What to eat Jamaica? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Restaurants can be closed on one day, or on the contrary, they can be open every day, depending on the address (you should check beforehand). Hotel restaurants are open every day for lunch and dinner with certainty.

Some local restaurants open between 6 and 7 am for breakfast, and often close at 6 pm. Other Jamaican and international restaurants close their kitchens between 9:30 and 10 p.m., but on the whole, Jamaicans eat a hearty breakfast, snack at noon and dine early.

A jerk chicken in the street will cost 5 US$, a burger in a small restaurant or a Jamaican dish between 7 and 10 US$, fish or meat dishes more like 15 US$, in a fancy restaurant 20 US$, lobsters from 30 US$, but the dishes can go up to 40 U$ in the high end restaurants. You must pay in cash, Jamaican or American dollars in modest restaurants, but credit cards are accepted in fast-food restaurants, hotel restaurants and in tourist places in general

Taxes. In restaurants, prices are often advertised without taxes. In addition to the General Consumption Charge (equivalent to our VAT) of 16.5%, you must also add 10 to 12% for service. It is therefore advisable to have the prices specified and to read the restaurant menus carefully

A tip is always appreciated, but in the case of a service charge, it can be waived

In general, Jamaicans eat a hearty breakfast, snack at noon and dine early. The plates are copious, but for the jerk chicken, you choose the size (1/4 chicken, 1/2 chicken). Beware of spicy dishes! Ask for a mild dish if you are afraid it will be too spicy.

Children are very welcome everywhere in Jamaica and children's menus are available in all tourist hotels. You will have to make do in local restaurants with the à la carte dishes.

Restaurants are often outdoors in Jamaica, and smoking is generally tolerated. Simply ask for an ashtray or sometimes a dedicated smoking area. However, in luxury resorts, smoking is not allowed directly at the table.

The coffee shops are generally open early in the morning and close around 5 or 6 pm, we come doc rather to have a good coffee from the Blue Mountains in the morning or a gourmet break in the afternoon, with a good artisanal ice cream with exotic fruits. Bars are open until late at night, depending on the place and the atmosphere! Many American-style bars offer happy hours. In the tourist areas, cafés and bars are open every day, in the city they are usually closed on Sundays.

Red Stripe beers of the national brand are not very expensive. For cocktails you will have to pay between 5 and 10 US$ depending on the bar, and depending on the composition because many use cheap sodas, ask to have freshly mixed fruit juice in your rum!

In Jamaica, the legal drinking age is 18 years old, and you may be asked for an ID card.

Children are welcome in the beach and city cafes as well as in the beach bars... The vacation spots with their feet in the sand remain child-friendly with many concerts organized early in the evening that will delight the little ones.

You can smoke in bars in Jamaica, inside, outside, whatever. Besides, opaque wisps of ganja smoke often escape from the terraces of bars and even cafés at any time!