Good to know
Good to Know
- Cookshops (small local restaurants) offer exceptional value with generous portions sufficient for two people; a chicken lunch starts around J$1,000, curry goat J$1,600, and oxtail J$2,000.
- Street food is generally safe and delicious—choose busy vendors with steady local customers and clean food preparation areas; if locals are lining up, it's usually a reliable sign.
- Kingston is the culinary capital of Jamaica with the widest variety and most authentic cuisine; the heart of local everyday food centers on thousands of cookshops and roadside jerk pans, particularly in Half-Way-Tree and Downtown.
- Eating at local restaurants instead of international chains can save 40-60% on food costs.
- Most restaurants close by 11 pm with last orders around 9 pm; restaurants are typically open six days per week with varying closure days.
Supermarkets
Hi-Lo Food Stores
- Neighborhood
- Multiple locations across Kingston including New Kingston
- Description
- Major supermarket chain with extensive grocery and non-grocery items at competitive prices
General Food Supermarket
- Neighborhood
- Liguanea Plaza, Kingston
- Description
- Wide range of groceries including fresh produce, meat, and growing ethnic section
Select Grocers
- Neighborhood
- Manor Park, Kingston
- Description
- Premium grocery store chain offering upscale shopping experience
Boot Supermarket
- Neighborhood
- Multiple locations in corporate area
- Description
- 24/7 grocery and convenience store with fresh produce, meats in deli, and food items
S Foods Supermarket
- Neighborhood
- New Kingston
- Description
- Boutique supermarket with grocery, café, and fast-food service in business district
Fresh Approach
- Neighborhood
- Kingston 5
- Description
- Specialty grocery retailer focusing on fresh and natural products
Budget
Sweetwood Jerk Joint
- Price Range
- JMD 1,200
- Neighborhood
- Uptown/Central Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Authentic Jamaican jerk chicken and pork
Sonia's Homestyle Cooking
- Price Range
- JMD 1,500
- Neighborhood
- Central Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Traditional Jamaican soul food, curried goat, oxtail
Juici Patties
- Price Range
- JMD 400
- Neighborhood
- Downtown Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Jamaican beef, chicken, and vegetarian patties
High End
Strawberry Hill
- Price Range
- JMD 6,500
- Neighborhood
- Uptown/St. Andrew Hills
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Fine dining with Jamaican and international cuisine, city views
South Avenue Grill
- Price Range
- JMD 6,000
- Neighborhood
- Downtown Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Premium steakhouse with South American grilling, prime cuts, Jamaican dishes
Mid Range
Usain Bolt's Tracks & Records
- Price Range
- JMD 3,500
- Neighborhood
- Market Place/New Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Jamaican fusion with jerk chicken, oxtail, curried goat, pasta
Broken Plate
- Price Range
- JMD 3,800
- Neighborhood
- Downtown Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Creative fusion of Jamaican and international flavors, oxtail arancini
Cellar8
- Price Range
- JMD 3,500
- Neighborhood
- Uptown Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- International cuisine with Korean barbecue ribs, Thai curried shrimp, seafood
Gloria's Seafood
- Price Range
- JMD 3,200
- Neighborhood
- Port Royal/Coastal Area
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Fresh Caribbean seafood, fried fish, lobster
International Cuisine
Chinese
- Neighborhood
- New Kingston/Marketplace
Venues
- Jade Garden
- China Garden Restaurant
Indian
- Neighborhood
- Lady Musgrave/Uptown
Venues
- Nirvanna
- Tava Indian Restaurant
- Tamarind
Italian
- Neighborhood
- New Kingston
Venues
- Fromage Brasserie
Japanese
- Neighborhood
- Uptown Kingston
Venues
- Sora Sky Cuisine
Lebanese/Mediterranean
- Neighborhood
- Upper Manor Park Plaza
Venues
- Beirut Mediterranean Cuisine
Mexican
- Neighborhood
- Hope Road, Kingston 6
Venues
- Chilitos JaMexican Food
Must Try Local Dishes
Jerk Chicken
- Description
- Signature Jamaican dish marinated in allspice, Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and cooked over pimento wood for distinctive smoky flavor. Typically served with festival (sweet fried dumpling), roasted breadfruit, and roasted sweet potato.
Ackee & Saltfish
- Description
- Jamaica's national dish, featuring salted cod and ackee fruit, typically served for breakfast with boiled green banana and fresh bread.
Curried Goat
- Description
- Tender goat meat slow-cooked in rich curry sauce with potatoes and vegetables, served with rice or roti.
Oxtail
- Description
- Traditional stew featuring slow-cooked oxtail with brown peas and rice, a hearty local favorite from cookshops.
Beef Patty in Coco Bread
- Description
- Classic Jamaican street food and quick lunch, beef-filled pastry wrapped in slightly sweet coconut bread.
Food Delivery Services
7Krave
- Description
- Jamaica's largest food, grocery, and marketplace delivery app. Operates own grocery warehouse, covers hundreds of restaurants across Kingston with real-time tracking and multiple payment options including wallet.
QuickCart
- Description
- Established food and grocery delivery service partnering with restaurants, convenience stores, and pharmacies. Available in Kingston with app and website ordering.
Pekkish
- Description
- Food delivery app bringing restaurant meals to doorstep in Kingston and Montego Bay with easy online menu browsing and ordering.
Vegan And Vegetarian Dining
- Description
- Kingston offers dedicated vegetarian venues and menu options at mainstream restaurants, with a growing plant-based food scene particularly in the uptown area.
Venues
Natural Touch
- Price Range
- JMD 900
- Neighborhood
- Central Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Vegetarian restaurant with variety of vegetarian patties (lentil, chickpea), natural juices, and wholesome plant-based meals
Oasis Vegetarian Kitchen
- Price Range
- JMD 1,000
- Neighborhood
- Uptown Kingston
- Cuisine Or Dish
- Vegetarian restaurant with vegan patties, natural juices, and nourishing plant-based options
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this food & dining research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Kingston
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.