After consulting several travel guides I was pleased to be celebrating the completion of a successful Jamaican road trip at Montego Bay’s The House Boat Grill. Listed time and again as one of the top restaurants in Jamaica, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to enjoy refined Jamaican flavours while sitting in a truly unforgettable ambiance. The restaurant is a popular spot for visiting celebrities which in the past have included: The Dutchess of York, Steve McQueen, Aretha Franklyn, The Beach Boys, Sting and The Grateful Dead.
Hungry guests park their cars off the main road and walk over to the shore of the Montego Bay Park Fish Sanctuary where a cutesy (and potentially the worlds smallest man powered ferry) takes a short 3 second journey to dinner. Once arriving our skipper rang a bell and a smiling hostess soon greeted us and took us to our seat at the bow of the boat. The main dining room was packed full of chatting couples and barman could be seen tossing together a long line of rum spiked cocktails. Poking my head up the stairs I was delighted to find a romantic al fresco rooftop where one can sip and nibble under the stars.
Chef Richard Nurse offers a fusion menu which focusses on deliciousness from the sea. I slowly sipped on a glass of Rum Punch as I dragged my finger down the menu. Highlights of my feast included a hearty beef and black bean chili soup, “roll up your sleeve” peel and eat pepper shrimp with spicy scotch bonnet beurre blanc and a sweet finish banana cake with vanilla ice cream.
The Feast:
Rum Punch
Beef and Black Bean Chili Soup
Spicy Peel and Eat Pepper Shrimp with Scotch Bonnet Beurre Blanc
Roasted Onion and Calabaza Pumpkin with Fried Almond and Chevre Cheese Tartlet
Banana Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream
