Best Jamaican food in London

London is home to a vibrant Caribbean community and boasts some of the best Jamaican food outside of the island itself. From jerk chicken to curried goat, plantains to festival, there are tons of restaurants serving up authentic and delicious Jamaican cuisine across the city.

In this blog post, I'll highlight some of the top spots to get your Jamaican food fix in London. Whether you're craving jerk chicken straight off the grill or want to get your patty and coco bread fix, read on for the inside scoop!

Jerk Chicken Heaven

Jerk chicken is one of the most popular Jamaican dishes, made by marinating chicken in a spicy blend of scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, allspice and other herbs and spices before grilling. Here are some great places to get your jerk chicken fix in London:

• Mangrove Restaurant (Notting Hill) - Mangrove has been serving up authentic Caribbean dishes since the 1990s. Their jerk chicken melts off the bone and packs some serious heat. Get it with rice and peas, plantains and festival bread.
• White Men Can't Jerk (Various locations) - This cheekily named eatery was started by two friends from Brixton, serving up succulent jerk with homemade sauces. Try the jerk chicken burgers or wings.
• Federation Coffee (Brixton) - Stop by this cool cafe for coffee by day, and incredible jerk chicken by night. Their special jerk marinade gives the chicken an incredible depth of flavor.
• Ochi's (Croydon) - This little spot is well-worth the trip to Croydon. The jerk chicken and pork are flavored with scotch bonnet peppers grown by the owner himself.
• Jamar's (Brixton) - An underground favorite, Jamar's jerk chicken, wings and ribs have people lining up out the door. Get there early before they sell out.

Curry Goat and More

Curry goat is another Jamaican specialty - tender goat meat slowly simmered in a rich and spicy curry gravy. Here's where to get it in London:

• Curtin's Jamaican Restaurant (Brixton) - This homestyle restaurant is popular with locals for its excellent curry goat made using a closely guarded family recipe. Order it with rice and peas or wrapped in a roti flatbread.
• Jamaica Jamaica (Brixton) - Vibrant cafe by day, Jamaican eatery by night. Their signature curry goat is fantastic, made with that touch of honey that rounds out the flavors.
• Mama's Jerk Shack (Poplar) - Along with great jerk, Mama's does a mouthwatering curry goat served with potatoes, carrots and peppers. Worth the trip to Poplar.
• Golborne Road Market (Notting Hill) - Several of the food stalls in this vibrant street market serve up flavorful curry goat on the weekends. Look out for Rhesa's and Vee's stalls.

More Jamaican Specialties

Beyond the jerk and curry, here are some other spots to try quintessential Jamaican dishes like ackee and saltfish, oxtail stew, and more:

• Cafe Caribe (Leytonstone) - This cafe's saltfish fritters with roasted breadfruit are incredible. They also serve stew peas, plantain tarts and traditional Sunday plates.
• Pizarro's (Brixton) - Come to this Brixton institution on Fridays for their legendary Jamaican-style oxtail stew with butterbeans, served with rice and plantain.
• Zeera Fine Jamaican Cuisine (Croydon) - Zeera whips up great Caribbean comfort food like ackee and saltfish, stew chicken and mannish water (goat soup). Don't miss their rum banana fritters for dessert!
• The Old Post Office (Hackney) - Stop by this pub for their Saturday Caribbean club nights, with dishes like brown stew chicken and curried mackerel run down.
• Roti Joupa (Portobello Road) - Unbeatable homemade roti stuffed with curried goat, jerk chicken, saltfish and more from their street cart in bustling Portobello Market.

Jamaican Patties and Coco Bread

Flaky patties stuffed with spicy beef, chicken or veg are a Jamaican street food staple, best enjoyed stuffed into soft coco bread rolls. Here's where to get your patty fix:

• Federation Coffee (Brixton) - These guys do an incredible beef patty with a perfect flaky crust and moist filling. Get it stuffed in coco bread.
• Bakery Boys (Whitechapel) - A treasure trove of Jamaican baked goods, like creamy chicken and scotch bonnet pepper patties in several sizes.
• Island Bakery (Tottenham) - This family-run bakery churns out excellent patties including vegan soy and callaloo spinach options.
• Brick Lane - Several street vendors along Brick Lane sell freshly baked Jamaican patties, along with fresh coco bread. Perfect for a mid-shopping refuel.
• Brixton Village - The lively shops and eateries in Brixton Village include a couple spots dishing up tasty Jamaican patties to go.

Jamaican Desserts and Sweets

Satisfy your sweet tooth with traditional Jamaican desserts and sweets:

• Federation Coffee (Brixton) - Their fluffy banana fritters with condensed milk are not to be missed. They also do excellent Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.
• Mango Tree Cafe (Streatham) - Sink your teeth into their moist rum cake, grater cake and coconut drops. Rum banana fritters also feature on their West Indian dessert menu.
• Jamaica Society (Brixton) - Stop by this cafe and art space for Guinness punch cake, cassava pone and potato pudding with a Blue Mountain coffee.
• Brixton Street Food Market - The Greedy Cow here serves up fried plantain with condensed milk, tres leches cake and rum and raisin ice cream.
• Walthamstow Market - Grab some hard dough bread, tamarind balls, peanut and sugar cakes as you explore this sprawling market.

So there you have it - my picks for the best spots to get your Jamaican food fix in London. From fiery jerk chicken to rich curries, flaky patties and sweet desserts, London's Jamaican eateries will transport your tastebuds to the Caribbean in a heartbeat. Try a few spots and let me know your favorites!