The beautiful views, lush gardens, expansive and exquisite cut-stone work at Rockhouse Hotel, advantageously perched upon the scenic cliffs of Negril’s Pristine Cove on the west end, are enough to draw your attention and leave you in awe. The hotel also features pictures, books and posters delving into the musical history of Jamaica. Then there is the relaxed vibe of the facility. “Crocodile”. “Cow Tail”. “Puppy Tail”. “Bagga”. “Hyena”. “Butcher”. Oh, that’s the staff calling to each other, and guests are encouraged to follow suit! See how relaxed?

Three-time winner of the Caribbean’s Leading Boutique Hotel at the World Travel Awards, the property sits on eight acres and features world-class spa and wellness programmes and décor and memorabilia that celebrate Jamaican culture.

But wait, there is more! We haven’t mentioned the food as yet. Rockhouse is big on Jamaican food, and its chefs pride themselves on delivering some of the best. The demand for and international appeal of local cuisine led the Rockhouse principals to open two Jamaican restaurants in New York under the Ms Lily’s brand name; the latest edition recently opened in Dubai.

The hotel has three restaurants. Rockhouse Restaurant is a premier fine-dining facility specialising in and serving up its own take on classic Caribbean cuisine with an emphasis on incorporating local and tropical flavours and ingredients, some grown in the Organic Garden on property. Push Cart Restaurant delivers the full spectrum of ‘yard’ cuisine, from peppered shrimp and Boston-styled jerk chicken, sausage and pork to curried goat, oxtail and fried chicken. Meanwhile, the Pool Bar & Grill also serves jerk along with grilled chicken, fish, kebabs and salads.

Thursday Food serves it up Rockhouse-style as only we can.

PS. Special shout-out to Bagga and the rest of the staff. Easily one of our favourite shoots, we experienced truly exemplary service.