Kingston City Guide

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Check out The Scene's recommendations for the Jamaican capital and send us your own ideas and suggestions below.

SEE: Pay homage to Kingston's favorite son at the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road. Housed in the late reggae legend's clapboard home (now a national heritage site) you can still see the bullet holes that ripped through the walls when Marley was shot in 1976. The Tuff Gong recording studio where Marley recorded much of his music is next door. To get a sense of Marley's enduring legacy, drop by the nearby Culture Yard in Trench Town, a once-crumbling housing estate that has been revitalized as a buzzing arts and music center. There are two statues of Marley in the city -- one at the entrance to Independence Park on Arthur Wint Drive and one in the main lobby to the underrated National Gallery. You can also visit Strawberry Hill, the colonial mansion high in the blue Mountains where Marley convalesced after being shot. Now an exclusive luxury hotel, it offers spectacular views over the city. For a taste of Jamaica's colonial heritage, pay a visit to Devon House, a well-preserved 19th century mansion with shady gardens in the unlikely urban setting of Hope Road or wander through Spanish Town, which has some of the oldest architecture on the island and features a colourful market in the main square. Port Royal is now a relaxed fishing village but during the 17th century it was a pirate colony known as the "the wickedest city in the world" and home to the likes of Henry Morgan and Blackbeard. A tidal wave destroyed much of the original settlement, but several museums and the ruins of Fort Charles bear testament to its villainous history. Take a ferry there from West Beach Dock.

BE SEEN: Much of Kingston's traditional nightlife revolves around open-air sound systems with building-shaking bass speakers which do battle in the streets in weekend evenings. In New Kingston though there are plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants to choose from. Riding the global success of Jamaican dancehall, The Quad (Trinidad Terrace) is currently the busiest club in town, having been named by Conde Naste Traveler as one of the world's hottest nights out. Alternatively, for reggae head to the legendary Asylum (Knutsford Boulevard) or check out the ever-popular Peppers Nightclub (Upper Waterloo Road). Redbones (Braemar Avenue) is an upmarket and exclusive blues cafe that is popular with Kingston's fashionable set, as is Mingles at the Courtleigh Hotel, renowned for its slick cocktails and karaoke nights. Carlos' Cafe (Belmont Rd) is a popular meeting spot and great place to hang out and people-watch, while the Latin-flavored Habibi (Knutsford Boulevard) is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the wildest nights out in Kingston.

EAT: Typical street food in Kingston includes the patty -- the missing link between the English Cornish pasty and the South American empanada -- and jerk chicken, which is best barbecued on an old oil drum and washed down with Red Stripe. Check out the Chelsea Jerk Centre (Chelsea Avenue) or any of the vans along Knutsford Boulevard. For authentic seafood including an unmissable spicy conch soup, try The Fish Place (Constant Spring Road) or, alternatively, the Ocean Restaurant near the National Gallery. Some of Kingston's best food can be found at Devon House, including Norma's on the Terrace, recognized by Conde Naste Traveler as one of the best places to eat in the Caribbean, and The Grogg Shoppe, where recommended dishes include suckling pig and ackee crepes. The Courtleigh Hotel also offers a couple of classy dining options: the Courtleigh Pool Bar & Terrace, which does suckling roast pig on Tuesdays, and the award-winning Alexander's Restaurant. Heading out of town to the Blue Mountains, Strawberry Hill offers a modern take on Jamaican cuisine, a famous Sunday brunch menu and dramatic mountain views, while reservations are essential at the tiny Blue Mountain Inn.

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