Caribbean food is not always the first thing that comes to mind when you head out for a meal with your friends or family, but it really should be! We headed down to the new Cottons Caribbean restaurant in Notting Hill and were absolutely delighted with the delicious food and tasty rum cocktails.
The new Caribbean restaurant and Salon de Rhum recently opened following the huge success of the first two Cottons in Shoreditch and Camden. Located a stone’s throw from Notting Hill Gate underground, it is situated in the perfect place for a meal after work or for brunching at the weekend.
The vibe is just as enticing as the food, with a multi-coloured bar, laidback atmosphere, reggae music and unbeatable service from the friendly waiting staff.
We kicked off our meal with a cocktail. There’s over 20 rum-inspired cocktails to choose from- it was tough deciding between them all! We opted for a ‘Ying Yang Colada’ and were not disappointed. For Janes who prefer non-alcoholic beverages, the mocktail menu offers up a great selection of virgin drinks.
Next it was time to choose the food. The menu is full of Caribbean lingo, but don’t fear, because an extremely handy glossary of terms is provided with each one, which made the process of choosing our dishes much easier.
We opted for the ‘Baigan chokha, chana dhal and doubles’ (roasted egg plant mash with spices and herbs, chick peas and flat fried bread) to start and ‘Cottons signature Meat Platter’ for mains, with jerk marinated & grilled pork ribs, lamb chop, chicken pieces, and herb crushed salt beef with plantain. The beef in particular was mouth-wateringly tasty.
If you are heading to Cottons on a date or with your family, you would probably we better off skipping the separate main dishes and choosing the sharing platters instead.
They are a popular favourite at the restaurant, and in the Caribbean it is customary to share a few dishes at dinner. Choose between a whole range of options including: jerk pork ribs, brown stew chicken and curried mutton.
By the end of the main course we felt very full, but we couldn’t leave without sampling the desert menu. We opted for the ‘Chocolate Praline Bar,’ a chocolate cake with praline mousse, lemon curd and an iced bubblegum marshmallow. It was hands-down the best dessert I have ever eaten in a restaurant.
If hearty Caribbean food and tasty rum cocktails sound like the perfect combination for your taste buds, then you need to try out Cottons for yourself. Take a friend, or invite a whole bunch of friends and hire out the lovely private room downstairs – perfect for events and parties.
Cottons Caribbean is now open in Notting Hill at 157-159 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3LF.
Have you been to one of the Cottons restaurants in London? Let us know what you thought of it! @tweetjanes
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