In The Mood: Romantic Restaurants In Jamaica In The Mood: Romantic Restaurants In Jamaica

In The Mood: Romantic Restaurants In Jamaica

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While we’re sure that nothing gets your lady turned on like jerk chicken sauce smeared all over your face, there are also some high-end, romantic restaurants in Jamaica that deserve your attention. Since Jamaica is a magnet for honeymooners, it makes sense that there are more than a dozen fine-dining options on the island. These are the 5 best that you should go to on your honeymoon.

  • The Caves

    The Caves Hotel, Negril, Jamaica
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    We’ve mentioned elsewhere how The Caves is consistently voted one of the most romantic resorts in the world), so you can only imagine how romantic the dinners are. There are three restaurants from which to choose, but nothing says “we’re definitely going to have sex after this” like private dining inside the cave. This is an actual limestone cave where two very private and intimate dining rooms have been carved out. The effect is straight out of a fairy tale, complete with softly flickering candles, strewn flower petals, and the sound of the ocean. The menu constantly changes, but you can count on there being fresh fish and lobster. In a way it doesn’t matter what you order: the setting is so romantic you’ll probably just hold hand, play footsie and stare into each other’s eyes until the check comes.

    private dining inside cave | fairy tale | candlelit

  • Rockhouse Restaurant

    Rockhouse Restaurant, West End Road, Negril, Jamaica
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    Like The Caves, Rockhouse Restaurant is an open air location right up against the crashing waves. While it’s not as private as The Caves (there are more than two tables), you’re perched on volcanic cliffs at Pristine Cove, which more than lives up to its name. The scenery is breathtaking, the service top-notch. You can expect Caribbean cuisine with organic, locally sourced ingredients (if it’s not coming out of the restaurant’s own garden), and some pretty amazing dishes like jerk-spiced grilled calamari and their speciality, Old Time Synting, which is basically crayfish, calamari, snapper and shrimp simmered in run down sauce.

    open air | top-notch service | Caribbean cuisine

  • Dinner Terrace at Jamaica Inn

    Dinner Terrace at Jamaica Inn
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    This intimate, boutique property in Ocho Rios features old-world design and architecture, so it has a timeless romantic feel. It’s independently owned, meaning the guy who runs this place doesn’t have to answer to the corporate world and is free to create extraordinary moments for couples, as he sees fit. Honeymooners flock here to dine on the terrace, which faces the sea. It’s a white tablecloth, flickering candles, live music (not reggae), white columns and shutters type of place. The restaurant specializes in contemporary Caribbean cuisine with global influences. Pan-fried duck breast with wild ginger-passion fruit glaze or grilled jumbo shrimp with black beans and wild mushroom sauce are just a few delicious examples.

    old-world design | live music | contemporary Caribbean cuisine

  • Evita’s

    Ocho Rios, St. Ann Parish, Jamaica
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    Jerk chicken, beef patties, and fresh-caught fish are ubiquitous in Jamaica. But what did you expect? They’re basically national dishes that visitors are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You’ll eat them on the beach, in the rain forest, at the airport, everywhere. While you’ll definitely have to try these staples, it’s nice to take a break. That’s where Evita’s comes in. This charming restaurant inside an 1860s Gingerbread-style house right in the jungle of Ocho Rios, is completely removed from the tourist centers, and the outdoor deck has fancy views of the lush surroundings and sea below. Evita’s is a magnet for pasta lovers. It serves gourmet Italian fare with a Jamaican influence, so expect dishes like Lasagna Rastafari and Fettuccine Carib-Alfredo (fish, lobster, shrimp tossed with creamy alfredo sauce).

    removed from tourists | outdoor deck | gourmet Italian cuisine

  • HouseBoat Grill

    Houseboat Grill, Alice Eldemire Drive, Montego Bay, Jamaica
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    While the name of the restaurant isn’t all that original, HouseBoat Grill is unarguably the best restaurant in Montego Bay. Moored on the beautiful waters of Bogue Lagoon, this gorgeous, romantic place is a reservations-only, gourmand-pleasing, elegant dining experience. You can sit inside the dimly lit dining room or, our recommendation, sit outside on the upper deck under the stars. The menu changes based on seasonality and freshness, but you can always expect grilled snapper, pork tenderloin medallions (with rosti style potato cakes and brown sugar glazed carrots, which are just as delicious as the entree) and chili garlic sautéed shrimp. You can also choose your own lobster to get grilled up on command. They do say it’s important to know what you’re eating.

    Bogue Lagoon | reservations-only | under the stars