5 Hot Jamaican Restaurants
Nothing beats tucking into a polystyrene tray of jerk chicken, washed down with a cold can of red stripe perched on a concrete paving slab. Lucky for us, we don’t have to wait for a street market or festival anymore to fully embrace the sunshine and spice of this authentic cuisine. Brighten up these cold and dark January days and head down to the best Caribbean restaurants in London. Plus what better way to reward yourself after dry Jan than with rum, rum and, er, more rum.
Rudie's
Killer jerk and more rum than you can shake a stick at
Rudie’s are reaping what they’ve sown, and in a good way. Their intense research into Jamaican eateries off the beaten track has meant their lengthy marinating process and ingredients within their secret rubs and marinades are the best around. Similar to tapas, you can enjoy lots of small portions or sharing platters, like the Ya Man! that has a huge selection of chicken, pork, lamb and slaw. Within this friendly and unpretentious place, they also have the largest selection of quality Jamaican sipping rums for you to sample while listening to the laid-back reggae tunes. Sweeeet.
Where: 50 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7XB
Website: http://rudieslondon.com
Rum Kitchen
The rebellious one
Standing out from the crowd this isn’t your regular jerk shack. Even their classics have been given the Rum Kitchen twist. The brunch here is pretty off the wall but unpredictably good; try the fried chicken with waffles and maple syrup or the saltfish scrambled eggs with truffle. Head down on humpday and challenge your mates to ‘Man vs Jerk’ with their special #WingsDay deal, where you can enjoy unlimited jerk chicken wings, sweet potato fries and a cold Red Stripe or rum punch for less than £20!
Where: 6-8 All Saints Road W11 1HH/1st Floor, Kingly Court, W1B 5PW
Website: http://therumkitchen.com
Dub Jam
Big jerk, big rum and even bigger vibes
‘Tank fly boss walk jam nitty gritty you’re listening to the boy from the big bad city, this is Jam Hot, this is Jam Hot’. And we can confirm the jam at this BBQ and Rum Shack is pretty damn hot. Imagine if you could time travel yourself just for one day to a sunny Caribbean island? Until then this is the next best thing. With a beach shack vibe, Dub Jam serves contemporary Jamaican BBQ food with an amazing selection of refreshing cocktails. The decor is so colorful here it looks like someone’s gone crazy with a paint gun. Great for an after work party, preferably a Friday when you can really let your hair down.
Where: 20 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9HP
Website: http://www.dubjam.co.uk
Cottons
'Nouvelle Caribbean' cuisine and cocktails
The lovely quote on their website really sums this place up…’The Caribbean spirit flows through me…the food inspires my thoughts, the drink inspires my senses and the music inspires my soul.’ Around for 30 years, Cottons is a well established popular restaurant in Camden which has 3 dining rooms, each themed on a different Caribbean island: St Lucia, Margarita and Barbados. The Montego Bay Jerk pork is the thing to try here or the Cottons curried Mutton served with rice & peas and fried plantain. With live music most nights you can kick back here and let the stresses of the day disappear.
Where: 55 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, NW1 8AN
Website: http://cottons-restaurant.co.uk
Boom Burger
Burgers in the home of the carnival
It’s easy to remember the location of this place, even if you stumble across it after a few too many. Just think Portobello Mushroom Burger. There isn’t one on the menu, but Burger and Portobello will hopefully jog your memory. The Caribbean-born chef has combined his Jamaican roots with London’s love of burgers and created a genius menu. Keeping it nice and simple there is a choice of six burgers, our favourite being the Jerk Boom (jerk chicken, fried plantain, rocket, mango and pawpaw sauce). Teamed with a ‘So Sorell’ signature rum cocktail this place is Tick Tick Boom.
Where: 272 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, W10 5TY
Website: http://www.boomburger.co.uk
