Strawberry Hill dining

Alexander's
The Courtleigh Hotel and Suites
85 Knutsford Blvd.
New Kingston
Alexander's is an unpretentious restaurant frequented by Kingston's business class. Located just off the hotel lobby, this sunny restaurant, decorated in tropical tones, presents a mix of menu offerings including seafood and pastas.

We enjoyed a delightful dinner here one spring evening. The restaurant was filled with the movers and shakers of Kingston's business world, many dining with clients who were guests at the hotel, and the atmosphere was ripe with corporate talk. We began with a spicy callaloo soup, seasoned to perfection, and then moved onto entrees that included grouper and jerk chicken.

El Dorado Restaurant
Terra Nova Hotel
17 Waterloo Rd.
New Kingston
El Dorado is the fine dining restaurant at Terra Nova, known for its seafood as well as steaks. The air-conditioned restaurant is a favorite meeting place for the power lunch crowd. The restaurant is open noon to 2:30 for lunch and 7pm to 11pm for dinner.

Hotel Four Seasons
18 Ruthven Rd.
A favorite with locals, this longtime eatery serves up Jamaican and continental fare. The restaurant's bar is decorated in the style of a traditional pub with rich, dark woods and a clubby atmosphere. The restaurant, although rather tired looking, features chandeliers, gilded walls, and a deep burgundy carpet. Because of its location this is a favorite with the Kingstonian business world. A lunch buffet is offered daily; typical menu offerings include sirloin steak, pork chops, wienerschnitzel, filet of snapper, and local seafood.

Grog Shoppe
Devon House
26 Hope Rd.
This excellent restaurant offers both indoor and open air seating in a pub-like setting. Just steps from Devon House itself, the restaurant offers a menu that ranges from pub lunches such as roast beef or corned tongue to fish dishes such as escoveitch fish and steam fish in white wine, onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Many Jamaican specialties are offered as well such as curried goat, ackee and saltfish, roast suckling pig, baked crab backs, curried chicken, jerked chicken, and stuffed cho-cho.

Hot Pot
2 Alamont Terrace
This favorite local hangout serves up three meals a day: Jamaican favorites such as ackee and codfish, rundown, and escoveitch fish. Wash it all down with fresh juices such as tamarind, coconut water, and, if you visit during the holiday season, sorrel.
We recommend this popular eater for those who want a real taste of Jamaican food and a genuine Jamaican atmosphere to match.

I Scream
Devon House
26 Hope Rd.
New Kingston
OK, we normally wouldn't put an ice cream parlor in a restaurant section, but I Scream doesn't serve up your typical dairy dessert. Here you can find grapenut, guava, mango, soursop, and even Devon Stout ice creams. Need we say more?

Jade Garden
106 Hope Rd.
When you're ready for a break from continental or Jamaican dishes, this elegant restaurant serves up Cantonese and Thai delights. Don't miss the dim sum on Sunday afternoons.

Orchid Room
Devon House
Authentic Thai cuisine is served at this dinner-only restaurant. Pad Thai, pepper steak, curried dishes, stir fried chicken, and satay fill the menu.

Peppers
31 Upper Waterloo Rd.
Want to feel like a local Kingstonian? Then do like the locals do and head to this casual restaurant, grab a picnic table, and order up some jerk and a Red Stripe.
The restaurant is an open-air affair, completely casual. Specialties of the house include jerk chicken, jerk pork, and jerk fish. Garlic crab and grilled lobster are other favorites and all orders come with a tasty soup.

Along with the restaurant, you'll find two bars here as well as a dance floor. The site is a popular after-work place for Kingstonians, who come to Pepper's on Wednesday and Friday nights for seafood, Tuesday for wine and cheese accompanied by live country music, karaoke on Thursdays, and oldies tunes on Sunday evenings.

Like the Hot Pot, we recommend this casual eatery for a real taste of Jamaican food and a real Jamaican atmosphere.

Strawberry Hill
New Castle Rd.
Irishtown, St. Andrew
The open air restaurant at Strawberry Hill serves up a continental breakfast daily followed by lunch and dinner featuring "new Jamaican cuisine." These innovative dishes are the creation of Jamaican-born Chef James Palmer. Dishes such as Jerked Lamb Loin with a Road Garlic Guava Glaze, Mashed Potatoes and Green Plantations, Pan Seared Herb Crusted Grouper Filet with a Chive Mushroom Nage, and Coconut Curried shrimp bring new twists to traditional island food. During a recent lunch on a cool, misty mountain day, we dined on spicy jerked chicken served up with a superb Jamaican curry pumpkin soup. The Sunday brunch is a Kingston event; look for diners in their Sunday bests at this popular happening.

The restaurant also offers a lighter spa menu. Items such as grilled yellow tail snapper with mushroom tomato broth, herb roasted potatoes, free range grilled chicken breast on a bed of steamed callaloo with peanut wine sauce liven the palate without adding unnecessary calories or fat.

We recommend this restaurant both for its spectacular view and for its innovative cuisine featuring Jamaican dishes with a culinary twist.

Terrace Restaurant
Terra Nova Hotel
17 Waterloo Rd., New Kingston
The Terrace serves up high tea on Thursday afternoons from 5pm to 7pm. With the sounds of piano music in the background, pastries and finger sandwiches are served by a white gloved staff. The site also hosts Sunday buffet from 9am to 3pm.