During 2020 lockdown when indoor dining stopped for several months, but takeout remained opened, Caribbean food, mostly Jamaican, went from being something I only really ate once a year at Carnival to being one of my favourite cuisines in London. I love the smell of the smoke coming out of the drums, the slow-cooked meat falling off the bone, and the sweet spiciness of scotch bonnet pepper.
Notes:
📝 Like with fish & chip shops, Caribbean takeaways falls victim to people calling their local “the best in town” when really they haven’t experienced much else. Because of this people are often underwhelmed when they try a “highly recommended” Caribbean food for the first time.
📝 Like with Chinese restaurants, Caribbean spots also have a reputation for bad service. Don’t let that get in the way of enjoying the food though. That said, I do find service to be more friendly in a lot of places than people make out.
1. Jay Dees Catering
📍Notting Hill. Jay Dees Catering has been serving up some of the best Jamaican food in West London from this small spot off Portobello Road since 2009, although they have been in the catering game a lot longer. It’s a takeaway only. Order your food then wait outside for them to prepare it. Once ready go and enjoy it on a bench at Tavistock Gardens around the corner. Caribbean spots often get a bad rep for rude service but the ladies here are always friendly. If you go just before midday you can get your jerk chicken straight off the drum instead of being reheated. It comes smothered in a gravy that’s so good, I could have it with rice alone. Ask for extra tissues because it’s going to get messy. I always get a dumpling or festival on the side to mop that sauce up too. Don’t come too late in the day because they’ll run out of half of the menu (like most Caribbean spots). The curry mutton is another favourite of mine here too, although you probably can’t go wrong with anything.
2. Peppers & Spice
📍Dalston. The constant queue coming out the door at Peppers & Spice is a testament to how good the food is. The jerk chicken comes smothered in a delicious sweet, sticky sauce and the smoky meat falls off the bone with ease. My favourite dish is probably the oxtail which comes with little spinners (dumplings) cooked in the stew. Also just a note that it’s takeaway only and there isn’t really anywhere comfortable nearby to enjoy your food.
3. Maureen’s
📍Brixton. Every Tuesday-Saturday, rain or shine, you’ll find Maureen and her small team cooking up some of the best Jamaican food in London out of her flat in Brixton. As soon as you walk-through the gate into her garden you’re greeted by a number large pots bubbling away and the smell of chicken frying. Eating-in literally used to be sitting round Maureen’s own kitchen table with regulars enjoying their soups and stews. I’ve been back twice now and tried the jerk chicken, curry mutton, oxtail and fried chicken. All the meats are delicious and falling off the bone but the oxtail and curry mutton were standout for me. Sometimes with oxtail if it’s not quite cooked right and the collagen hasn’t broken down enough and mutton can often be tough if undercooked/dry-out if overcooked but that wasn’t the case here. The fried chicken was well-seasoned and cooked on a slow-fry so came off the bone nicely too. Maureen’s is open from 11:00 so I recommend getting there just before the rush at 12:00. Surprisingly it’s not cash only, they do take card payments too
4. Ewart’s
📍Dalston. A popular spot with locals for Jamaican food in Dalston’s Gillett Square. Nothing creates atmosphere better than drums out front with smoke rolling out of them. I’m always a fan of places that offer jerk pork as well as chicken. Both are great. All the food is as good as it gets down to the rice & peas, and I like that you have the option to get two meats in a meal instead of one. The curry goat comes with spinners which I’m always a fan of. They also have a number of tables out front so you can eat in.
5. Crystal Caterers (Formerly Shades Food Truck)
📍Hoxton. Although they’re now called Crystal Caterers, in Google maps you’ll find them under their old name Shades Food Truck. The first time I came here I was blown away by how good the food was. I went for jerk chicken and oxtail with rice & peas in the same tray. The jerk chicken here comes with three sauces. First a sweet & sour sauce, then a barbecue sauce, then an optional hot pepper sauce. The combination of the sauces on top of that beautiful smoky chicken is heavenly. The oxtail was as good as it gets too.
6. New Tings
📍Brixton.After Maureen’s, New Tings is my next favourite spot for Jamaican food in Brixton. Although the food is good, I’ve had mixed service here. In the past I found them to be quite rude, and serve regulars ahead of me, but on a recent visit they were much more friendly. When you go into some Jamaican spots the food they have out can look quite tired, but it’s the opposite here. Everything looks so appetising it’s hard to decide what to get. In my opinion what makes New Tings standout is the variety of seafood they offer. I like to go for the crispy fish bites in a sweet sticky sauce with the prawn price. I’ve had the oxtail a couple of times now too and although it comes of the bone well and the collagen is broken down, it lacks a little sauce for me.
7. Tasty Jerk
📍Selhurst. Whenever I post this place somebody will always tell me how they were temporarily shut down due to health and safety or moan about how bad that the service is (they definitely aren’t as friendly as other spots on this list), but they do some of the best jerk pork and jerk chicken in town. I also love the set-up here how they have multiple drums smoking meat at once.
8. Sunvalley Jerk
📍Borough. You’ll find Sunvalley Jerk serving food outside of a truck in Tabard Street Food Market. They’re incredibly popular with local workers. They specialise in jerk chicken and jerk pork but also serve curries and stews. The jerk chicken is nicely charred, comes off the bone with ease, and is topped with a delicious house made jerk sauce. The pork is really good too, as is the curry goat.
9. Soulfood Peckham (Formerly JB’s Soulfood)
📍Peckham. A local institution in Peckham. Everything is good here but my go-to order is the jerk chicken which comes smothered in a tangy sweet gravy. There’s a few stools inside or a green next to it to your food.
10. Smokey Jerkey
📍Newcross. I love that as well as jerk chicken and jerk pork, this place also offers jerk lamb. All three are incredible and come topped with their house barbecue and hot pepper sauce which has a serious kick to it. This restaurant changed hands a couple of years ago and I’ve heard it’s not what it used to be from somebody else but I haven’t been back to try recently yet.
11. Jerk in Da Park
📍Waterloo. You’ll find these guys serving up some delicious jerk chicken in a park a short walk from Waterloo Station. It’s incredibly popular with local workers so expect big lunch time queues.
12. Survivor
📍Camden. I like that as well being a takeaway, Survivor also have a small number of tables for eating in. I don’t think you can go wrong with any dish here. It’s all pretty good. I thunjbthey also have locations in Dalston and Chingford but this one has the best rating.
13. Kaieteur Kitchen Original
📍Elephant & Castle. Kaieteur Kitchen is a Guyanese restaurant in Elephant & Castle. The food is closer to that of Trinidad or Suriname than Jamaica. The owner, Auntie Faye, is a bit of a local legend and is happy to talk you through the dishes. The oxtail was a little tough but the coconut lamb was really tender. I was a big fan of the vegetable dishes like the vegetable curry and the okra. A big meal for two (which could have easily fed three) set us back £60.
14. Double Knot
📍Islington & Hackney. Double Knot serve some incredibly delicious loaded patties. Patties are split open and filled with jerk chicken, curry goat or oxtail. They’re not cheap at all£10-11 but one should fill you up.
15. Moto Roti
📍Acton. A Trinidadian & Grenadian restaurant, originally on Fulham Palace Road but now in Acton. The doubles here are delicious – two fried flatbreads topped with chickpeas, potato, cucumber, spring onion & tamarind relish. They also serve roti and bakes too.
16. White Men Can’t Jerk
📍Peckham. White Men Can’t Jerk serve a modern twist on Jamaican street food. They started in 2013 and eventually settled at the Prince of Peckham where they’ve been for a good few years now. The chicken always has a good char on it. As well as the jerk chicken which you can get on rice or fries, the fried chicken wings are really good too.
17. Cool Runnings Jerk Centre
📍Stonebridge Park. A good Jamaican takeout near Stonebridge Park station. The jerk chicken seems to be the most popular dish here and was pretty good when I tied it.
18. Bokit’la
📍Multiple Locations. A French Caribbean food truck. I caught up with them in Oval where they are currently a few days a week although they move around to different markets (check their Instagram for up to date details). They serve Guadeloupen sandwiches called bokit. Dough is fried which quickly puffs up and is then filled with a spicy chilli paste, chicken, salt fish or aubergine, plantain, lettuce and tomato. They taste great. You also need to order a side of accras (salt fish fitters).
19. Cafe Caribbean
📍Multiple locations. You’ll find these guys up in Loughton or Spitalfields Market serving lunch during the week to the office crowd. All the food is good here. The curry goat has a bit of a kick to it.
20. Swift Caribbean Delights
📍Homerton. I went for a small oxtail, steamed veg, rice & peas and dumpling and it hit the spot. Unlike most Caribbean takeout which close on Sunday, Swift remains open.
21. Rainbow Cook Out
📍Hackney. I don’t know if he’s still there as I haven’t been in a couple of years but this small Jamaican takeaway is location in a little market just outside of St Augustine’s Tower at the top of Mare Street. The food here is solid. I like that they also serve a jerk chicken sandwich.
22. Fish, Wings & Tings
📍Brixton. This is more of a sit-down restaurant than a takeout and feels a little bit commercial compared to other spots on this list but the food is still delicious and presented well too.
23. Roti Joupa
📍Multiple Locations. A Trini takeout with restaurants in Shepherds Bush, Finsbury Park and now Stratford. My go-to order is the ‘buss up shot’ (roti) and different meat, prawn and veg curry. The doubles are also a popular order here.
24. Healthy Eaters
📍Brixton. Another good option for Caribbean food in Brixton. They have a large selection of patty here too.
25. Jerk Centre
📍Tottenham. Right across the road from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This is a much better pre-game call than the over-hyped Chic-King a few doors down in my opinion. I tried the jerk chicken but the oxtail looked awesome here too.
26. People’s Choice
📍Homerton. Another Jamaican spot in Homerton. Good food and big portions.
27. Mum’s Caribbean Takeaway
📍Harlesden & Kensal Rise. A popular takeout in Harlesden & Kensal Rise serving all the classic Jamaican dishes. Go earlier in the day as they have run out of half the menu by evening.
28. Jeff the Chef
📍Brixton. Another solid choice for Caribbean food in Brixton. Jeff the Chef serves out of food truck just outside of Pop Brixton. I went for the jerk chicken with rice and peas which came with some cabbage too and couldn’t fault it.
29. Roti Stop Ltd
📍Stoke Newington. A popular Trini spot for roti. I went for the curry chicken roti. The roti was nice and big but lacking a little flavour and the chicken was a little dry. I prefer Roti Joupa for Trini food. There’s one small table outside if you want to eat there.
30. Heart & Soul Caribbean Food
📍Hanwell. Heart & Soul is a Trini takeout restaurant in Hanwell. It’s a few doors down from one of my favourite chippies, The Golden Chip of Hanwell. They serve filled roti, buss up shot with curries, rice box meals and sides. The doubles were really good and the mutton curry roti was solid too.
31. Richie’s
📍Hoxton. You’ll find Richie’s in Hoxton Street Market next to Howl at The Moon Irish pub. It’s worth noting if you buy a pint, you are able to eat your meal at the pub. I tried the curry goat, but have since been told I should have gone for the jerk chicken instead. The goat was falling apart but the curry wasn’t the colour or flavour I was expecting. I’ll go back soon for the chicken.
32. Lickle D
📍Deptford. A popularJamaican restaurant on Deptford High Street. I tried the jerk chicken and oxtail. Both were pretty good.
33. Bus Cafe (Waterloo Bus Garage)
📍Waterloo. Bus Cafe if is a greasy spoon hidden the back of Waterloo Bus Garage. Although it’s mainly occupied by bus drivers it is open to the public. As well as a fry up you can also get a number of Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, curry goat, etc. Prices are incredibly low.
34. Peckham Bus Garage Bus Cafe
📍Peckham. Yup, another cafe hidden in the back of a bus garage. This one is hidden at the back of Peckham Bus Garage. It’s a little harder to find than Waterloo Bus Garage because there isn’t any signage. Although it’s mainly occupied by bus drivers it is also open to the public. As well as a fry up you can also get a number of Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken, curry goat, etc. Prices are incredibly low. I prefer the Waterloo cafe.
35. Jamaican Tuck Shop
📍West Ealing. Outside of Sainsbury’s in West Ealing you’ll find a small van called the Jamaican Tuck Shop. I’ve eaten here a couple of times now but don’t think I’ll go a third. The lady who works here is really nice but I don’t love the food. The jerk chicken here comes boneless, which I’m not a fan of and I found the portion to be small for the price and a little cold too.
36. True Flavours
📍Brixton. Now and again I hear somebody recommending True Flavours and i can only assume they haven’t been to many other Jamaican spots. I’ve never got the hype myself. Despite the 3.9 Google rating there’s always a constant queue of locals coming out the door at lunch . I don’t know why, but I find it amusing they offer pasta and rice together as an option with your meat, something I haven’t seen that at any other Caribbean spots. The meats I’ve tried have been incredibly dry although the flavour was there. New Tings a minute walk from here is a better option in my opinion.
37. DJ’s Caribbean Cuisine
📍West Kilburn. DJ’s Caribbean Cuisine is a Jamaican takeaway in West Kilburn. I’ve eaten here once and didn’t really enjoy the food, especially the rice & peas which was old and dry. Go to Jay Dees Catering instead.
38. Hot Grubz
📍Park Royal. You’ll find Hot Grubz up at the entrance to Grand Union Trade Park where they’ve been for five weeks now. They’re here Monday-Friday lunchtimes only. The menu is small and half of it wasn’t available. Meals are £10. I went for jerk chicken, curry goat, rice & peas, plantain fritters, a dumpling, festival and a chicken patty. Disappointingly they didn’t have any Jamaican soft drinks. The jerk chicken was nice but served dry (no sauce house made sauces) – it just came with a small squeeze of store-bought bbq sauce from a bottle. I like mine smothered in some kind of jerk sauce or oxtail gravy.
39. Ochi
📍Shepherd’s Bush. This West London Caribbean takeaway is apaprently loved by Rihanna and Stormzy, however both times I’ve been, the food has been disappointing and the service has been unfriendly. The meat on the goat and oxtail was still tough and not coming off the bone with ease. Both lacked enough sauce too. In my opinion the 3.9 Google rating is justified here. I’d rather hop on a Lime bike over to Jay Dees in Notting Hill.
James Dimitri 