I had arranged to meet a friend for dinner only to find the place closed, so as an alternative, I suggested a nearby Caribbean restaurant. It was the first time I had stepped foot in Caribbean Croft on Stokes Croft for at least five years.
I had previously enjoyed a lunch there but never tried one of their main meals before. Although I had enjoyed the food, on a few occasions I had attempted to get a table recently it had been fully booked.
Being naturally spontaneous, I thought I would try my luck on a Tuesday evening. Arriving for an early dinner at just after 4pm, we sat in an almost empty restaurant but the place slowly started to fill out towards 5pm.
READ MORE: Paul Stephenson’s daughter's ‘pride’ at her father’s bravery
READ MORE: I tried the new vegan pop-up with eight sandwich choices
The mains were large in portion size and I was pleased that there was a decent selection of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. The wide selection of food and drink also included plenty of sides to choose from, kids meals for £7.50, a full list of cocktails and a ridiculous number of rums.
I chose the Ackee and Mushroom for my main course, and shared a side of Chile Spinach. I then finished with a cinnamon and banana slice and the restaurant’s signature cocktail; Caribbean Croft.
The food was more than enough but not too heavy. Although my friend complained about her food being too spicy, I found my main to not be spicy enough. However, having the chile spinach as a side meant I did not try any of the hot sauce that sat on our table.
While the side dishes are generous at £3.50 and the two-for-one cocktail deals that start at 5pm mean you can enjoy one for less than £5, you will struggle to find a main for £10 or less. My dish was £14 while an oxtail or sea bass main is £18 per plate.
The dessert I chose, which was suitable for vegans, was probably the highlight for me. I feared that this vegan ‘slice’ would be plain and boring but it was perfect in size and sweetness.
The atmosphere and service also helps in making the restaurant a pleasant place to eat. The staff are friendly and the decor is inviting. At least when we visited the restaurant, the music was loud enough to enjoy but not so loud that we couldn’t have a conversation.
The Caribbean Croft cocktail is not short on ingredients. Like the restaurant itself, the drink includes a wide range of rums including Wray and Nephews and even vodka on top. I wouldn’t recommend this drink to anyone with a low alcohol tolerance.
Like the time I visited this restaurant several years ago, it was a pleasant experience and there were no complaints in regards to the food. I would be keen on returning to this restaurant and think it deserves its high rating on Tripadvisor, even if the mains are all a bit pricey. Our bill came to just over £67 for two mains, one side dish, a desert, two half pints and four cocktails.
