Dine like a local: chef Dom Taylor’s guide to London’s best Caribbean restaurants

When chef Dom Taylor has the itch for Caribbean food, his first stop is usually his local takeaway, Likkle ‘d’, in Deptford, South London.

“The food is always on point: professional, consistent and well-executed every time,” says Taylor, who has recently opened his first standalone restaurant, Marvee’s Food Shop, named after his Jamaican mother Marveline, on the other side of London, just off Ladbroke Grove. Taylor’s previous venture was a Caribbean pop-up, The Good Front Room, at the Langham hotel, which ran for 10 months, his prize for winning TV’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef. 

Marvee’s is Taylor’s reimagining of the Caribbean takeaway, and though the food is more elevated than at his local in SE8, it’s just as nourishing for the soul. Traditional Jamaican bammy and festival breads are reborn as waffles topped with jerk chicken, crispy spiced banana blossom and curry goat; there are patties, of course, with classic fillings like beef and saltfish and dipping sauces, and desserts like a fun Old-Skool Cake and Custard and an irresistible sounding roasted plantain and molasses soft serve. 

“It’s relaxed, fun, the dishes are hearty and the flavours comforting and familiar, yet there are a few surprises in there with reinventions of the classics,” says Taylor. 

When he’s not reinventing the classic Caribbean takeaway or creating a range of Caribbean sauces and condiments on Delli, Taylor has a few favourite stops in London for the best Caribbean food, alongside Likkle ‘d’. 

Roti Joupa in Shepherd’s Bush, which has been “around for donkey’s years”, is his pick for roti and channa, and he also highlights Zeret Kitchen, an Ethiopian restaurant in Camberwell, as a left-field choice.

“[It’s] a fusion spot with deep stews and spice blends that remind me of Caribbean roots in Africa. I had a lamb tibs dish that felt like a cousin to brown stew – rich, tender, unforgettable. Not strictly Caribbean but close enough to make the list,” says Taylor.

Here are three more of the best Caribbean restaurants in London, as chosen by Dom Taylor.