Must-see restaurants in Jamaica

  • Little Ochie

    Jamaica

    Little Ochie is a culinary phenomenon that, despite a cult following, refuses to sell out. Set on a slice of black-sand beach, it uses the same charcoal…

  • Stush in the Bush

    Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & the North Coast

    Stush in the Bush is an organic farm-to-table Rasta dining experience, and home to some of the best food you'll eat in your entire trip to Jamaica. Your…

  • Wilkes Seafood

    Port Antonio

    This place looks like a thoroughly unassuming beach bar from the front, but is a delightful small restaurant inside, overlooking the sea and with a semi…

  • Mi Hungry

    Kingston

    Mi Hungry serves up 'sun cooked' I-tal (natural) food that you wouldn't believe. The 'pleaza' comes with a base of seeds and grains, topped with sun-dried…

  • Zimbali Retreat

    Negril & West Coast

    In the hills above Little London, this wonderful organic farm has become the go-to destination for some of Jamaica's most sophisticated meals (including…

  • Belinda's

    Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & the North Coast

    Rarely have eateries looked more unassuming – some basic thatch and a jumble of cooking pots sitting over coals, but Belinda's is celebrated enough to win…

  • Pallet

    Kingston

    A low-key restaurant, open air and rustic enough to make you think it's made from real shipping pallets. The menu is anything but haphazard though – think…

  • Longboarder

    Kingston, Blue Mountains & the Southeast Coast

    A super-relaxed beach bar, restaurant and surf spot, the Longboarder has a small bar area and a series of tables spread out under a wide tree, plus vistas…

  • Whalers

    Ocho Rios

    This long-standing Ochi favorite has finally reopened after the redevelopment of Fisherman's Beach, and the good news is that it was worth the wait. Sit…

  • Jus' Coool Grocery

    Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & the North Coast

    Ubiquitously known in Priory and beyond as 'Puddin' Man', cook Edgar Wallace serves up to-die-for slices of sweet potato and cornmeal pudding. OK, you can…

  • Gloria's Seafood City

    Kingston

    The new Victoria Pier development on the waterfront is part of the reinvigoration of Downtown, and Gloria's is at the heart of it. Sit on the deck looking…

  • Jack Sprat

    Treasure Beach

    Seafood and pizza aren’t obvious bedfellows until you wander into Jack Sprat’s, where it puts fresh lobster on its thick Italian-style pies. Flavor is…

  • Gloria’s

    Kingston, Blue Mountains & the Southeast Coast

    This fish restaurant fills daily with locals who drive here from across Kingston. Get here early, particularly on Friday night and Sunday lunchtime…

  • Le Vendôme

    Negril

    Perch on the terrace with garden views and choose from French classics such as duck à l’orange and escargots Burgundy-style, regional creations like…

  • Mille Fleurs

    Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & the North Coast

    This restaurant at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill offers some of the best haute Jamaican cuisine on the island, savored on a gorgeous terrace and served with a…

  • Sharkie’s

    Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & the North Coast

    Even if you're staying in Ocho Rios, you should follow the lead of locals and head for this seafood restaurant on Fisherman's Beach for steamed, grilled…

  • Jake's Restaurant

    Treasure Beach

    This atmospheric spot at Jake's Hotel serves excellent fare in an open-sided wooden restaurant with low lighting and hip music. The menu shifts daily…

  • Pepper Jerk

    Montego Bay & Northwest Coast

    This is the epitome of a great jerk spot: thatched roof, casual outdoor seating, mellow reggae in the background and an awful lot of flavor packed into…

  • Miss T's Kitchen

    Ocho Rios

    The high tin roof and brightly painted wood of this popular restaurant are palate refreshers for the big plates of Jamaican classics, with good vegetarian…

  • Rockhouse Restaurant & Bar

    Negril

    With the terrace subtly lit at night, this relaxed cliffside spot leads the pack when it comes to nouvelle Jamaican cuisine in the western parishes. Savor…

  • Houseboat Grill

    Montego Bay

    Moored in Bogue Lagoon at Montego Bay Freeport, this converted houseboat is still among the best restaurants in the city. The changing menu offers…

  • Pork Pit

    Montego Bay

    At this glorified food shack on the Hip Strip, your meal is cooked over a traditional jerk pit fashioned from pimento wood sticks laid over smoking hot…

  • Usain Bolt's Tracks & Records

    Montego Bay

    Usain Bolt is not a subtle man. A vast statue of him stands sentinel by the entrance, striking his famous pose, while TV screens inside replay his…

  • Rasta Ade Refreshments

    Negril

    Rasta Ade has got himself a sweet beachside spot, with a few picnic tables surrounding his colorful shack. There is only one thing on the menu – a vast…

  • Office of Nature

    Negril

    The Office is but a simple thatch-roofed beach bar where you perch on a stool and order pretty much the only thing available. The lobster flesh is sweet…

  • Moby Dick

    Kingston

    Don’t let the plastic tablecloths fool you: this unassuming hangout has been popular with besuited lawyers and judges for nearly a century. The curried…

  • Italian Job

    Port Antonio

    This is a jolly, Italian-run, checked-tablecloth sort of a place, with great pasta, pizza and salads, plus crepes for dessert. Keep an eye on the specials…

  • Just Natural

    Negril

    Quintessentially Jamaican, Just Natural is a jumble of tables, trees and foliage at the southern end of the West End strip that serves up a formidable…

  • Erica's Hideaway Restaurant

    Negril

    You can smell what might be the best curry goat of your life before you step into Erica's homey little restaurant. Superlative versions of brown stew fish…

  • Tim's Jerk Pork Centre

    Jamaica

    Run by crotchety grandparents, this jerk shack makes up in flavor what it lacks in congenial welcomes. There's a wonderful sweet undercurrent to the smoky…

  • Smoky Joe's

    Negril

    Joe's humble jerk chicken setup has authenticity that hipsters would kill for. He does his thing with flair before presenting you with a pungent package…

  • All Seasons

    Jamaica

    Folks drive to All Seasons from miles around for the best jerk in Manchester parish. The chicken and pork are merely good, but it does jerk sausage (J$550…

  • Cloggy’s on the Beach

    Jamaica

    This beachside joint is your best culinary bet in Black River; it’s an all-round pleaser with a relaxed vibe, breezy beachfront terrace and mellow reggae…

  • Strikie-T

    Treasure Beach

    A seasonal affair run by the energetic, ever-friendly Chris 'Strikie' Bennett, who has worked as a professional chef in the US and at Jake’s. This…

  • Pablo's Restaurant

    Negril

    A friendly fist appears through the kitchen window promptly followed by the words 'Respect, mon.' Return the greeting, take a seat and see what breakfast…

  • Kool Vybes Bar & Jerk Centre

    Negril

    This simple, brightly painted affair with a few open-air tables lures passerby in with the spice-laden scent of jerk chicken wafting up from the pimento…

  • Jaro's Lucky Charm Jerk Centre

    Jamaica

    On the northeastern outskirts of Mandeville, this cookshop fills up with motorists and locals in the know who seek out the generous portions of curry goat…

  • Millennium Victory

    Montego Bay

    Cheap and cheerful I-tal food shack, decorated in Rasta colors and serving creative dishes such as escoveich tofu (tofu in a spicy, vinegary sauce), ackee…

  • Leroy's Beach Bar

    Montego Bay & Northwest Coast

    Awesome beachside shack that rocks out to reggae rhythms in the evenings and serves stew chicken and some of the freshest fish around on breezy picnic…

  • Ocho Rios Jerk Centre

    Ocho Rios

    The liveliest jerk joint in town serves excellent jerk pork and chicken in quarter-pound servings and up, along with heaps of sides. There are daily…