Much has changed since our last visit to Time ‘n’ Place. There’s a magnificent highway for one, the proprietor Tony Moncrieffe has added a couple more cabins, and there’s the shrimp rundown that we’ve heard so much about. We turn off the highway, take a left at the end of the road and search for the sign.

TONY greets us with that infectious charm of his. He was in the shower and as such, did not hear us calling him on the cell phone. He ushers us immediately to the bar, where he’s able to assume the one role he truly loves, that of host. It’s almost inconceivable that Time ‘n’ Place, set on two miles of white sand, has been in operation (officially that is) since 1991.

The beach is pristine, with a few wooden chairs out. The dining area is attractive, with its tables covered in plastic tablecloths, all of which are adorned with pots of flowers. “I’ve fixed it up especially for you,” shares Tony. These are the little touches that customers have always found endearing and why The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards Search Committee hailed it way back in 2001 as one of the island’s best-kept secrets.

Although known to many more persons (that include Condé Nast Travel, Vogue, Playboy’s Hugh Hefner and former US President Bill Clinton, to drop a few names), it still remains under the radar and the subtle message on the welcome sign that reads ‘If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the place’ is one that should be taken seriously. very seriously. The hammocks are tempting, as are the wooden beach chairs, and with today’s perfect weather, we’ve certainly got the time.

My request for coconut water sends Tony up a tree. Thankfully, he returns in one piece. Meals are cooked to order, and today we’re trying a little of everything: jerked chicken and rice, fries, escoveitch and brown stew fish as well as the shrimp, stir-fried in coconut milk and herbs with French fries and festivals.

Tanieca Hosang and Kineisha Smith, who run the establishment along with Tony, are busy today with patrons from Spain, France, the UK and Jamaica. “They really enjoy the setting,” explains Tony, “and are mostly regulars.” Indeed they are, we surmise, as we watch them tuck into their fish.

Our meal, a little of everything, is taken around a couple of the cosy tables framed by a picture-postcard sky, and the gently insistent song of the sea, which exerts a pull almost as powerful as that of Time ‘n’ Place itself.

More drinks are poured as we commence. The jerk is as excellent as it always is, and we love the coconut-milky seasoned shrimp rundown. “It’s now as popular as the jerk,” explains Tony.

Conversation ceases completely as we complete our meal and allow our senses to fully embrace Time ‘n’ Place, ranked by the Sunday Times as both the World’s No 1 Watering Hole and as one of the 10 places to stay before you die. What makes this place extra special is that it’s located right here on the Rock.