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Four miles east of Ocho Rios, Harmony Hall was built in
the mid-nineteenth century as a Methodist manse with an
adjoining pimento estate. The present owners bought the
property in 1980, and spent a year doing extensive renovations.
These included uncovering the cut-stone walls and festooning
the building with gingerbread fretwork. Harmony Hall was
reborn as an art and craft centre, complemented by a restaurant
and bar. Since then, it has received international acclaim
in the media. The same team opened a sister establishment
in Antigua in 1987, where the concept has received an equally
enthusiastic response. By providing a showcase for all that
is best in local art and craft, Harmony Hall is fulfilling
its expressed intention to introduce to a wider audience
the hidden delights of Jamaica. In 1998, three young Italians
took over the restaurant, giving Ocho Rios its first taste
of authentic cucina di Parma.
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