It was the favourite retreat of the late Sir Donald Sangster, and was also where Ian Fleming penned Dr No. In the 1930s it served as a way station for buggy traffic, costing 10 shillings to stay overnight when cars were first introduced to Jamaica.

Welcome to The Gap Café and its storied history — comfortably nestled at an altitude of 4,200ft — where the Blue and John Crow mountains meet, close to the border of St Andrew and Portland. Be prepared for the sudden drop in temperature — albeit a mere 40 minutes from Kingston — and for the thick fog of Hardware Gap to blanket the area like a colossal wave.

Gloria Palomino shares with Thursday Food how she found the place in a deplorable state . After two years of jogging past the property, she happened upon an ad in the paper. “It was owned by the Jamaica Tourist Board,” she shared. “I gave them a call, convened a meeting and eventually gained the permit to work on it. The rest, as they say, is history”… or rather, an immediate success.

“By 3:00 pm on opening day, visitors began to pile in. The servings of cake, tea and sandwiches, all made by me, were consumed by 4:00 pm. Patrons continued to arrive. Thankfully, the affable Glen Holden, former US Ambassador to Jamaica, who was a guest at The Gap Café, went down to Papine where he purchased groceries. The non-stop stream of patrons continued for the first month.

People said I was crazy to be opening a place in the hills,” continued Palomino, “but The Gap was a success.”

Unfortunately, it was forced to close after hurricanes Ivan, Dean and, most recently Sandy last year, resulted in blocked roads, fallen trees and damage to JPS power lines.

The decision to reopen came as a result of constant requests by patrons who missed the cosy eatery. Palomino acquiesced, and along with the husband-and-wife team of Michelle and David McKay reopened Friday last, June 21, The Gap Café.

With renovations by Judy Thompson now complete, The Gap certainly has a sense of ‘newness’ but thankfully still affords the same warm, rustic, homely feeling that many had grown to love. With the homely feel comes the restaurant’s comfort fare: creamy pumpkin soup, delicious oxtail and beans, curried goat, steamed fish and bammy, chocolate cake, rum cake and steaming hot chocolate made from chocolate balls and spiced with cinnamon, and of course Blue Mountain Estate coffee

There are other menu offerings, like starters of Garden Salad with Feta Cheese and Seafood Stew or the breast of chicken entrée stuffed with callaloo and cheese, but we are thankful that The Gap Café is focusing on wholesome, local comfort food.

Michelle McKay is determined to return The Gap to its glory days; a hot spot for celebrities. She’s also aiming to once again cop the prestigious Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards for Best Sunday Spot, and hopes to make The Gap a sought-after destination for intimate weddings and receptions. “We’re meticulous about the quality of service offered and want people to truly relax and escape it all — albeit for a few hours.” Not that difficult a task, really.