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 again into a sea of vibrant colour, rhythm, and celebration with Europe’s largest street festival promising to turn into an unmissable spectacle.
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 lour 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: traditional deep fried, sweet and moreish dumpling in a burger
- Goat curry: rich and flavoursome curry with goat meat
- Oxtail stew: warming stew with oxtail and beans
- Chicken stew: mouth-watering chicken stew with peppers and spices
- Caribbean rum punch: fruity punch with rum or non-alcoholic version made with tropical fruit juices.
- Caribbean patty: this popular take away small bite is a pastry parcel filled with spicy mince meat or vegetables.
- Mac and cheese: everyone’s favourite cheesy baked pasta dish.
- Plantain: looking like a green banana, this fruit is delicious sliced and fried to perfection.
- Ackee and saltfish: ackee is a Jamaican fruit served with salty cod and plenty of rice.
Our favourite Caribbean restaurants in London:
And here are our favourite Caribbean restaurants in London where you could sample some of these delicious dishes that celebrate the rich Caribbean culture at any time throughout the year.
- Turtle Bay (various locations around London including Brixton and Croydon). This restaurant is one of the most known in London that packs in the whole Caribbean experience in one sitting. From live music, to happy hour and the amazing food cooked fresh every day, this place knows how to make you and your family feel good. Watch out for their ‘kids eat free offers’.
- Coconut Palm Jerk Centre (Bromley) No nonsense simple menu bursting with flavour this small place is the ideal go to for take away ordering.
- Rum Shack Cottons (Camden, Shoreditch, Vauxhall, Notting Hill) Going on since 1985 this place is known for their generous mixed grill platters and atmosphere. Their Sunday roast is something worth trying out.
- Rhythm Kitchen in Stratford brings Caribbean traditional food and drinks into a modern setting with healthy jerk cooking and the touch of magic from the talented jerk master Delroy. From casual dining to quick bites there is something for every taste bud at this lively restaurant.
- Fish Wings and Tings (Brixton) famous for its street food from Trinidad, this Brixton based restaurant is known for its succulent jerk chicken wings and codfish fritters with ginger-mango chutney.
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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