Negril Notes

Xtabi Restaurant - Review

January 14, 2007

Info:

Elegant cliff side dining
West End Road - Between Samsara and 3Dives
(876) 957-0121
Website

Food:

Xtabi won the “Best Meal of the Trip” Award for my April ‘06 trip. I recommend the Grilled Red Snapper. They do a great job with it. They don’t over grill, they marinate with butter, so it’s almost half broiled and quite tender.

For dessert I had some fantastic rum-raisin ice cream over coconut cream pie. Everything was excellent, well prepared and attractively plated.

Drinks:

Xtabi has a great bar, one of the few in Negril where you feel comfortable ordering a martini, or a bottle of Champagne. Since my friends were staying at Xtabi, I had several chances to enjoy frozen drinks, including a Dirty Banana that hits the spot on a warm afternoon.

Ambiance:

Caribbean Elegant. Cliff-Side Dining at it’s best. I’ll put it up against any restaurant in town. Romantic candle lit tables for two on the edge of the cliff, were very nice. The foliage mixed with tiny white Christmas lights all around makes for intimacy in the evening and a wide open view during the day.

As good as it is, and it’s very good, there’s no pretension. It’s as casual as 3Dives or Roots Bamboo.

Reserve a table for at least one of your sunsets.

Service:

The service at Xtabi is more “White Tablecloth” style than most places in Negril. Put on some of your nicer clothes, walk through the bar, give the hostess your name, have a cocktail, relax. Your uniformed waiter is well trained and knows the menu well. He’ll even scrape the crumbs from the table.

Value:

As good as the food is, how beautiful the property is, and how excellent the service is, the prices are very reasonable. In April ‘06 we had frozen drinks, a bottle of decent Champagne, an appetizer, Grilled Lobster and Grilled Red Snapper, I don’t think I spent, including a good tip, $100US.

Notes:

This is a Negril don’t miss. Four and a half angels out of five on my “Heaven On a Plate” scale. For a nice date in the cliffs, its where I go. It’s just as nice as Rockhouse, with better prices, and in my experience, better service.

4 Angels