The iconic Notting Hill Carnival returns over the August Bank Holiday weekend on 30 and 31 August to mark a monumental milestone: its 60th anniversary. To mark the occasion London will transform into a sea of vibrant colour, rhythm, and celebration with Europe’s largest street festival promising to turn into an unmissable spectacle this year too.
As one of Europe’s biggest street festivals, Notting Hill Carnival is a huge celebration of the Caribbean’s vibrant, rich and colourful culture, with music, costumes and food at its heart. Kicking off with the family-friendly Children’s Day on Sunday, the colourful party will turn into a full, electric spectacle of Adults’ Day on Bank Holiday Monday.
And, every year, the icon West London’s tree-lined avenues around Notting Hill area will echo with the thunderous beats of over thirty static sound systems, the resonant melodies of world-class steel pan orchestras, and the irresistible aromas of sizzling jerk chicken, plantain and delicious goat curry.
Ahead of Notting Hill Carnival we put together a small list of favourite Caribbean dishes and places where you could go to sample some delicious treats ahead of the big event at the end of August Bank Holiday.
The Young Londoners’ top 10 favourite Caribbean dishes:
- Jerk chicken
Grilled chicken marinated in spicy, jerk sauce - Dumpling burger
A traditional deep fried, sweet and moreish dumpling in a burger - Goat curry
A rich and flavoursome curry with goat meat - Oxtail stew
A warming stew with oxtail and beans - Chicken stew
A mouth-watering chicken stew with peppers and spices - Caribbean punch
A fruity rum punch - Caribbean patty
A pastry that contains various fillings and spices - Mac and cheese
A cheesy baked pasta dish - Plantain
A part of the banana family, sliced and fried to perfection - Ackee and Saltfish
Ackee is a Jamaican fruit served with salt cod
And here are five most Caribbean restaurants where you could sample some of these delicious dishes ahead of the Carnival.
Top 5 Caribbean restaurants in London:
- Turtle Bay (Brixton and Croydon)
- Coconut Palm Jerk Centre (Bromley)
- Flavours of Norbury (Norbury)
- Juicy Roots (Tottenham)
- Fish Wings and Tings (Brixton)
Beyond the dazzling feathered costumes and high-octane soca parades, this diamond-anniversary edition stands as a deeply poignant tribute to six decades of Caribbean culture, resilience, and community spirit in the heart of the capital, so put on your comfortable dancing shoes, bring your appetite, and prepare to immerse yourself in London’s ultimate end-of-summer street party.
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