There was a time when the majority of restaurants serving authentic Caribbean food in London, usually a takeaway patty or rice and stew, were located in either Brixton or Notting Hill.
The food was tasty using traditional recipes but certainly lacked the finesse many Londoners were hankering after. Fast forward to today and the Caribbean restaurant scene is thriving and serving up delectable dishes in cool settings right across London, some are even reaching the higher echelons of a Michelin star. So are you ready to switch up the heat?
Cottons
55 Chalk Farm Rd, London, NW1 8AN
Cottons was first established in 1985 on Chalk Farm Road in Camden and was the Caribbean restaurant to go to in London. It now has branches in Shoreditch, South London and Notting Hill and offers a successful recipe - a complete Caribbean experience of dining, delicious cocktails and plenty of music.
The kitchen's open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and they do a mean take on the British Sunday lunch. Our favourites include Jerk Salmon, rice and peas, curried mutton, and sizzling peppered shrimps.
There's a complete meat feast menu for Sunday lunch which caters for all tastes and a big dollop of jerk seasoning on pretty much everything. YumE!
Fancy a rum cocktail? There's a few to choose from the Cotton's rum shack including Reggae Rum Punch, Over the Melon, coconut and banana daiquiris and Jamaican mules. Best book the day off work the next day. Just in case.
Check out their full event's calendar here
Book a table here
The Roti Stop
36B Stamford Hill, London N16 6XZ
This is honest Trinidadian food and warmth at its very best. The Caribbean Roti Stop in North London is legendary and was set up by 61 year old Bernard Jackson in 2008.
When you leave Stoke Newington station in North London, you are greeted by the smell of delicious food coming from a corner shop. It dishes up exactly what it says on the sign - small round flatbreads with a range of different fillings such as your lamb and chicken; then Caribbean favourites such as jerk and stew chicken, saltfish and curry goat.
There are also vegetarian and vegan options such as chickpeas or pumpkins. Rice and peas are, of course on offer, with the option of the same toppings, a selection of patties, mac and cheese and delicacies ranging from coconut drops to cake.
There's also a genuine warmth and energy about the place and you're bound to leave with a smile on your face - whatever the weather!
It really is no surprise to us that Bernard attracts customers coming from all over London and beyond. We'll definitely be back!
Jamaica Patty Co
Jamaica Patty Co. was founded in 2013 by Theresa Roberts in order to give UK consumers the opportunity to enjoy proper fresh flavours of Jamaica baked in store - like they are in Jamaica.
All the recipes are based on those that Theresa’s father used to make at their home in Battersea after arriving in England in the late 1950’s as part of the Windrush generation.
Today, they serve up a long list of patty fillings including: Beef, spicy beef, chicken, Jerk chicken, Vegetable, Curried Goat Saltfish and Vegan. There really is something for eveyone's Patty palette.
If you need something more substantial, there's a great tasting curried goat or jerk chicken curry with rice, peas and coleslaw. Need a winter warmer? There's always 2 hot soups on the go.
All of Theresa's ingredients come from local butchers and is halal. The vegetable patties are made with seasonally available vegetables and Jamaican Spices and suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.
Bluejay cafe
2 Market Parade, London SE25 4PP
Looking for a great Caribbean restaurant in South London? Bluejay Café is a family run affair in South Norwood specialising in authentic Caribbean cuisine from 9am - 7pm daily (closed on Sundays). The family cafe creates homecooked delectable meals daily serving up a medley of Caribbean favourites from breakfast through till dinner.
Their large breakfast will certainly set you up for the day (if not a few) and you'll find halal chicken or beef sausages, scrambled/fried eggs, ackee & saltfish, fried dumplings, plantain and beans on your bulging plate.
There's the usual Caribbean dishes to try - curried goat, Oxtail stew, and jerk chicken. And you can get a full Caribbean taste senstaion from their sides which include: saltfish and banana fritters, plantain, fried dumplings and Ackee & Saltfish. Everything is very fresh and made with natural ingredients all sourced locally.
Jam Delish
Jam Delish is an independent family-owned North London Caribbean vegan restaurant and cocktail bar in Angel, Islington. It was founded in 2020 by siblings Jordan and Chyna, who wanted to create authentic, traditional Caribbean recipes with a fresh and modern take, for their grandparents.
They were inspired by their own vegan upbringing and haven't looked back since! The small vegan entree dishes are zinging with flavour. Our faves include: crispy grilled aubergine with Caribbean pepper sauce, Saltfish green peppers with a firey chilli sauce and the fish tacos - which we could seriously eat everyday for the rest of our lives.
The large vegan plates are filling and we're a big fan of the Jerk 'chicken' skewers served with saffron rice, a zing of pomegranate and Caribbean green salsa.
The grilled roti is totally stuffed and bursting with flavours of jerk baba ganoush, plantain hummus, burnt spring onion and chilli. Who needs to live in Barbados when there's Jam Delish serving up a taste of the Caribbean daily.
Book a table here