On inspection, the Farringdon newcomer we had originally intended to review today just looked too horrible. So we diverted instead to this nearby hang out – the new(ish) off-shoot of Camden Town’s long-serving Caribbean ‘Restaurant & Rhum Shack’. Not, to be honest, with high hopes, but it did at least look welcoming. And in the warm weather it seemed a seasonal choice.
Service initially seemed lackadaisical, so it was no surprise when the food we had ordered didn’t arrive for what seemed an eternity. (For the busy London luncher/critic, that’s about 12 minutes.) Our impatient query about the whereabouts of our lunch – there being only four other customers present – was met with the po-faced answer: ‘all our food is freshly prepared”. Yeah, yeah, we thought. What’s the Caribbean for ‘mañana’?
Well we had to eat our words, or at least our unkind thoughts. What was surprising was the food – which comes in large tapas-style portions – really did all taste as if it had just that moment been prepared. We were impressed, for example, by the zestiness of a duck and watermelon salad – an ideal summer starter. The highlight, though, was metagee – a vegetable gratin with sweet potatoes and other vegetables, covered in a creamy coconut sauce. A dish which could have been cloying and obvious was vibrant and moreish.
So, if you’re in the market for a different, and relaxed, lunch, this would be worth considering. By night, when the vibe must be totally different – they usually have a DJ – we can’t help wondering how the food quality holds up, given the last-minute nature of the preparation, and the small kitchen. But – on a warm night, wafted on a breeze of Rhum from Clerkenwell to the Caribbean – who’s going to be worrying too much about the food anyway?
