Even though I was staying on the beach side of Negril, I knew I couldn’t let this trip pass without visiting the cliff side of town at least once. After a short rest on my second day, I hailed a cab to go on the twenty-minute ride to Rick’s Cafe, where Negril’s most beautiful sunsets are reputed to be at.
It turns out the sunset was just as nice as those at the beach, but I finally learned where all the Americans were hanging out at. Red Stripe in one hand, “hang loose” gesture in the other, my compatriots were dude!-ing and bro!-ing it up. Rick’s Cafe turned out to be a concentrated pocket of a stereotypical spring break in Negril. I have to admit though, the cliffs are gorgeous and the water is a deeper, brighter blue than that at the beach side of town.
After half an hour of watching cliff divers jump from the 35 feet-high platform and into the ocean, I left the scene and walked down West End Road towards the Hungry Lion, Negril’s famed restaurant specializing in Ital vegetarian and seafood fare. I started with a Lion Heart, a blended drink of juice, rum, sugar, lime juice and ginger. My pumpkin soup soon arrived, which was absolutely delicious despite the hot, humid weather.
I also ordered an order of baked crab backs to share.
The crab wasn’t as fresh-tasting as I would have hoped, though it was spicy enough to be satisfying. Perhaps I’m too accustomed to San Francisco’s Dungeness crabs.
For my main dish, I ordered the grilled red snapper fillet in foil with rice and peas, callaloo and spicy vegetable stew.
If I’m ordering seafood at a restaurant, I usually don’t choose fish because I greatly prefer shellfish instead. But this snapper was juicy, succulent and practically melted in my mouth. The menu item said that my dish would come with plantains, which I love, so I was disappointed to not see them on my plate. Otherwise, I was more than happy with my entree.
I took my time at the Hungry Lion, enjoying a breathtaking sunset that put Rick’s Cafe to shame and savoring each course on the restaurant’s rooftop patio. Usually when I travel, I start to crave local Bay Area food after the first day or two, but not this time. Jamaican cuisine was keeping me sated and happy.
That first picture makes me want to go snorkeling. The water looks amazing!
How did you not post a photo of the sunset from Hungry Lion? That place was awesome. As are you!