HOUSEBOAT GRILL, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA

Tourist trap cred: Pick any restaurant near a popular resort area like Jamaica's Montego Bay, and chances are it'll be a trap that caters to unwitting tourists—particularly if it has water views. The Houseboat Grill ups the ante by being on the water, housed in a double-decker paddleboat that looks as if it took a very wrong turn at the Mississippi Delta.

Why it's worth it: Venture aboard and you'll find yourself among a laid-back, mostly local crowd and in the capable hands of chef and owner Richard Nurse. If you weren't in the mood for seafood before, you will be once you feel the gentle rocking of this floating restaurant. While the snook and tarpon patrolling the waters of the surrounding marine sanctuary are off-limits, Nurse prepares fusion cuisine that ranges from greenlip New Zealand mussels in a spicy Thai coconut curry sauce to tiger prawns sautéed in garlic butter with Parmesan polenta, and diners can single out a live lobster from the pen to be steamed and served.

Insider tip: For the full effect, go for an alfresco table on the upper deck, and arrive between 5:30 and 7 pm to catch both the sunset and the daily two-for-one happy hour.

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