Spread the niceness

UPDATE: Spring Garden Seafood and Steakhouse has closed since this post. Please check the Related Posts for similar businesses.

An intimate date, celebratory dinner, overdue family feast, or rendezvous with old friends – some occasions that inspire patrons to treat themselves to a fine dining reservation. When you step into Spring Garden Restaurant there’s a cozy exuded elegance, with a dash of unwinding. It’s where waiters greet you at the entrance, situated along the Ocho Rios bypass on the cusp of the neighbouring St.Mary parish. With a long standing reputation as an uppercrust dining experience, it has consistently held a top spot in the niche for years.

Spring Garden Seafood & Steakhouse Restaurant, Ocho Rios Jamaica

Spring Garden restaurant is an airy establishment with 3 areas to feast: a covered patio by greenery, the main area with a bar, and a more private indoor dining option. The outer eating spaces, namely the raised deck and air-conditioned room, create a more intimate feeling for a lovely dinner date in Jamaica. Seating fit for couples and groups checker the restaurant’s floors, which are known to welcome generations of guests.

Sit at a table with neatly-tucked utensil sets that cater to any meal course. Whether the choice be appetizer, entrée, dessert (or all), it’d be a prime one! Spring Garden restaurant’s à la carte menu was paired with a wine list on a linen-lined table awaiting us. Their options encourage patrons to have a full dining experience, where your cooked-to-order meal can be savoured on the tongue and fill both your plate and stomach.

Spring Garden Restaurant Meals & Menu

1 thing I’m relieved about at Spring Garden restaurant is that it serves a satisfying serving of scrumptious dishes. A big question restaurant goers (including me) have asked is, why many fine dining establishments serve in such small portions?! After probably saving up to afford lavish dining, to me it’s heartbreaking when your belly isn’t filled after eating an intricate, photogenic dish designed on the plate. From what I’ve read, luxury restaurants tend to source quality ingredients from multiple sources, which increases the meals’ production costs and thus their price point. In order to make these dishes affordable to consumers, they are served in tiny portions. Hefty helpings thankfully weren’t skimmed on here – 1 trait not all restaurants can boast, especially a fine dining one! Fellow bloggers Monifa (EpicTourzz), Tashika (Foodiee_Tash), and I each enjoyed a main course with drinks, and barely spared enough space to even consider any additional course.

As part of its name suggests, the seafood & steakhouse menu is dominated by delectable entrées reared in waters and on land. Sizzling and steamy plates fired up all senses as they entered the room. Every morsel was impressively seasoned with complimenting flavours filling every bite, making Spring Garden a contender for 1 of the best seafood meals I’ve had. We indulged in hearty dishes with sides of creamy mashed sweet potato:

  • Seafood Platter – Grilled lobster tail, fish fillet, and crunchy fried shrimp
  • Sizzler – Chunks of fish and lobster meat crackling in bell pepper sauce on a hot plate
  • Surf & Turf – Grilled lobster tail and a ribeye steak topped with sweet in-house sauce on a bed of seasoned vegetables

Fine Dining Ocho Rios Restaurant

What made the experience here extra special was the service. From the waitress to the chef to the owner, we (and from observation, other guests too) were made to feel appreciated as patrons thanks to its ongoing staff interactions. Our waitress checked in consistently to see if our desires were met throughout the visit. Being known as a fine dining establishment in Jamaica, I decided to compare our experience at Spring Garden restaurant to this 10 steps of service list I found:

10 Steps of Service Checklist

  1. Greet Guests:
  2. Offer Beverage:
  3. Serve drinks & offer appetizers:
  4. Take food order:
    – Repeat back order to customer:
    – Remove menus:
  5. Serve food:
  6. Two-minute check back:
  7. Clear unnecessary plates & glassware:
  8. Suggest dessert & after-dinner drink:
  9. Present bill / check:
  10. Thank guests:

After a previous food + wine pairing session at an all-inclusive resort, I was also grateful for the opportunity to chat with the owner during this visit, which broadened my food horizon a bit more. Fine dining or not, I think it’s safe to say that my experience at Spring Garden is some of the best service I’ve had at a Jamaican restaurant to date. 

What would your meal choice be here – seafood or steak (or both)???

OVERALL

  • Delectability 90% 90%
  • Atmosphere 70% 70%
  • Staff Interactions 85% 85%
PLAN YOUR VISIT

Indulge in delectable seafood and steakhouse dishes with a lovely glass of wine.

Reserve a table at 876-795-3149 or online . You may also place an order & view the menu on their website.

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