Expensive

Most Expensive | Moderate | Inexpensive

Blue Mountain Inn - Caribbean/International

About a 20-minute drive north from downtown Kingston is this 18th-century coffee-plantation house high on the slopes of Blue Mountain. On cold nights, log fires blaze and the dining room gleams with silver and sparkling glass. The inn is one of Jamaica's most famous restaurants, not only for its food but also for its atmosphere and service. The effort of dressing up is worth it, and the cool night air justifies it; women are advised to take a wrap. The cuisine features fresh seafood and vegetables from the gardens of Jamaica, and menus change monthly. Top off your meal with one of the fresh-fruit desserts or homemade ice creams.

Gordon Town Rd. Reservations required. Main courses $20-$40. AE, MC, V. Mon-Sat 7-9:30pm. Head north on Old Hope Rd. into the mountains.

The Columbus Restaurant - Italian

The finest Italian cuisine in Jamaica is served at this hotel restaurant, a favorite with business travelers. The elegantly furnished restaurant offers good service and quality ingredients. Chefs tempt you with ravioli with butter, sage, and Parmesan or tender, tasty, and flavorful filet of beef in a red wine sauce. Another specialty that's a worthy dish is breast of chicken with mushroom sauce, fresh eggplant, and tomato. Members of Kingston's fashionable set often come here for a festive occasion, which is made all the more so if they order the Amaretto cheesecake.

In Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, 81 Knutsford Blvd. Main courses J$550-J$900 ($12.65-$20.70). AE, MC, V. Daily 6-11pm. In New Kingston, off Oxford Rd.

Norma's on the Terrace - Jamaican

This is the creation of Jamaica's most famous chef, Norma Shirley, purveyor of food for stylish audiences as far away as Miami. It's housed beneath the wide porticos of the gallery surrounding Kingston's most famous monument, Devon House. Ms. Shirley has taken the old, woefully dusty gardens and transformed them, so now they're manicured like something you'd expect on an English estate. Menus change with the season, but usually reflect Ms. Shirley's penchant for creative adaptations of her native Jamaican cuisine. Stellar examples include Jamaican chowder with crabmeat, shrimp, conch, and lobster; grilled whole red snapper encrusted with herbs and served with a thyme and caper sauce; or grilled smoked pork loin in a teriyaki/ginger sauce, served with caramelized apples.

In Devon House, 26 Hope Rd. Reservations recommended. Main courses J$650-J$1,800 ($14.95-$41.40). AE, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11 am-11pm.

Palm Court - International

One of the best hotel restaurants in New Kingston is this one, on the Kingston Hilton Hotel's mezzanine floor. In a formal, intimate setting, you can dine on a refined cuisine beneath paintings by prominent Kingston artists. The chef's specialty is "Port Royal", a plate of snapper, salmon, jumbo shrimp, and lobster sautéed just right in a white wine sauce before being served with a saffron sauce. Snapper often appears as a separate main course in either a butter sauce or a sauce sprinkled with slivered almonds. Imported meats, such as a rack of lamb or steaks from the United States, are also served here.

In the Kingston Hilton Hotel, 77 Knutsford Blvd. Reservations recommended. Main courses J$638-J$1913 ($13.20-$39.60). AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11 am-12:30pm and 6-1Opm.