Many Caribbean families in Britain, like mine, don’t just come from one country. Mine hail from Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Guyana and more.
Despite this, in the UK, Caribbean food is conflated with Jamaican food, even though the dishes seen in the likes of Guyana and Trinidad can be vastly different from those in Jamaica.
My new book, East Winds: Recipe, history and tales from the Caribbean, is dedicated to the kaleidoscope of cultures that make up the Caribbean but remain hidden from the mainstream of Caribbean culture. Travelling back home to these places, I saw the richness of this melting pot from Indo-Caribbean heritage to Indonesian, Chinese, European, Amerindian and a myriad of different West African influences.
It means that wherever in the world you may be from, Caribbean food needn’t be some mystery — it should offer a meal or a flavour you can directly relate too. Fortunately for Londoners, there are many places in the city to experience these flavours. Here are my favourites.
Roti Stop
Trinidad & Tobago
Located directly next to Stoke Newington station, Roti Stop has for decades been a bastion for Caribbean culture — being not just a food stop, but a billboard, library and all around hangout. It is loud and proud about its Trinidadian roots, and usually has soca music playing. All the rotis you’d expect are on offer, including Caribbean fusions like saltfish and jerk chicken. The front glass cabinet is reliably filled with a rotation of treats like doubles, pholourie and coconut drops. Vegans are heavily catered too, with veg rotis filled with chickpeas, potatoes, spinach and even plantain, all of which can be washed down with freshly-made juices and smoothies.
36B Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington, N16 6XZ, @rotistopltd
Kaieteur Kitchen
Guyana
Entering Kaieteur Kitchen, expect to be greeted with a loving smile from head cook and owner Faye, who utilises every inch of space to cook lovingly homemade-style Guyanese food and promote Guyanese culture. In Guyana, pepperpot is usually reserved for Christmas, so every week feels like Christmas at Kaieteur Kitchen as they serve the rich, jet-black sweet and sour stew which pairs beautifully with the soft and sweet bread, rice and peas or roti. Other Guyanese favourites like garlic pork and pastries like pine tarts help finish off any meal. Expect to be back for more soon.
Castle Square, 40 Elephant Road, SE17 1EU, @kaieteurkitchenoriginal
Limin Southbank
Trinidad & Tobago
Caribbean spots in central London are far and few between. Thankfully, Sham Mahabir and crew bring the Trini atmosphere slap bang in the middle town, just off the Thames. Limin is a term used in Trinidad & Tobago used to mean “hanging out”, whether that’s a relaxed chill or a lively party — whenever people get together, it’s a lime. Whilst its fun to wax lyrical about food — and Limin has no shortage of amazing eats, from saheena vegan spinach fritters and mac and cheese — no lime is truly complete without a drink and Limin’s kaleidoscopic bar of exciting, fresh cocktails should punctuate any meal.
56 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP, @southbank.limin
Roti Joupa
Trinidad & Tobago
Roti Joupa is a pioneer, spreading Trini culture to London and beyond over the last few decades — not just at their shop but at countless catering gigs, festivals and parties (or fetes, as we sometimes call them). Roti Double could almost be called Doubles Joupa as the diminutive national Trini favourite sells by the score every day. Here, two pieces of fried bread called bara are lathered with chickpea curry (channa) and topped off with a choice of sweet sauce and hot sauce to make one of London’s most moreish snacks.
20 Stroud Green Road, N4 3EA 58 and Goldhawk Road, W12 8HA, @rotijoupaltd
Roti Masters
Trinidad & Tobago
Some of the best roti in London is found on the outskirts of town, where Caribbean communities have long thrived. Roti Masters at the southern tip of London is one of them. A long-term caterer at functions both Caribbean and not, its flavours have long been salivated over for those that know. Come here and tear into a curry shrimp roti as well as famed snacks like Bake n Shark — a fried bread sandwich stuffed with fried fish — salad, plus sweet and hot sauces, and hot doubles.
282a High Street, SM1 1PQ, @roti_masters
Umana Yana
Guyana
“7 Curry” is a speciality in Guyana reserved for special occasions, like the followings of a Puja religious ceremony or Diwali. It’s comprised, as you might expect, of seven different curries usually eaten on a lilypad leaf. Whilst it’s hard to find this complete wonder in Britain, the various parts can be found at Guyanese takeout spot Umana Yana which, through years of strife, has endeavoured to carry on promoting Guyanese food in London. Regulars like goat and chicken curry are supplemented by the likes of Katahar curry (reminiscent of jackfruit) and a Guyanese fish curry which isn’t always an option at other London roti shops.
294 Croxted Road, SE24 9DA
Tawa Roti
Trinidad & Tobago
In place of former resident Roti Joupa, Tawa Roti has taken over the baton of Trini-style Roti in this South London takeaway location. As is common, there are two rotis on offer: Dal puri (filled with blended a spicy, dry garlic dal mix) and buss-up shot (an oily, flaky flatbread). Both can be accompanied by the regular home comforts of goat and chicken, as well as curry duck, which is particularly loved in the eastern reaches of the Caribbean. Vegans should be just as satisfied, with a choice of bodi (string beans), pumpkin talkari (mashed pumpkin) and bhaji (spiced season spinach).
12 Clapham High Street, SW4 7UT, @tawarotilondon
Trinidad Roti Shop
Trinidad & Tobago
There isnt an official “Little Caribbean” in the UK or London — but if there was, Harlesden’s Craven Park would certainly be a contender. The overwhelming majority of shops there lean towards Jamaican food and culture. Trinidad Roti Shop and its bright red awning are a beacon of Trinidadian culture. The family behind the shop have been around for decades and as such, in addition to curry rotis, the menu is more of a traditional one, with weekend specials like souse, rum cake and black pudding.
27 Craven Park Road, NW10 8SE, facebook.com
Roti Kitchen
Trinidad & Tobago
Roti Kitchen’s tagline is “Caribbean sunshine in every wrap” and it’s wholly earned. The menu is packed with a wide array of Caribbean eats, from whole BBQ chicken and oxtail stew to escovitch fish and the Rastafari-inspired ital (a vegan combination of two of their veg dishes). All can all be served up with a side of roti, as well as a plethora of fresh sides such as coleslaw or salad. Don’t forget a squeeze of their freshly-made sauces.
6 Leeland Road, W13 9HH, @rotikitchen
Ting ‘n’ Ting
Grenada
Ting & Ting has a melting pot of Caribbean flavours from across the region available, including the likes of jerk pork and chicken, peppered steak and mutton curry. They help pave the way for lesser-known treats (which we sometimes call cutters) like bacalao (saltfish fritters) and all mains can be served with rice and peas, or roti. Sometimes, when appealing to a London audience, restaurants can dull themselves down a bit — but don’t expect this at Ting & Ting, which revels in its celebration of the vivid, multicoloured, corrugated steel shacks that are a common visit back home in the Caribbean.
Unit 2, The Pavilion, 2 Watermill Way, SW19 2RD, tingnting.com
Fish Wings & Tings
Trinidad & Tobago
For an informal drink and dinner with no reservation, look no further than Fish, Wings & Tings, from Trinidadian chef supreme Brian Danclair, pictured above. Located in the heart of Brixton Village Market, Fish, Wings & Tings wonderfully fuses traditional roti shop food with a casual sit-down restaurant vibe, utilising Danclair’s incredible family recipes. On the top of the list of recommendations for any meal has to be the fried fish fritters that climax when dipped in hot sauce or sweet sauce. The rum punches really help to get the night started (or ended, depending on how many you have.
Granville Arcade, Brixton Village, Coldharbour Lane, SW9 8PR, fishwingsandtings.com
Riaz Phillips releases East Winds: Recipes, history and tales from the Hidden Caribbean, on October 5 (DK, £25), the follow-up to the award-winning cookbook West Winds: Recipes, history and tales from Jamaica.
To celebrate the book, Phillips has teamed up to resurrect Bodega Rita’s, the cult sandwich shop from Missy Flynn, as its Caribbean alter-ego — Bodega Roti’s — from October 18—28. It will run at 91 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6BH from 11am—4pm daily, serving the likes of dal puri roti and buss-up shot roti paired with curried goat, chicken, shrimp, or channa aloo (chickpeas and potatoes).
