Ocho Rios: Where to Eat
From: Jamaica Adventure Guide

The complete story

Jamaica Adventure Guide - This travel guide walks with the adventurous traveler to the heart of Jamaica, to the miles of sand beaches, to the rugged Blue Mountains, to the country villages that provide a peek at the real Jamaica

Asian Restaurants

DRAGONS
Renaissance Jamaica Grande
Main Street, Ocho Rios
876-974-2201
($$)

If you’re ready for a break from Caribbean dishes, try some authentic Cantonese and Szechwan cooking. Located in the South Tower Lobby adjoining the Dragons Lounge, this delightful restaurant is open 6 to 11 pm for dinner. Dragons menu selections include: sweet and sour pork, Szechwan-style chicken and nuts, chow mein, duck in plum sauce, lemon fish and fried rice.

THE RUINS
DaCosta Drive
876-974-2442
($$-$$$)

This restaurant is perched right beside a waterfall, its tables at the base of a 40-foot cascade. The menu here is diverse, with Oriental specialties such as lotus lily lobster and Far Eastern chicken, Jamaican dishes and some vegetarian choices.

A RUINED ROMANCE

The site of the restaurant has an interesting history. In 1831, Englishman Robert Rutherford built a sugar factory near these falls, using their energy to grind the cane. Allegedly, he married a local girl named Rose Dale and they moved into a great house near the falls. Later, while Rutherford was in England on business, Rose fell in love with one of the plantation’s overseers. When her husband returned home, he learned of his wife’s indiscretions and began spending time with Annie Palmer, better known as the White Witch of Rose Hall in Montego Bay. One night, after finding his wife with her lover, he took Rose and the lover to a cave between the falls, chained the couple to the walls, and sealed the cave with a boulder. Later Rutherford married Annie Palmer and the plantation became, literally, ruins.

TEMPLES
The Enchanted Garden, Eden Bower Road
876-974-1400
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This elegant Asian restaurant serves Thai, Japanese, Indonesian and regional Chinese cuisine. Couples sit on cushions in a rich Asian atmosphere that features Oriental rugs, bronze fish and hanging chandeliers. Entrée selections include: curried beef, chicken and bamboo shoots with lemon grass sauce; Thai seafood fried rice; and spicy Bangkok stir-fried vegetables with ginger-chili sauce.

TEPPANYAKI
Sandals Dunn’s River, North Coast Highway
876-972-1610
($$$) (All-inclusive)

Asian dishes are prepared table-side by Teppanyaki chefs at this fun eatery. A popular choice here is the Emperors Feast, a selection of dishes such as oyster-flavored tiger shrimp and glazed tuna teriyaki. End the evening with a sweet taste of Asia such as lychee custard with an essence of orange blossom.

Caribbean Cuisine

THE RUINS
DaCosta Drive
876-974-2442
($$-$$$)
See listing above.

WINDIES
Sandals Dunn’s River, North Coast Highway
876-972-1610
($$$) (All-inclusive)

West Indian food with a gourmet flair is served by white-gloved waiters and waitresses at this elegant restaurant for couples only. Offerings include Arawak-style jerk chicken in port; aged striploin steak; red snapper fillet infused with Seville orange marmalade grilled over charcoal; and lamb steak pan roasted with wild island onions.

Continental Cuisine

ALMOND TREE
83 Main Street
876-974-2813
($$-$$$)

The menu at this popular eatery reflects both Jamaican and continental tastes. Diners enjoy spectacular views from their table al fresco. The menu is extensive. Live music entertains diners three times weekly.

CASANOVA
Grand Lido Sans Souci, North Coast Highway, 2 miles east of Ocho Rios
876-974-2353
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This restaurant is open nightly except Friday and serves gourmet French cuisine in a casually elegant setting. Casanova menu selections include nut-crushed snapper, fillet of salmon served with saffron and champagne sauce, baked sea trout topped with basil-hollandaise sauce, pot-roasted guinea fowl with port game sauce, seared duck stuffed with goose liver and nuts, jerk chicken roulade stuffed with callaloo and tournedos of pork.

THE INTERNATIONAL ROOM
Sandals Dunn’s River, North Coast Highway
876-972-1610
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This elegant indoor restaurant serves gourmet cuisine. Try the seared fillet of salmon with key lime, beurre blanc and saffron vegetable risotto. It’s delicious. Other great choices are the chargrilled reef snapper dusted with Jamaican allspice and served with papaya ginger salsa and grilled plantains and the fresh shrimp sautéed in garlic butter with fennel cream sauce.

LE GOURMET RESTAURANT
Couples Ocho Rios, North Coast Highway, east of Ocho Rios
876-975-4271
All-inclusive

This elegant French restaurant offers two seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 nightly, except Wednesdays. Mouth-watering dishes include: Cajun-style blackened snapper fillet and jambalaya rice; sautéed veal medallions with roasted garlic; and steamed grouper stuffed with crab and spinach on a spicy butter sauce, topped with crisp grated potato garnish.

JAMAICA INN
Two miles east of Ocho Rios, North Coast Highway
876-974-2514, fax 876-974-2449
($$$$)

Chef Wilbert Matheson conjures up varied fare in this al fresco restaurant. Some of the most tempting entrées are grilled beef tenderloin topped with chicken liver compote; poached yellowtail tuna with steamed mussels and tomato concasse; and porkloin with a pineapple and honey glaze.

Jacket and tie are required after 7 pm in all but the summer season. No children under age 14 are permitted to dine here, as the restaurant strives for an elegant atmosphere. Reservations are required.

ORCHIDS
Ciboney, Main Street
876-974-1027
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This resort is noted not only for its villa suites with private plunge pools but also for its cuisine. The signature restaurant is Orchids, featuring nutritional gourmet cuisine developed in conjunction with the Culinary Institute of America.

PIACERE
Grand Lido Braco, West of Runaway Bay on North Coast Highway
876-954-0000
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This elegant French restaurant is an excellent choice for a special evening. Entrées include such creations as sautéed chicken breast on a bed of soft polenta and fava beans; mille feuille of Angus beef tenderloin and wild mushroom ragout; lavender-glazed salmon with saffron whipped potatoes; smoked seafood spaghettini with boursin and caper sauce and sevruga caviar; and mustard and herb-crusted rack of lamb. Reservations are required.

PLANTATION INN
Main Street
876-974-5601
($$$$)

This elegant restaurant has been a favorite with Jamaica vacationers for over four decades. Visitors can opt for breakfast in the main dining room with local specialties such as ackee and codfish, liver and bananas, pan-fried fish, or eggs, pancakes and freshly baked breads.

Italian Restaurants

BAYSIDE
Couples Ocho Rios, North Coast Highway, east of Ocho Rios
876-975-4271
($$$) (All-inclusive)

Bayside is the perfect spot for a dinner right by the water’s edge. As its name suggests, this open-air eatery sits right on the bay. Specialties of the house are Italian, with a wide selection of pasta sauces from which to choose. The restaurant is open for dinner only from 6:30 to 9:30pm.

If you are not a guest at Couples Ocho Rios, you can purchase an evening pass which includes drinks during your stay, the evening meal (including tips) and the nightly show.

EVITA’S
Mantalent Inn, Eden Bower Road
876-974-2333
($-$$)

This longtime favorite is patronized by travelers and locals alike for good Italian fare. Perched high over the city in a house more than a century old, Evita’s is especially noted for its numerous pasta and seafood dishes.Menu selections include homemade fettucine with meat sauce; fettucine Alfredo; and red snapper fillet stuffed with crab meat and jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic butter, white wine and tomatoes. Operated by Eva Myers from Venice, Italy.

L’ALLEGRO
Renaissance Jamaica Grande, Main Street
876-974-2201
($-$$$)

This restaurant, with both indoor and open-air seating, offers fine Northern Italian cuisine, including pizzas made in a Tuscan wood-burning brick oven. Selections include pizza with blue cheese, tuna, artichoke and bacon and another with toppings of jerk chicken, yam and tomato sauce atop mozzarella cheese. Located in the South Tower of the resort, this restaurant offers an extensive wine list.

MICHELLE’S
Sandals Ocho Rios, North Coast Highway
876-974-5691
($$$) (All Inclusive)

This couples-only restaurant serves Northern Italian fare. Try the pan-fried swordfish, filet of snapper and shrimp baked in a paper pouch or the beef medallions in a tomato and herb sauce with creamy polenta.

RISTORANTE D’AMORE
Sandals Dunn’s River, North Coast Highway
876-972-1610
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This couples-only restaurant offers two courses as well as such delicious desserts as tiramisu or chocolate and amaretto cheesecake. Main dishes include: grilled snapper fillet; chicken breast simmered in tomatoes; veal cutlets with fontina and prosciutto sautéed in butter and wine; and pork medallions sautéed in olive oil with capers, garlic and lime juice.

TOSCANINI ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Harmony Hall, Tower Isle
876-975 4785
($$$)

When you’re ready to take a break from shopping at Harmony Hall, refuel with a stop at this authentic Italian restaurant open for lunch and dinner. The menu offers many classic Italian dishes supplemented by ever-changing specials, dependent upon available fresh produce. The carefully selected wine list features vintages from around the world, while the fully stocked bar caters to all tastes. Toscanini is popular with visitors and local residents. Its delightful setting makes it an ideal spot for lunch, light or long, and for a romantic candlelit dinner.

Jamaican Restaurants

ALMOND TREE
83 Main Street
876-974-2813
($$-$$$)
See listing above

CALABASH
Couples Ocho Rios, North Coast Highway, east of Ocho Rios
876-975-4271
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This Jamaican restaurant serves dinner nightly, except Wednesday and Saturday. Each of the dishes reflects the rich cuisine of the island, starting with such appetizers as May Pen mushroom pie and scallops and crab cakes mixed with virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs. Entrées include mahi-mahi with grilled pineapple and curried tomato vinaigrette, Kingston Kiev chicken breast stuffed with herbed garlic butter, and baked christophines (cho-cho) with vegetable spaghetti and red pepper sauce. There’s also jerked chicken, jerked pork, red snapper escovitch and peppered steak.

CARDIFF HALL RESTAURANT
Heart Hotel, Runaway Bay
876-973-2671
($$)

Local and international dishes fill the menu at this indoor restaurant, which serves seafood, steaks, salads and vintage wines. As a training institute, the restaurant offers classic European table service.

MANOR RESTAURANT
Ciboney, Main Street
876-974-1027
($$$) (All-inclusive)

Jamaican dishes prepared with a gourmet flair are the order of the day at this elegant eatery.

OCHO RIOS VILLAGE JERK CENTRE
DaCosta Drive
876-974-2549
($)

This open-air eatery looks like an all-American hamburger joint with its striped canopy and casual atmosphere, but take a whiff of that smoky jerk and you’ll know this is no burger bar. Jamaican jerk is the star of the day here; try the pork, chicken or fish.

Middle Eastern Cuisine

SULTAN’S TABLE
The Enchanted Garden, Eden Bower Road
876-974-1400
($$$) (All-inclusive)

This fine dining restaurant serves delights from Morocco, Lebanon, Israel, Algeria and Turkey. The Middle East theme is carried out in the resplendent decor, which features rich Turkish rugs, ornate brass screens and hand-carved ornaments. Offerings include stuffed peppers with beef and cous cous; slow-cooked chicken with chick peas; and snapper fillet with tahini-yogurt sauce.

Vegetarian Dining

THE RUINS
DaCosta Drive
876-974-2442
($$-$$$)
See listing above

More information on Ocho Rios
• Introduction
• Where to stay
• Where to eat
• Transportation
• Things to see & do

 

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