Where to drink in Jamaica, from laid-back beach bars to all-night dub parties
Jamaica is famed for its hospitality, and the island’s nightlife doesn’t disappoint: whether you’re after a trendy lounge, a low-key beach bar or want to dance until daylight in a Kingston club, you’re sure to find something happening here every night of the week. Big areas for nightlife include Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, and it’s second city, Montego Bay – check the Daily Gleaner, the Jamaica Observer and the Jamaica Star for the low-down on who's playing when and where – but wherever you go, there is music to be found. This, after all, is the island that created reggae. Are you ready to get your groove on?
Montego Bay and Northwest coast
Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville
Set in the heart of the Hip Strip (aka Gloucester Avenue) and spread across two decks, Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville is an unashamed party joint but one that, unlike its Negril and Ocho Rios siblings, attracts local Jamaicans as well as the cruise ship crowd. Visit during the day to ride the 120-foot water slide into the Caribbean Sea and return at night when the in-house DJ fires up the dance floor – inspiring plenty of bumping and grinding (and drink spillage). If all you want to do is party hearty, this Mo Bay favourite won’t let you down.
Contact: 00 1 876 979 8041; margaritavillecaribbean.com/montego-bay
Prices: ££
Getting in: Casual dress code
• The best things to do in Jamaica
Pier 1
Set on a deck right on the waterfront near downtown Montego Bay, Pier 1 has two faces: by day it’s a classy open-air restaurant specialising in seafood dishes (the local favourite is land crab). But when the sun goes down, it transforms into one of Mo Bay’s most pumping party places (the other being Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville). Do as the locals do: dress up and dance with wild abandon – but don’t think about turning up much before 10pm. Live concerts are occasionally held here, with some of Jamaica’s biggest names on the setlist, alongside the occasional overseas act.
Contact: 00 1 876 952 2452; pier1jamaica.com
Prices: ££
Getting in: Smart dress code
• The best hotels in Montego Bay
Ocho Rios, Port Antonio & North coast
John Crow’s Tavern
Sport is the name of the game at this popular Main Street bar, so expect to see a big television screening the latest football games. If you’re not a sports nut, take advantage of Jamaica’s hospitable climate and head outside onto the terrace of this brightly painted building to indulge in a spot of people-watching on the bustling street. Regular promotions draw in the locals on their way home from a busy day at work, who rub shoulders with those tourists in search of a more chilled alternative to the riotous vibe at Margaritaville.
Contact: 00 1 876 974 5895; facebook.com
Prices: £
Getting in: Casual dress code
• The best restaurants in Jamaica
Reggae Inferno
Formerly the Roof Club, you won’t find a lot of reggae played at this gritty local disco – despite what its new name might suggest. What you can expect is dancehall, dancehall and yes, more dancehall, with a smattering of R&B thrown in for good measure. Spend even the smallest amount of time in Ocho Rios and chances are, after a few too many drinks, you’ll end up here body bopping with the masses after midnight. Women get in free any night of the week, but Reggae Inferno is at it’s liveliest best come weekends.
Contact: 7 James Avenue, Ocho Rios; 00 1 876 974 1042
Prices: £
Getting in: Bring your (comfortable) dancing shoes
Negril and the West Coast
Alfred’s Ocean Palace
Enviably situated on Negril’s Seven Mile Beach, Alfred’s Ocean Palace is a guesthouse-cum-restaurant-cum-beach bar that regularly hosts local acts. Look to this place for the very best in roots, rock and reggae music – keep an eye on their website for everything they’ve got on – with plenty of reasonably priced rum punch to accompany it. The stage is set on the beach, meaning you can dance the night away in the sand, under the stars. Be sure to grab something to eat beforehand in the restaurant, which deals in good Jamaican standards.
Contact: 00 1 876 957 4669; alfreds.com
Prices: £
Getting in: Acts start around 10pm
Bourbon Beach
This Negril staple has built its reputation on a pretty simple formula: top sets from reggae greats (the late John ‘The Tide Is High’ Holt and the Cool Ruler himself, Gregory Isaacs, both performed at Bourbon) and exciting fresh talent. It’s a favourite with other musicians who head here on nights off to “bill chill” (take it easy). The general vibe of the friendly staff and customers is fantastic, too: everyone is made to feel welcome. Keep an eye out for its dancehall night on a Saturday which always turn into a bit of a mad one.
Contact: 00 1 876 957 4432; bourbonbeach.com
Prices: £
Getting in: Live music rarely starts much before 9.30pm
Rick’s Cafe
Years come and go, and Rick’s Cafe still remains Jamaica’s most popular bar by far with visitors bussed in from as far away as Montego Bay and Ocho Rios for a night at this Negril institution. Join them, for one evening at least, on rocky cliffs 35ft above the ocean to drink the (admittedly expensive) rum punch while watching the sun dip below the western horizon. On the cliffs of the West End, there is an added sunset tradition – of leaping from one of the bar terraces into the turquoise water below.
Contact: 00 1 876 957 0380; facebook.com
Prices: £££
Getting in: Be prepared to queue
• The best things to do in Grenada
Kingston, Blue Mountains and Southeast coast
Dub Club
The Dub Club feels especially worthy of a spot on this list: it’s the hottest party spot, not only in Kingston, but on the entire island, with the best setting too. Perched high on Jack’s Hill, looking down over the capital, selector Sabre Selassie and guests serve up superlative roots, reggae, rock and dub in the open air. Dub Club also offers a laid-back bar and Ital dishes and seems to welcome a cross-section of people, from locals to expats to visitors passing through, and everyone else inbetween. It’s certainly worth making the effort to get here.
Contact: 00 1 876 815 1184; kingstondubclub.com
Prices: ££
Getting in: Arrive early for a drink but know that things don’t get going before 10pm
• The best nightlife in Grenada
South Coast and Central Highlands
Pelican Bar
Widely hailed as 'the coolest bar in the Caribbean’, the Pelican was built by a fisherman named Floyd in 2001 after he saw it in a dream. Reaching the ramshackle bar is a thrilling adventure: the Pelican sits on stilts in the shallow water of a sandbar several hundred yards off Jamaica’s southwest coast, so you’ll need to catch a boat from either Treasure Beach, Parrottee Point or Black River to get there. Go for a sunset drink and enjoy it over a game of dominoes with Floyd and his friends or in waist-deep water, surrounded by rays and pelicans.
Contact: 00 1 876 354 4218; pelicanbar.restaurantsnapshot.com
Prices: ££
Getting in: Call ahead if you want to eat
TreeTop Bar
It’s impossible to have a bad time at the plant-festooned TreeTop Bar, part of the fabulous Lashings Boutique Hotel and Villas, that’s invariably stuffed full of laughter and people. Fairytale lights cast a twilight tinge from above at night, illuminating the rattan furniture, distressed wooden floorboards and name signs that pay homage to the bar’s high profile past guests. Service is welcoming and enthusiastic: even the owner, David Folby, works the room chatting to guests and recommending snacks and drinks. Speaking of which happy hour runs, rather generously, from 4.30-7.30pm offering two-for-one on Rum Punch and other classics. Cheers.
Contact: 00 1 876 550 1610; lashings.co.uk/villas.html
Prices: ££
Getting in: Beach chic
