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Spanish Town and St. Catherine

Food

With over a million people, the parish of St. Catherine has the largest share of Jamaica’s population. Spanish Town, the sedate parish capital, was Jamaica’s center of government until the British bureaucrats relocated to Kingston in 1872. Known simply as Spain or St. Jago in street lingo, the city has a rich heritage but has been largely left to decay. Its central square is more a bend along the road than a center of activity. Still, it has impressive facades and is home to Jamaica’s national archives. The oldest Anglican Church outside of England is within a five-minute walk.

Spanish Town and surrounding communities like Old Harbour and Freetown have grown rapidly with housing schemes that respond to a demand for low-income housing from first-time home buyers. Most activity in Spanish Town today revolves around the two malls and bus park along Burke Road. Mandela Highway has heavy traffic into Kingston from Spanish Town during weekday rush hours (between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and back out in the evenings between 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.).

 

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Di Dragon

Di Dragon (2-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 2-11pm Fri./Sat., 2-9pm Sun., US$15-25/lb., or around US$60 for a modest meal for two) is an informal backyard Chinese food restaurant specialized in seafood dishes. Try the ginger scallion, black bean sauce, or salt and pepper shrimp, king crab, blue crab, snapper or lobster, and you'll have no regrets.

In: Seafood, Meat, Asian

Natural Vitamin Herbs & Vegetarian Place

In: Vegetarian

Ire Jerk and Seafood Restaurant

Irie Jerk Centre: Serves fried and jerk chicken (US$2/piece, quater chicken For US$4 and whole US$15) and pork for US$9/lb and beer US$2. 

In: Jerk

Fisherman's Cabin

Fisherman’s Cabin (4 p.m.–midnight Mon.–Wed., 10 a.m.–2 a.m. Thurs.–Sun., US$7–14) has tables right on a dock overlooking the harbor down in a corner by Port Royal Square.

The whole of Port Royal is a popular weekend outing destination for Kingstonians who come seeking the fish, lobster, and seafood platters.

In: Seafood, Bars

Gloria's Seafood Restaurant

Gloria’s Seafood Restaurant has two locations ,  and is a must for anyone who appreciates seafood (US$10 for a fried fish and bammy). Gloria died a few years ago, but her legacy lives on with her children now running the business. Service can be slow owing to the crowds that swarm in, especially on Friday evenings and after church on Sundays.

In: Seafood

Y-Knot

Y-Knot ( 9 a.m.–7 p.m., daily, 9 a.m. till you say when Fri.–Sun.), at Port Royal Slip Way, is an excellent bar that serves food (chicken, fish, pork, shrimp, and ribs; US$4–14) on weekends. Y-Knot is the home of Lime Cay Tours, where launches leave daily for Lime Cay (US$12).

In: Jamaican