fiogf49gjkf0d After the sun goes down, the Kingston area is hard to beat for open-air eating. Uptown - which is where you'll want to be in the evenings - you'll find a wider choice of
restaurants
than anywhere else in Jamaica and an excellent standard of food. Most places offer variations on traditional Jamaican fare, but you'll also find good Chinese, Indian and Italian cuisine. If you want a meal with a view, head to Port Royal for the waterside restaurant at
Morgan's Harbour
hotel or any of the fish places dotted around the village. For informal lunches, head to the
food courts
at Sovereign Centre in Hope Road, Island Life Plaza on St Lucia Avenue, the huge Marketplace complex in the Constant Spring Arcade or the two Manor Plazas on Constant Spring Road. If you're after truly authentic
jerk chicken
, try any of the smoking oil-drum barbecues set up on street corners.
Akbar
11 Holborn Rd tel 876/922-3247. The best Indian food in town, in a tastefully decorated but rather dark air-conditioned indoor dining room. All the regular dishes, roti and plenty of vegetarian choices. The all-you-can-eat weekday lunchtime buffet (J$500) is well worth it if you're hungry.
Carlos CafAİ
22 Belmont Rd. Friendly place off Oxford Road with appealing dAİcor and excellent service. Decent and inexpensive, food ranges from salads and sandwiches to steaks, seafood and pasta.
The Grog Shoppe
Devon House tel 876/929-7029 (closed Sun). A shady spot on the Devon House grounds serving standard Jamaican meals at lunchtime and more European fare (and prices) in the evening. There are regular theme nights, such as all-you-can-eat crab night; call ahead to check.
Heather's Garden Restaurant
9 Haining Rd. Solid Jamaican food in a quiet location with an extensive, medium-priced menu and a daily seafood speciality.
Hot Pot
2 Altamont Terrace. Popular spot for typical Jamaican meals in the heart of New Kingston, with excellent breakfasts, including cornmeal and banana porridge and saltfish combinations, and lunches of fish and bammy, curry goat, stewed beef and the usual Jamaican staples.
JamRock
69 Knutsford Blvd. A perfect and always busy combination of bar, hangout, restaurant and patisserie; favourite among Jamaican dishes is the sumptuous "Jerk Nyamwich", and you can also get salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, excellent patties, pastries and espresso or cappuccino.
Mother Earth
13 Oxford Terrace. Centrally located and businesslike vegetarian restaurant doing a cracking trade. The menu changes daily; expect good Jamaican staples for breakfast and imaginative lunches with lots of pulses, soya and tofu. The patties are excellent, as are the natural juices and soya ice cream.
Norma's on the Terrace
Devon House tel 876/968-5488. Upscale eatery, situated on the terrace of the old Devon House stables and serving gourmet Jamaican food with an international twist. Menu highlights include peppered beef salad, smoked marlin and seafood chowder; afternoon teas feature delectable pastries. It's also good for a late-night espresso accompanied by one of the superb desserts.
Our Place
102 Hope Rd. Laid-back place offers excellent Jamaican cooking and attracts a regular crew of lunchers. All the staples, from conch soup to curry goat, and evening specials such as janga night on Fridays. The bar is nice for a quiet drink.
Red Bones Blues CafAİ
21 Braemar Ave tel 876/978-8262. Stylish, upmarket restaurant-cum-music venue with a distinguished but laid-back atmosphere, serving imaginative Jamaican-style food.
Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections):
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