Cliff-side dining in Negril, Jamaica - Restaurant review: Xtabi Resort, Lighthouse Road

Based on Lighthouse Road in Negril, Xtabi Resort sits right on the top of the cliffs – a diver’s dream! With private sea-front cottages, octagon-shaped bungalows and an open-air restaurant and bar, the resort offers beautiful views over the Caribbean Sea. If you’re feeling adventurous you can climb the steep stony steps leading down to the caves, or enjoy a spot of snorkelling in the shallow reefs nearby.

The restaurant at Xtabi Resort makes for an unforgettable dining experience, with ocean views providing the perfect backdrop for a lovely meal.

I’d recommend going here just before sunset to really get the most out of the fantastic views on offer, but when we went there a big storm erupted not long after we’d arrived and it made for a great spot for watching the lightning over the sea.

From breakfast…

We visited Xtabi’s restaurant for breakfast one morning, where I was delighted to see the presence of coffee on the menu; tea and coffee isn’t as popular in Jamaica as it is in Britain.

I ordered myself a regular white coffee, which only cost around $3. It was rich and strong, providing me with a much-needed caffeine fix! The coffee was served black with a canister of brown sugar and a small jug of milk for self-pouring.

Meanwhile, my guest ordered a glass of freshly squeezed mixed fruit juice, also around $3.

Although Xtabi’s restaurant menu focuses mainly on Jamaican cuisine, the breakfast menu had American, British and Spanish influences including dishes like eggs benedict (with lobster, ham or bacon), eggs and bacon/ham, the ‘Western’ omelette (with ham, peppers and onions) and the Spanish omelette.

I couldn’t resist the eggs Benedict with bacon, which cost about $8. Two runny eggs sat on a bed of thick bacon placed on top of wholemeal toast, drowned in a pool of banana-yellow hollandaise sauce.

The Hollandaise sauce was superb – the consistency was perfect and the lemon was detectable, yet not too overpowering. There was plenty of it, and it was a lovely contrast to the salty bacon. My only suggestion for improvement to this dish would be to butter the toast, although serving dry bread/toast seems to be the norm in Jamaica.

My guest ordered a ham and cheese omelette, ($6 approx.), which was also served with two halved slices of toasted wholemeal bread. Filled to the brim with ham and cheese, the omelette looked light and fluffy.

…To dinner

We also visited Xtabi for dinner one evening. I opted for garlic butter shrimps ($18 approx.) served with steamed veg, rice and peas and mashed potato. The dish was accompanied by a complimentary starter of vegetable soup with a bread roll.

The shrimps were fresh and juicy and the garlic sauce was delicious, while the rice and peas had a pleasant hint of spice and the mashed potato tasted homemade.

My guest ordered a fish burger with fries ($8 approx.). The fries were perfect – a deep golden brown with a visibly crispy exterior and a soft and fluffy centre. Served in a soft white bap with fresh lettuce and sliced tomato, the fish burger was fairly big and consisted of breaded escovitch fish. It wasn’t my ideal dish because I’m not overly keen on fish, but my guest is a big lover of seafood and he really enjoyed it.

I definitely recommend visiting Xtabi Resort for breakfast, lunch or dinner if you’re staying in Negril. It also seems like a fantastic choice of accommodation, although if you’re looking to rent a sea-front cottage it could get pretty expensive.

To book a room at Xtabi Resort, please click here.

Xtabi Resort

Lighthouse Road

Negril

Jamaica

www.xtabi-negril.com

This post contains affiliate links and if you place a booking through these links, I will receive a small commission fee.

2 Comments on Cliff-side dining in Negril, Jamaica – Restaurant review: Xtabi Resort, Lighthouse Road

Kayleigh says:

August 20, 2015 at 8:07 am

This place looks stunning! What a beautiful place to watch a sunset (or a storm) love the little caves and things too, just lovely. Thanks for sharing this 🙂

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Kacie Morgan says:

August 20, 2015 at 5:13 pm

Glad you liked my post 🙂 It truly is a beautiful place, like many other places in Jamaica. A Negril sunset is an amazing thing to see!

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