Jamaican coffee is renowned worldwide for its quality and purity.
Today, it stands among the country’s most universal products and one of its greatest culinary attractions. That’s why we’re traveling across the island to discover the best places to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee while learning more about its characteristics and history.
Geography
The Blue Mountains have become synonymous with ideal conditions for coffee cultivation. After a centuries-long journey from Abyssinia, the coffee bean has found a well-deserved home in the lush green hills of Jamaica.
The Blue Mountains are often shrouded in a constant layer of mist, which slows the growth of the coffee plant and gives Jamaican coffee its signature rich sweetness.
The result is a full-bodied, well-balanced cup—rich, never bland, and free from the acidity or burnt notes typical of lower-quality coffees.
Blue Mountain coffee
Today, the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board ensures the quality of the coffee that comes from the Blue Mountains.
Coffee lovers around the world recognize Jamaica as the ideal destination to find premium, high-end coffee. Across the island, there’s a wide variety of cafés and hidden corners where you can enjoy the perfect cup of Blue Mountain coffee—whether it’s an espresso, a filter coffee, or a refreshing iced coffee cocktail.
Kingston
Kingston is full of cafés and relaxing spots where you can enjoy a great cup of coffee. On the corner of Trafalgar and Hope Road stands Devon House, a blend of Creole and Georgian styles adorned with Jamaican, Caribbean, English, and French antiques.
It features an elegant whitewashed terrace and peaceful courtyards—perfect for enjoying your coffee.
At the foot of the Blue Mountains, Café Blue in Irish Town offers visitors a cozy atmosphere to savor authentic Blue Mountain coffee right at its source, while others can unwind under the trees beside an open-air art market at Grosvenor Café.
Ocho Ríos
The bistros and open-air spaces of Ocho Ríos attract both coffee lovers and diners, whether along the beach or further inland.
One of the must-visit spots is Island Village, a shopper’s paradise that houses Island Coffees Café, where premium Strawberry Hill coffee is served. You can also enjoy exclusive coffee cocktails—hot or cold—as well as a variety of coffee-based products like soaps and syrups.
On the wooden gallery, guests can savor a freshly brewed cup prepared using the distinctive pour-over method.
Montego Bay
In the popular hotel area of Montego Bay, coffee lovers will find plenty of options to get their caffeine fix.
For instance, the small Coffee n’ Crème Café in Whitter Village consistently serves some of the best espressos in Jamaica.
The elegant Native Bar and Restaurant offers exquisite seafood and meat dishes, but nothing compares to enjoying its tropical, colonial-style terrace with a cup of Jamaican coffee in hand.
Falmouth
Two hundred years ago, Falmouth was one of Jamaica’s busiest ports. This northern coastal town still preserves several colonial buildings, creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy authentic Jamaican coffee.
At Uchuma Café, an 18th-century Georgian house welcomes coffee lovers with a charming porch and a cozy terrace, where drinks are served in handmade ceramic cups crafted by a local potter.
Travelers can also enjoy a cup in a courtyard overlooking the bay waters behind Bush Cay, which at night shimmer with the green glow of phosphorescent algae. The historic Falmouth Cruise Port is another ideal spot to taste Blue Mountain coffee—and to take some beans home as a souvenir.
Negril
Known for its turquoise waters and the famous Seven Mile Beach, Negril also offers palm-thatched roofs, candlelit tables, and cliffside views accompanied by the sound of waves crashing against the rocks—spectacular vantage points to take in the purple glow of a Caribbean sunset.
The breathtaking views of Negril are the perfect complement to a smooth cup of Jamaican coffee. Look for beautifully tended tropical gardens and flower-covered archways, and find that perfect table to enjoy your drink in a small cup.
Rick’s Café
The prime coastal location of Rick’s Café has been drawing travelers (and partygoers) since 1974. It’s one of Jamaica’s most iconic spots—a lively restaurant and terrace perched atop one of the island’s best cliffs, making it a spectacular place to experience an unforgettable Caribbean sunset.
With live music and a young, vibrant atmosphere, visitors know this is the place to be—no matter what drink they choose to enjoy.
Black River
The heart of Jamaica’s eco-tourism, Black River is surrounded by mangroves teeming with birds, crabs, fish, frogs, and crocodiles.
Many of the old sugar and lumber warehouses have been transformed into restaurants and cafés, featuring sash windows, latticework, and intricate moldings—appealing to history lovers and cultural explorers alike. Several of the merchant houses from Jamaica’s golden age are now peaceful guesthouses that preserve their Georgian and British colonial architecture.
Their spacious porches and balconies provide the perfect spot to enjoy a freshly brewed cup of Blue Mountain coffee.
