Montego Bay Dining

The Native restaurant

Dining in Montego Bay varies from fine dining (with fare ranging from Jamaican to international) to casual eateries enjoyed right off the beach.

If you are interested in dining at an all-inclusive where you're not a guest, call about a night pass. Most Jamaican all-inclusives sell both day and evening passes which allow non-guests to come on-property and enjoy the amenities. (Plan on about $75-$100 per person for a night pass including dinner, tips, drinks and evening entertainment.) Everyone comes out a winner. You get to try a new restaurant and the resort tempts you to book your next vacation with them.

Belfield 1794
Barnett Estate

This elegant restaurant, located on the 3,000-acre Barnett Estate near Montego Bay on Granville Main Road, is operated by Elegant Resorts International. The open-air restaurant features a view of the city and a menu that combines a taste of Jamaica and the Caribbean. After your meal, enjoy a leisurely stroll over to the great house. The restored historic house is open to visitors; guided tours are available before or after dinner. Menu selections include spicy ackee tomato salsa on smoked marlin, plantation salad, jerk pork Belfield, steamed fish Port Royal, sweet potato pudding.

Kit Kat Restaurant
Verney's Tropical Resort
Leader Avenue

This delightful restaurant offers visitors a real taste of Jamaican home cooking. It is located in the modest Verney's Tropical Resort, a small property with a hilltop view of the city. The open-air restaurant features genuine Jamaican dishes (with real amounts of Jamaican spice, not watered-down versions for tourist tastes).

Margaritaville
Gloucester Avenue

You don’t just visit Margueritaville for the food—a stop here is more for the party atmosphere. Casual dining is the order of the day: American favorites like burgers and pizza top the list. The food is just an excuse to come use the extensive facilities, which include a waterslide that plummets from the upstairs bar right into the sea and giant TV screens. Nightlife is busy here.

Marguerite's
Gloucester Avenue

For all the casualness of its next door neighbor, Margaritaville, Marguerites offers something elegant and special. The two eateries may be yards apart, but in atmosphere they might as well be at opposite ends of the island. The specialty of the house at this seaside restaurant is the flambéed dishes, such as Tijuana shrimp flambéed in tequila and Grand Marnier.

The Native
29 Gloucester Avenue

Tucked under a sprawling Poinciana tree, this open-air eatery is a wonderful place to step away from the packaged fun of the resorts and watch Montego Bay life roll by. We came to The Native for a lunch buffet, an impressive spread of salads, rice and peas, jerk chicken, snapper, and other island delights. Offered every Friday and Sunday, this noon buffet is popular with vacationers and locals alike. And if you cant make it for the buffet, order up the Boonoonoonos Platter for a sample of lots of local specialties.

The Pork Pit
27 Gloucester Avenue

Jerk chicken, spare ribs, steam roast fish, sweet potatoes, roast yam, festival and cold coconut water star at this fast-food eatery that’s a favorite with local diners. Located across from Walter Fletcher Beach. Order up a plate and then grab a place at one of the picnic tables on the open patio for a real Jamaican meal. Like the menu here, seating is simple and no frills. However, for real Jamaican jerk, this is the place to go in Montego Bay.

Richmond Hill Inn
Union Street

The view from this restaurant alone makes the trip to Richmond Hill Inn worthwhile. The open-air restaurant serves up a variety of continental and Jamaican fare, all enjoyed with a beautiful view of the city lights and the bay.

Round Hill
West of Montego Bay on North Coast Highway

Dining at Round Hill is an elegant (and expensive) experience in which you are served by candlelight under the stars. Dishes such as grilled mahi mahi with fennel and orange salad, duck and sausage cassoulet, or crab salad with fresh coconut are on offer. Fresh seafood is featured nightly. Saturday is the dressiest night at Round Hill; jacket and tie are required. Mondays are casual with a beach barbecue and bonfire. On Wednesdays, dinner is la carte, while on Friday they feature a Jamaican menu followed by a Jamaican folkloric performance.

The Royal Stocks English Pub and Steakhouse
Half Moon Village

We recently enjoyed a lunch here while attending a Jamaican tourism convention held at the Half Moon Conference Centre, just steps away. Both indoor and outside seating are available in this traditional English pub that serves steaks, lobster and seafood as well as pub fare. The bar has a full selection of traditional ales. When you’re ready for fun, there’s a sports bar (with darts and skittles). Call for free transportation if you’re not staying on property.

Sakura Japanese Restaurant
Half Moon Village
North Coast Highway

The black and white decor of this restaurant, in keeping with that throughout Half Moon, hints at the elegance found inside. Proof of the many cuisines Jamaica offers, this restaurant features hibachi grill-top cooking right at your table. With his flying knives, the chef will prepare a meal of seafood, steak or chicken that’s as good as the show itself. Reservations required.

Seagrape Terrace
Half Moon, North Coast Highway

This open-air eatery sits right on the beach and serves up Caribbean cuisine. Both buffet and la carte service are available at lunch; dinner is la carte only. In the evenings, the atmosphere is lively with dancing and floor shows. A Jamaican beach barbecue is offered on Monday and Friday nights and you can try local specialties then dance to the sounds of a steel pan band.

Town House
16 Church Street
Moderate to Expensive

Built in 1765, this restaurant and tavern features brick walls decorated with local artwork. You can dine inside or on the verandah. Offerings run the gamut from red snapper papillot, spare ribs and stuffed lobster to shrimp, steaks, pastas and Jamaican dishes, including many curried entrées. Open from Monday through Saturday for lunch and daily for dinner, the restaurant offers free round-trip transportation from local hotels.