Downtown eateries open for business

IN RECENT weeks, first-time visitors to downtown Kingston and several persons who are returning to the market district after a long break have been flooding us with questions about where to eat.

"Will I have to drive to New Kingston to give myself a wide choice for lunch each day?" asked one young man whose company recently opened an outlet in downtown Kingston.

But the short answer to that is no.

When it comes to meals, those who want fast food can find the usual suspects - KFC, Juici Patties, Burger King, Mother's, Captain's Bakery and Grill, and Tastee.

The good news is that most of these entities have more than one locations in downtown Kingston

If the taste bud calls for something different, there is Moby Dick, The Orient Express, Dong Dong Chinese Restaurant and others that offer Chinese, Japanese and the best curry meals.

Jacqui Tyson's 'Sea Breeze Restaurant' and the European-style café F&B Downtown offer first-class settings at a reasonable price in the Jamaica Conference Centre and Harbour Street, respectively.

Pizza lovers can check out Brickstone Pizza on East Street or get the freshly baked pie delivered to their desks.

Good steam, roast or fried fish can be found all over the town, but one place that comes highly recommended is Bamboo Lounge on John's Lane.

For the more adventurous, Icilda 'Fatty' Harris operates a small cookshop on Church Street, while Mum's Cook Shop in the Old Wolmer's Arcade and Howie's Cook Shop at the intersection of Mark Lane and Law Street are among the several small eateries around downtown.

The health conscious can get Ital Stew and similar dishes at Ras T Vegetarian Kitchen on East Street while for a great 'Strong Back', 'Must Come Back' or 'Tan Pon It Long' punch, the place to go is the Texaco gas station on East Queen Street.

So there is no shortage of places to eat in downtown Kingston, which is alive and open for business.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com