Jamaica (Kingston)

Eating out in Jamaica (Kingston)

From hot to haute, and everything in between, Jamaican cooking is a culinary melting pot that combines a hint of Spanish and English, a good dash of Indian and Chinese, and a wallop of African ingredients that together cook up the Caribbean's most creative cuisine. The Jamaican national dish is ackee and salt-fish - a concoction made from imported salted cod and the fruit of the ackee tree, mixed with onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Jamaican food is a living testament to the island's history and natural abundance. For example, the Arawak Indian cassava is used today as "bammie," a toasted flat cake eaten with fried fish. The Maroons - escaped slaves always on the run from the British after the 1655 invasion - devised a way of spicing and slow-cooking pork that they called "jerking," recognized world-wide as the definitive Jamaican flavor. Breadfruit arrived courtesy of Captain Bligh and the Bounty. The native pimento tree, the source of allspice, is used in numerous Jamaican dishes, and there's a fair bit of intrigue regarding whether it is, or is not, a key ingredients of the famous Pickapeppa Sauce, a recipe that's closely guarded.

Kingston.

Gourmet

Gordon's is a treasure house of Oriental tastes, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean dishes.

Highly Recommended

The Blue Mountain Inn, one of the country's best-known restaurants, is good for elegance and atmosphere, with gourmet meals served in a garden setting.

Local Flair

The Hot Pot is a thriving "locals" hangout, treasured for its jerked meats and unpretentious ambiance.

Romantic

The Mayfair Hotel Restaurant serves excellent cuisine in a charming, old-fashioned dining room.

Ocho Rios.

Gourmet

Evita's Italian Restaurant is a popular Jamaican-Italian eatery where "rasta-pasta" is the specialty of the house.

Highly Recommended

At The Almond Tree, diners sit high above a Caribbean cove and dine on mouth-watering cuisine including the chef's special fondues.

Local Flair

The Ocho Rios Village Jerk Centre is a popular place to sample lots of different seafood and spicy jerk chicken and pork, served outdoors under a canopy.

Romantic

The Ruins Restaurant specializes in tasty Chinese and Jamaican dishes, which you enjoy while dining by a waterfall on the lush banks of the Turtle River!.

Port Antonio.

Gourmet

The Trident Villas and Hotel Restaurant features excellent food and the service to match, in a polished, candlelight setting.

Highly Recommended

The Jamaica Palace Hotel Restaurant offers top-notch fine dining with live entertainment.

Local Flair

The Bonnie View Hotel Restaurant, perched high on a sea cliff, has unbeatable Jamaican cuisine and a tantalizing view of Port Antonio far below.

Romantic

Mille Fleurs serves creative Jamaican cuisine with a Continental flair in the "garden of a thousand flowers" with a sensational panoramic view.

Going party in Jamaica (Kingston)

Kick off your evening with rum, the Jamaican national drink you can mix with just about anything. Try it with coconut water for the ultimate native refreshment and head out to dance and party all night long in the home of reggae! Every town has some degree of nightlife, and it's up to you to choose what you're up for. Small bars with a jukebox, cabaret entertainment, high-tech dance clubs, beach parties and, of course, karaoke are sprinkled throughout the island. More recently, street dances have become the rage with the younger dance hall crowd. Curiously, given Jamaica's musical heritage, there is a noticeable lack of tourist nightclubs outside of hotels, so rather than you going to the bands, the bands come to you. Hotel club hop and see what's going on, but keep in mind that performances are ever-changing, so it's a good idea to check with your concierge for a current schedule of events and scan the local paper.

Kingston.

The Pegasus Hotel Piano Bar

This is a favorite meeting place for Kingstonians with live entertainment by the pool every evening.

The Jonkanoo Night Club at the Hilton

This club caters to those with slightly more mature preferences in music, attracting Jamaicans and visitors alike.

Ocho Rios.

There are several jamming party places to go wild here, including the nucleus of local nightlife at the Jamaica Me Crazy club in the Renaissance Jamaica Grande Hotel, the Silks Disco in the Shaw Park Hotel, and the Acropolis nightclub.

Port Antonio.

This region is a very quiet, laid back hideaway with little in the way of nightlife, but if you're looking to spice up the evening hours, check with your concierge, he'll know what entertainment is on each night.

Common events in Jamaica (Kingston)

Kingston.

Carnival in Jamaica

It lasts for one week with a multi-city series of fetes, concerts, and street parades. Flamboyantly-costumed groups of all ages dance through the streets. April.

Ocho Rios.

Spring Break

Spotlights reggae concerts and beach volleyball competitions during an annual program of discounted rates at select hotels, attractions, restaurants, and nightclubs designed to create an affordable great time affordable for students needing an escape! March.

Carnival in Jamaica

It lasts for one week with a multi-city series of fetes, concerts, and street parades. Flamboyantly-costumed groups of all ages dance through the streets. April.

The Ocho Rios Jazz Festival

Draws international performers every year from Great Britain, Europe, Japan, the United States, and the Caribbean to perform alongside Jamaican jazz musicians. It's all the jazz you could possibly imagine, with jazz concerts, jazz lunches, jazz teas, jazz river feasts, and jazz barbecues.

Port Antonio.

The Port Antonio Blue Marlin Tournament

This is one of the oldest and most prestigious sport-fishing events in the Caribbean, with competing anglers from Europe and North America. October.