Jamaican food is all about bold flavours with a focus on local and fresh produce. The most authentic dishes are a blend of techniques and cuisine not only from the Caribbean but Africa, Asia and even Europe – and it’s so much more than jerk chicken and generous tumblers of rich, dark rum!
In our guide on what to eat and drink in Jamaica, we’ve included our must-try dishes, as well as our favourite spots to venture out from your resort to try the very best of the island’s traditional cuisine on your Jamaica holiday.
The 8 best Jamaican foods to try
Look out for these dishes on menu boards in your resort or at local restaurants during your stay.
1. Ackee and saltfish
Considered to be the national dish of Jamaica, ackee and saltfish is popular with both locals and tourists alike. Ackee is a fruit grown on the island which pairs perfectly with the salted cod. Often found on a breakfast menu, it can also be served with dumplings, vegetables or fried breadfruit.
2. Fried breadfruit
While you may think this would be a sweet dish, fried breadfruit is similar to potatoes – comforting and starchy. It's usually paired with hot dishes and served throughout the day from breakfast through to lunch and dinner.
3. Goat curry
Curries in Jamaica tend to be warming and hearty with a very spicy kick. You’ll often find goat curry on the menu, cooked on the bone in the sauce for a long period of time until the meat is tender. Serving sizes are generally quite generous and accompanied with a side of rice and vegetables.
4. Jerk chicken
How could we not include jerk chicken?! While you may have tried this dish at home, the taste sensation of jerk chicken in Jamaica is taken to a whole new level. Cooked over pimento wood and marinated in a fiery seasoning, this chicken is succulent, hot and is sure to have you going back for more.
5. Jamaican beef patty
Feeling peckish? Similar to a Cornish pasty or empanadas, Jamaican beef patties are a flaky pastry dough filled with ground beef seasoned with spices and hot peppers – and are just the right size for an afternoon snack. You can also find cheese, vegetable and seafood varieties.
6. Bammy
A type of flatbread made from ground up cassava, bammy is simple but oh-so-tasty. Soaked in coconut milk and then fried to to be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, it's typically served as a side to curries and meat dishes.
7. Escovitch fish
Put simply, this dish is fresh fish fried golden brown – usually whole – and topped with pickled vegetables marinated in a spicy sauce. Along with onions, carrot, , garlic and Jamaican pimentos the dish is given a kick with the addition of scotch bonnet peppers.
8. Mannish water
A dish for adventurous eaters, mannish water is a broth-like soup – said to be an aphrodisiac – made from a goat’s head and other offal, along with roughly-chopped vegetables and scotch bonnet peppers. Some variations add white rum to enhance the flavours.
What to drink in Jamaica
Feeling thirsty? Here's what to look for on the drinks’ menu...
Rum
As Jamaica’s national beverage, rum is definitely at the top of our list of things to drink. Poured neat, with a mixer or in a fruit rum punch, there really is no bad way to serve this tipple. Typically bars and restaurants will use overproof white rum – where the alcohol content is over 57.5% – with Wray & Nephew a popular brand.
Red Stripe
This Jamaican beer is refreshing and crisp, ideal for a warm day in the sunshine. Sold internationally, you can find it in shops back home but there's something especially satisfying about drinking from a cold can while lounging by the pool or on the beach.
Vodka and Ting
A simple spirit and mixer, this drink combines vodka with Ting, a grapefruit flavoured soft drink well-loved across Jamaica. Add a squeeze of lime and fresh mint to garnish.
Sorrel tea
If you're holidaying in Jamaica during the festive season, you may be offered sorrel tea. A kind of spiced iced tea made from flowers – let’s call it a Caribbean spin on mulled wine – this is a cooling and refreshing drink simmered with cinnamon sticks and orange peel then cooled before being poured.
What is the drinking age in Jamaica?
You can legally drink alcohol in Jamaica at the age of 18.
Where to eat and drink in Jamaica
Feel like venturing beyond the resort’s buffet? You’ll find a great range of restaurants across Jamaica from fine dining to laidback, open-air eateries. Here are a few of our favourite and while they are open at the time of writing, please always check before heading out.
The Appleton Estate
Tucked away in Jamaica’s Nassau Valley, Appleton Estate has been producing its distinguished range of authentic Jamaican rums for over 265 years, making it the island’s oldest distillery and sugar estate.
Once you’ve taken a guided tour of the estate make your way to the on-site Black River Lounge. With indoor and outdoor seating, a bar and jerk pit, this is a fantastic spot to sample the full range of rum varieties from the classic Appleton Estate Signature Blend to the Rare Blend 12-Year-Old and Luxurious 21-Year-Old Jamaican Rum. You can even pick up a bottle (or two) as a souvenir of your time in Jamaica.
The Houseboat Grill
Moored in the calm waters of Montego Bay Marine Park Fish Sanctuary, The Houseboat Grill is waterside dining at its very best.
Take your pick of dining spots from the cosy indoor dining room to open decks and sit down to a menu of fusion flavours, a mix of both local and globally-inspired dishes. Lovingly prepared by Chef Rich Nurse you can expect dishes such as grilled north coast mahi-mahi fillet with wild rice pilaf and grilled beef tenderloin of beef served with a scotch bonnet beurre blanc.
Evita’s
Since 1984, Evita’s has been serving up fusion dishes that combine the best of Northern Italian and Jamaican cuisine. Set in a quaint Jamaican “Gingerbread” style house in Ocho Rios dating back to the 1860s, Evita’s has played host to celebrities and royalty over the years including Kate Moss, Keith Richards, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Princess Margaret.
We recommend trying the “Jerk” Spaghetti made with spicy jerk sausage sautéed with onions, garlic and marinara sauce or Lasagna “Rastafari”, a vegetable lasagne with ackee and catalo.
Belinda’s Riverside Restaurant
An extremely popular stopping-off place for rafting tours travelling down the Rio Grande River, Belinda’s Riverside Restaurant, set within a rustic bamboo hut on the river’s edge, has gained worldwide fame for its authentic Jamaican cooking..
Owner and chef Belinda serves up hearty plates of mouth-watering chicken fricassee, crayfish curry, grilled parrotfish and other traditional dishes made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. all cooked on a wood-fired grill. With accompaniments such as roasted breadfruit, fried plantain, dumplings and rice, this is good, simple cooking packed with flavour.
Bamboo Blu
WIthin the stylish Mammee Bay Estate in Ocho Rios, Bamboo Blu is one of the few restaurants in Jamaica to offer oceanfront dining on its own private beach, complete with lounge chairs and cabanas exclusively for customers.
Dine on innovative dishes inspired by Jamaican ingredients and cuisine – think grilled lobster, baked Bungo crab or honey jerk BBQ ribs – all crafted by Executive Chef Osmond Brown, who has worked at a number of Jamaica’s top resorts.
This is the perfect venue for a romantic dinner on the beach – try to time your visit to coincide with one of the evening bonfires or live reggae music.
Dinner Terrace at the Jamaica Inn
Overlooking a private white-sand beach and the Caribbean Sea, the open-air Dinner Terrace offers gourmet al fresco dining at the family-run Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios.
Stop by for a light lunch of sandwiches, pasta, soup or Jamaican favourites such as curried goat or grilled snapper. Or come in the evening and enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail in the oceanfront bar before dining on international dishes with an island twist – think chilled white peach and goat cheese soup, Caribbean seafood ragout in a puff pastry vol-au-vent, or grilled lobster.
Sugar Mill at the Half Moon Resort
For relaxed fine dining in a unique, historic setting, look no further than Sugar Mill at the five-star Half Moon Resort. Set on the site of a 17th-century estate, complete with working water wheel, this award-winning restaurant melds traditional Caribbean cuisine with a range of influences from Asia, Europe and Africa.
Experience the rich diversity of island cooking and the quality of the local produce in an atmospheric setting under the stars with delights such as smoked marlin carpaccio with codfish and crayfish brandade and tea-smoked duck breast with orange-coriander steamed bammy, citrus sauce, sorrel chutney and tempura okra.
Our top Jamaican hotels for foodies
Do I need to tip in Jamaica?
When eating out, a service charge of 10% is usually already applied to your bill. However, in All Inclusive resorts, there is no need to tip when enjoying your meal.
Feeling hungry? Check out our range of incredible holidays to Jamaica where you can soak up the sun and get your fill of all this cuisine. Speak to one of our Caribbean travel experts today and book a tailor-made trip.