepared dishes like grilled calamari and salmon fillet. This rarely crowded spot has all-white decor, soft background music, and colorful artwork, and there's an extensive wine list.
Local celebrities, residents, and tourists frequent this beachside restaurant that serves some of the best seafood in Ocho Rios. The namesake signature dish can be prepared in a variety of ways: curried, jerked, barbecued, cracked, or grilled. Other seafood dishes, like fish, conch, and shrimp—along with chicken—are also popular, and the bar serves a mix of cocktails and drinks. The restaurant is steps from Fisherman's Beach (near the port), where you can get a boat ride or relax and vibe to the music.
Along Montego Bay's Hip Strip, this colorful restaurant is a favorite spot for families thanks to its 110-foot waterslide into the sea, water trampolines and slides, and a sunset deck. When it's time to settle down for lunch, the menu offers some Caribbean-influenced items such as jerk burgers and seafood dishes, along with lots of all-American fare. At night, the slides are closed, and the restaurant takes on nightclub vibe with a dance floor and DJs.
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.
The colorful decor, authentic Jamaican food, and rustic, country ambience at Miss T's Kitchen will give you the feel of a true Jamaican culinary experience with a few vegan and vegetarian options thrown in. Anna-Kay Tomlinson, the charming "Miss T," turned her love and passion for Jamaican food into one of the town's most popular Jamaican eateries. Guests can dine in the main dining area or in the wine bar.
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.
The location of this casual restaurant makes it popular for those journeying along the south coast—luckily, the food is good, too. As the name suggests, they serve plenty of fish and jerk dishes with a variety of sides at this open-air spot. On weekends and holidays, it can get crowded, but the music and scenery provide a great vibe. There's also a great bar and a dessert shop offering famous Devon House ice cream.
After tropical drinks at the deck bar, you'll be ready to dig into the traditional Jamaican fare and Jamaican-influenced seafood dishes at this open-air restaurant located on Montego Bay's Pier 1 waterfront. Occasional party cruises leave from the marina, and on weekends and holidays the restaurant is mobbed by partying locals.
This restaurant's name perfectly describes its location: directly by the sea cliff, and with spectacular scenery and views. The menu features traditional Jamaican dinner dishes, as well as seafood dishes, soups, and salads. The open-air layout allows guests to enjoy the gentle breeze from the sea, and the dining room features rustic furniture. Guests are encouraged to call ahead with their order, as all meals are freshly prepared.
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.
Portland may be the birthplace of jerk cooking, but Scotchies is one of Jamaica’s premier jerk eateries. It serves genuine jerk—chicken, pork, fish, sausage, and more—with fiery sauce and delectable side dishes including festival (bread similar to a hush puppy) and rice and peas. This restaurant is a favorite with Montego Bay residents and tourists; you're likely to see a slap-the-table game of dominoes.
This hugely popular spot on a stunning stretch of beach in Salem buzzes with guests relaxing over drinks and sea views and listening to DJ tunes on weekend evenings. The menu features best hits of the seafood favorites—lobster, conch, crab, shrimp, and octopus. Various chicken dishes, salads, and wraps are also offered. Dine inside, or opt for a table outside, as long as you're okay with getting sand in between your toes.
A favorite with Kingstonians for its elegant Sunday brunch, Strawberry Hill has a stunning location; the open-air terrace has spectacular views of the city and countryside. The restaurant serves an à la carte menu that features dishes with a Jamaican flare and ingredients grown on the Island Outpost Farm. The bar area, a good place for cocktails or after-dinner drinks, features a piano and a fireplace that's usually ablaze in the cool evenings of the Blue Mountains.
This quaint bistro in Mandeville, run by chef Lilee, feels a million miles away from the bustle of the city. Locals favor this spot for breakfast and lunch, where classic burgers, wraps, and delicious pastries highlight the menu. Pasta, steak, and shrimp dishes are served for dinner.
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.
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