Best Italian Restaurants in Jamaica

For residents of Jamaica, and even visitors, eating Italian cuisine is quite the treat because it always has a touch of Jamaica in it. Italian restaurants are particularly nice to visit if you are a vegetarian, because of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica which embraces vegan or vegetarian eating. Many Italian dishes are meat-free, and many restaurants identify their vegetarian dishes as being "Rasta" or "Rastafari" dishes. For the best Italian food in Jamaica, check out these restaurants:

Evita's is owned by Eva Myers, who made her name in Montego Bay as having a golden touch with creating successful nightclubs. She opened her restaurant in a darling gingerbread house in Ocho Rios, and she definitely has the golden touch with restaurants too. It's a highly entertaining place to visit, and the food is fantastic. She calls her cuisine "Jam-Italian" and talks about a "fusion" in her cuisine. She blends local specialties like ackee and calaloo with traditional Italian flavors like creamy alfredo sauce, garlic and fresh tomatoes. Most of the dishes are pasta, and fresh seafood is in abundance on the menu.

Ciao Jamaica just recently opened on West End Road, just across from Samsara Resort. It is owned by New York actress Sabrina Lee Moore, who acted in the soap "One Life to Live" and "The World According to Garp" before settling down to raise children and be a restaurateur. The chef at Ciao Jamaica is something of a local legend, and her stone-fired thin-crust pizza is quickly becoming the most popular dish at the Negril restaurant. She has also created a few original dishes, one of which is called "Stir Fry Spaghetti." She stir-fries chicken breast, fresh vegetables and ginger in sesame oil, then blends in spices to create a thick oriental sauce. The tantalizing concoction is then served over spaghetti noodles instead of rice.

Chez Maria is actually an Italian and Lebanese restaurant, so it's more Mediterranean cuisine than Italian, but it's extremely good and you will not be disappointed. Owned and operated by a small family, the owners will serve you personally and ensure you receive excellent service. The food is as good as if you were visiting relatives in Italy...it's the best home cooking you can imagine. Prices are in Jamaican dollars too, so the prices are outstanding. Filet Mignon with a heavenly mushroom sauce will only cost you about $17 USD. You'll want to visit this restaurant more than once to be sure you get enough of the great cooking!