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COSMOS SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & BAR
One of the best places to go for local seafood enters on a Polynesian thatched bohîo (beach hut) open to the sea and bordering the main beachfront. In this rustic setting, Cosmo Brown entertains locals and visitors. You can order his famous conch soup, or conch in a number of other ways, including steamed or curried. He's also known for his savory kettle of curried goat, or you might prefer freshly caught seafood or fish, depending on what the catch turned up. Unless you order shellfish, most dishes are rather inexpensive.
Location: Norman Manley Blvd
Telephone:876/957-4784
NORMA'S
Norma Shirley is hailed as the finest chef in Jamaica (also see "Norma's on the Terrace"). Having closed down in Montego Bay, she now operates this eatery in Negril. Although Norma is not likely to be on the premises when you arrive, the chefs use her recipes for their inspiration-a cookery characterized by such regional products as callaloo (a spinachlike vegetable), papaya, and corn-fed free-range chicken. The menu is seasonally adjusted; offerings might include lobster tails, jerk chicken, grilled Atlantic salmon, perfectly cooked rack of lamb, savory Cornish game hen, or delicately poached salmon.
Location:In the Sea Splash Resort, Norman Manley Blvd
Telephone:876/957-4041
RICK'S CAFE
At sundown, everybody in Negril heads toward the lighthouse along the West End strip to Rick's Café, whether they want a meal or not. Of course, the name was inspired by the old watering hole of Bogie's Casablanca. There was a real Rick (Richard Hershman), who first opened this bar back in 1974, but he's long gone. This laid-back cafe was made famous in the 1970s as a hippie hangout, and ever since it's attracted the bronzed and the beautiful (and some who want to be). Management claims the sunset here is the most glorious in Negril, and after a few fresh-fruit daiquiris, you'll agree with them. (Actually, the sunset is just as spectacular at any of the waterfront hangouts in Negril, if nothing is blocking the view.) Casual dress is the order of the day, and reggae and rock comprise the background music. If you want dinner, you can order imported steaks along with a complete menu of blackened dishes, Cajun style. The fish (red snapper, fresh lobster, or grouper) is always fresh. The food is rather standard, and expensive for what you get, but that doesn't keep the touristy crowds away from the sunset party. You can also buy plastic bar tokens at the door, which you can use instead of money, a la Club Med. A bit tacky, we'd say. Bogie would never have tolerated this.
Location:West End Rd, Around Town
Telephone: 876/957-0380
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