By day, Sky Beach Bar and Seafood Grill in Hopewell, Hanover offers a breathtaking view of azure waters meeting an endless sky, but come nightfall there’s a romantic stillness to the property disturbed only by the sound of crashing waves.

The aroma of the day’s catch sizzling on the fire rises from the open kitchen, as guests are ushered into one of seven ultra-private huts of twisted thatch, wattle and wood — each lit by a single hurricane lantern — where they await their meals.

“When you want a real Jamaican setting, this is the place to visit,” says restaurateur Mandalyn McKenzie who is particularly proud of her quaint beachside spot.

“Here it’s always fresh seafood served by the sea,” says McKenzie who tells Thursday Food that the spot is a favourite of former World Heavyweight Boxing champion Lennox Lewis.

Sky Beach, McKenzie shares, is also popular among tourists.

“We’re located just five minutes from both Round Hill and Tryall Club properties, and we get a lot of business from their guests,” she adds, noting that Jamaicans eager to enjoy a day outside of Kingston also patronise the restaurant.

Asked if she plans on diversifying the offerings to include more than just seafood, McKenzie concedes that Sky Beach has in its two years of operation dabbled in jerk chicken, but the main focus remains seafood.

“We don’t prepare anything that cries or walks the earth,” McKenzie says with a laugh.

She points out, too, that everything the restaurant prepares is done to order and that Sunday is a very popular day for her and the team.

“Many people come here to enjoy Sunday dinner,” she tells Thursday Food, noting that she caters for the more mature on Sunday nights as guests can eat and unwind to live music performed by the Gravity Band. There is, too, free WiFi service available and 24 varieties of trees, all of which are labelled (in Latin and English) and can be quite an education for curious nature lovers.

“It’s really beautiful here, we have a chill vibe that people will just love, plus there’s good food too,” says McKenzie.

Sky Beach Bar and Seafood Grill

Hopewell, Hanover

Telephone: 956-5006/547-3971

www.skybeachgrill.com