Marguerites

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Seaside Address With a Long History

What is now one of Montego Bay's most sought-after tables began as a private seaside residence built in 1955. A spirited group of friends eventually saw its potential, converting the home along bustling Gloucester Avenue into a restaurant. In 1979, Marguerites opened its doors — named after the original Executive Chef — and more than four decades later it remains a benchmark for fine dining in Jamaica.

The setting anchors everything. Situated at the edge of the Caribbean Sea, the restaurant's Almond Terrace is the focal point: an open-air perch where the view and the meal compete equally for attention. It is a sophisticated yet comfortable space, the kind that works equally well for an intimate dinner or a private event for over a hundred guests.

Sea-to-Table, Done With Conviction

The kitchen's philosophy is straightforward: simple, clean, bright flavors that blend classic culinary traditions with a modern Caribbean flair. Fresh-caught seafood is the backbone of the menu, sourced from local and regional purveyors alongside responsibly-sourced meat and sustainable produce. The result is a menu that feels eclectic without being unfocused.

Starters range from an Island Seafood Chowder finished with sherry and heavy cream to Char-Grilled Long Cay Calamari with Caribbean salsa, and a Jumbo Lump Crab Cake offered in both traditional and curry fusion preparations. Among the entrees, the Bouillabaisse brings together market seafood and local fish in a tomato saffron broth, while the Reef Snapper Run-Down — medallions of reef snapper with callaloo, plantain, and coconut milk — grounds the menu firmly in the island's own pantry. The signature table-side Caesar Salad has become something of an institution in its own right.

A Wine Program Built Around the Food

Marguerites holds the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — recognition the restaurant has earned across multiple years, making it the only restaurant in Jamaica to hold that distinction alongside TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice Award. The wine list spans both Old World and New World producers, curated with a clear purpose. As Sommelier James Symyrozum puts it: "Our wines are carefully selected to work in harmony with the cuisine, never to compete with it." That philosophy runs through every aspect of the experience — a seafood-forward menu met by a list chosen to complement rather than overshadow.

For a restaurant that has been drawing diners to the Jamaican waterfront since 1979, Marguerites has never needed to reinvent itself. The sea is still there. The seafood is still fresh. And the table is still worth reserving.