Spread the niceness
Festive, overflowing plates and cool tropical breeze are a few staples that fill the ambiance of a Jamaican-style Christmas! Sky hues meeting the surrounding sea enhance the cliff-side, open-air setting at the Rocks Restaurant and Bar in Tower Isle, St. Mary. The restaurant is tucked away off a main road just outside Ocho Rios; easy to find once you make a reservation at (876) 810-4179 and learn where to go. Its low-key location creates a lovely choice for private group dinners. Their Jamaican Christmas menu special is available for the month of December at USD $65 per person. I joined fellow food content creators Jamaican Foodie Chronicles and Wonga Gyal for a trip to the north coast to get a first sample of the Rocks Restaurant Christmas menu!

Reservations are required at the Rocks Restaurant & Bar
Appetizer:

  • Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Festive Drinks:

  • Sorrel
  • Champagne

Dessert:

  • Christmas Cake or Minced Tarts with Vanilla Ice Cream
Entree:

  • Honey-glazed Ham
  • Roast Chicken with Stuffing
  • Oxtail
  • Curried Goat
  • Curried Coconut Veggies (Vegetarian option)
  • Vegetable Spring Rolls (Vegetarian option)
  • Vegetable Pasta (Vegetarian option)
  • Rice & Gungo Peas
  • Steamed Veggies
  • Mashed Potatoes
I initially thought the Rocks Restaurant and Bar Christmas menu included a choice of a single main and side for the entree but bwoy was I wrong! Like a true potluck-style holiday plate, the hearty spread is packed with variety! Yes that’s right… an array of meat or vegetarian fare + all side orders can be served to you on a single plate.

Travel Tip: Carry cash. There may not be a card machine.

 The Rocks Restaurant Menu Taste Reviews

  • The cream of pumpkin soup was hot and full of body, just how I like it. Served with a crisp cut of bread, great for dipping into the creamy soup. For me, the crunch of the baguette slice covered with the warm pumpkin soup flavour is a perfect way to open an appetite.

  • In Jamaica, ham is extra special at Christmas time. Something like a turkey during Thanksgiving in North America, Christmas ham is often a coveted meat on the dinner table. The first bite of Rocks Restaurant’s glazed ham slices drizzled with sauce transported me to December.
  • The roasted chicken cuts were also drizzled with a savoury sauce. Stuffing is served on the side, allegedly for the chicken but we found it paired well on its own and with just about anything else.
  • Oxtail was tender and cooked with broad beans, ie. the proper way (in my opinion). With such a full plate, I was extra pleased to get more than 1 piece of oxtail plus beans.
  • Though curried goat isn’t my favourite, I found myself relishing as much of the meat as I could get off the bone. Small cuts of potato that shared the curry pot accompanied the goat.
  • Side dishes: Gungo peas (aka pigeon peas) replaces traditional kidney beans (aka red peas) as the top choice to pair with rice during Christmas time in Jamaica. Its often reserved for special events, and in some households is a clear indication of the start of the festive season.
    • Fluffy mashed potatoes sat beside a bed of lightly steamed broccoli, carrots, and green peas.
    • Baked mac and cheese squares were topped with a breaded crust. Each cut had thick layers of goodness. Its crispy finish and innate comfort of cheesy macaroni could easily have you wanting more if you somehow have space for seconds with this Rocks Restaurant and Bar menu spread.

  • Jamaican Christmas cake is fruit cake, but not like the ones in North America and Europe. The dried fruity bits are often soaked in sweet red wine / white rum. Rocks Restaurant & Bar’s fruit cake was moist, and (thankfully) its rum flavour was not muted. The cake was warm, topped with a contrasting scoop of vanilla ice cream. A swirl of chocolate syrup and dash of powdered sugar added an extra dose of sweetness.

Conclusion

The table consensus halfway through the entree was that it would be a challenge to finish the feast, knowing another course was on its way. No worries, as the food lovers that we are we did indeed finish everything! It didn’t happen without some extra willpower and limit testing. I was so stuffed; didn’t need to eat for almost 24hrs after.

Consider calling (876) 810-4179 to reserve a table for your group at the Rocks Restaurant and Bar during the month of December. Its quiet outdoor setting provides a feast for the eyes as well as taste buds!

 

OVERALL REVIEW

  • Delectability 90% 90%
  • Food Variety 100% 100%
  • Atmosphere 70% 70%
  • Staff Interactions 80% 80%

RESERVE YOUR TABLE

Call (876) 810-4179 to book a private dinner on the cliffs for you and your group this festive season!