Any ideas on Samsara?? First time, dinner??

This is our first time to Negril, we are definitely not beach people so we booked a cliff hotel. We leave Sept 28, and we are in one of the pillar cottages overlooking the cliff. We thought for the money it doesn't get any better! However, I know all of you who may have been numerous times could help out with any reviews/ideas for dining in the area or how this hotel is?? We know of places we want to try for lunch or dinner like three dives or Bentley's but not sure on walking distance or if we will be taking a taxi for most places? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

You have a lot of nice places within a reasonable walking distance. Here are a few we liked but there are a lot more in the area.

Eddie’s de Bar
Xtabi
Peewee’s
Jennys
3 Dives

Most are reviewed on Trip Advisor:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...h_Jamaica.html

Just wanted to add...Choices, TJ's & Ciao Jamaica

Try Teddy's Hideaway Eatery at Blue Cave Castle. Good stuff!! (876) 284-3445.

Sounds good! Thanks to all, so I'm guessing we should not do the all inclusive with so many other options!

Soo many other options, don't limit yourself.....in fact there are too many dining options and they're all good and reachable by taxi, check out the Negril Map for your walking distance range.....

Cliff Eateries I like: (in no particular order or price range)

SeaStar (not sea side but Great food & Great happy hour specials!!!!)
LTU
Xtabi
3 Dives
Canoe Bar
Ivans @ Catcha (expensive but worth every penny)
Push Cart @ Rockhouse

Soo many other options, don't limit yourself.....in fact there are too many dining options and they're all good and reachable by taxi, check out the Negril Map for your walking distance range.....

Cliff Eateries I like: (in no particular order or price range)

SeaStar (not sea side but Great food & Great happy hour specials!!!!)
LTU
Xtabi
3 Dives
Canoe Bar
Ivans @ Catcha (expensive but worth every penny)
Push Cart @ Rockhouse

I'm hoping to try as many as we can, although we were hoping to have breakfast and lunch near our resort. Possibility of places to walk? Dinner we can definitely grab a taxi. I did hear our resort offers good breakfast but a few mixed reviews of it.

SamSara has a nice little breakfast buffet....fresh fruit plate, juices, made to order omlettes, bacon or sausage, ackee & saltfish, callaloo, fried plaintains, fried dumplings, toast & coffee ~~ the menu varies day to day, but this is a sampling of what you might find.

Choices has good & inexpensive breakfast, just a 5 minute walk from SamSara.

Hi: we have stayed at the Pillar houses and you are in for a treat.
For breakfast try Just Natural. It use to be across from Samsara but has moved further west. Teresa is the best host and you will enjoy

Try the fried chicken at Sips n Bites- its soooooo goooood!

You got so much great stuff around you to eat on the west end....so no worries about doing the AI plan. I personally did not enjoy the food at Samsara much but I cant speak for breakfast (not a brkfst person). Now their restaurant on the other side of the street, Ciao Jamaica was very good so be sure not to miss that!

So good to hear after mixed reviews! Thanks melon! We are low maintanence so we don't need much :) Is just natural reasonable? We want to try to eat conservatively if possible. Breakfast at Samsara sounds really great too!

Thanks Tizzy! I love food so glad we are close to a lot. I have heard the AI is not great so we definitely are not doing that. We like variety too much.

Just Natural was our favorite breakfast spot in that area but they are no longer there. They moved to a location near Out Of Town Pastry.

We took the all-inclusive plan a few years back, but it isn't really that expensive. You can still travel around and eat out as much as you like and it will probably work out to be less expensive this way. The food at Samsara is pretty good. You don't get a large selection, but it is quite tasty. We still dined at the restaurant across the street for breakfast once, 3 dives, Canoe etc. Pick and choose. If you decide to buy all of your meals it can become quite costly. It all depends upon your budget.

The nice thing about SamSara is, if you care to give the A/I a "try" you can purchase a day here & there....

Good to hear that Samsara has good food, I heard different reviews on it. We definitely need to conserve money so maybe doing some days AI would be best. Just thought if we could eat in the area for cheap it might equal out.

Food must've gotten better since I ate their buffet last. I certainly wouldn't recommend it especially with all the great restaurants around.

Not sure Twister, reviews don't seem great for the food minus their breakfast but ideas on if we can eat somewhat cheap in the area and forget the AI? I believe AI might be $45 a day per person, so I imagine it may be hard to eat out for that every day but hoping to come close.

You may want to take into consideration that the $45 per day/per person "includes" drinks :p

If it includes drinks it will be money well spent but some others had said it is extra to add drinks to the AI. I guess we will have to ask about that.

We just got back...we stayed at Legends which is Samsara sister property on the beach...u can shuttle for free btween the two and if a/i, u can eat and drink at both places....we had AI cuz of the deal we got...we also ate out a couple of times, but the food at Legends and samsara on the buffet was very good imo....just like any buffet, the timing can be everything, getting it as soon as it comes out of the kitchen, of course is better...smaller on the variety, but 3 meat choices and couple of veges, salads, and fruits on every meal...it is not Ivans or any 5 star, but we enjoyed it...we read the reviews and it is either better now or some expect way too much for a budget price....imo....we had friends visit and it cost 15 per person for buffet, which included a certain number?? of drinks...

bentleys ia also walking distance, since u asked....I have a trip report coming, with a couple of

Their food isn't that great and kinda bland. Bentley's is the real deal.

I opted OUT of doing AI plan for the following reasons:

* Does not include Ciao Jamaica (italian/jamaican restaraunt)
* 10 am - 10 pm
* Does NOT include top shelf liquor, Red Stripe, etc.

WRONG. (for me anyways) There are so many great places to eat/drink in the area

Thank you all for the ideas, greatly appreciated. Thanks for the advice Groove, we realize we are on a budget and not that picky. We leave tomorrow so we are still deciding. I am thrilled to hear Bentley's is in walking distance we will give him a call! It does sound like the food could be hit or miss at Samsara but I have trouble with certain hours to eat the meals. I think you have a two hour window for each meal. It may be easier to just relax and take a walk down the street when we are hungry. I agree with Tizzy but did you spend a great deal more money eating in the area compared to if you would have done AI?

Not if you do it right. I was on a super low budget for that trip. Few things I would recommend to watch your $$$.

1) Stop at Megamart in Mobay a Collapsible cooler (or bring with you from home). BUy your own bottles of liquor/beer/water/ect and just make a run to store for ice when needed.

2) Try to find the local spots to eat and you will spend a lot less and eat a lot better.

3) Pattys and roadside jerk chicken box meals. Yep

It is possible....and deBest part is....instead of spending all that time sitting in the same restaurant at Samsara, you will be out there experiencing more of Jamrock. Fun stuff ;)

Almost forgot there's a jerk stand right outside of the No Limit Bar (10 minute walk from SamSara) called BGrill ~ Bernard has Soups (Conch & Chicken Foot), Seafood (Fish, Lobster & Shrimp) Jerk Chicken (whole, half & quarter) & Side Dishes (Pumpkin Rice, Breadfruit, Corn & Roasted Potatoes) ~ here's his number if you'd like to call ahead 876-573-2022 :)

Tizzy I like the way you think...we have a budget but not so much that we can't eat at the local areas and experience more than just sitting at the resort. I figure $225 a person at Samsara for AI for five days could be better spent at the local places. Obviously eating within reason and not lobster every night :) and Pat, thank you again, I will be calling! Sounds perfect, we like to explore and walk so this will be on our list, we aren't the Ivan's type so Bentley and Bernard will be seeing us.

Bentley's is actually quite close to Samsara. It's the nearest big hotel. Pee Wees for drinks and Teds at Blue Cave for lobster thermadore are also good choices. Even for 45 per person, the Samsara deal will barely be worth it -- you can always have Seastar Inn deliver to your hotel, and they have big portions for low prices and no delivery charge.

don't get me wrong, we are not a/i type either, we just got a great deal. we still ate at other places even with a/i...but we r very much on a budget...not Ivans type ourself, I was just commenting that the food there wasn't bad, and you can also order from the menu anytime, so buffet is not the only option.

have a great trip, do us a trip report when u return, please....

Thanks to all! Love all of the opinions and ideas, AI was our first choice for budget obviously but for getting out and about more it may do us good to skip AI. Like you said groove, we can always do both Samsara and places nearby to stick within our budget. I will of course be back with details and pictures!