Cottons has been a restaurant since 1985 and it serves Caribbean style food. This place also had a bar ok the side when you walk into the building. This place reminds me of a very busy night time spot that is filled with happy customers and conversations at each table. It was my first time enjoying a meal here and I have actually never tried Caribbean food until now! Came here for dinner with a group of four and we ordered three different dishes to split amongst us. The food was all really tasty and unique. The flavors were bold but also super good. I would totally recommend the appetizer Caribbean Mezze platter it comes with a variety of things. I love how the menu has plenty of descriptions below and it is a good gage on what to expect. So if you haven't had Caribbean food before, it is worth a try!! read more

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Terrible Resturant. In a hour and a half, we were served one drink and one starter. Food review: Starters - Jerk Skewer: embarrassing! Clearly cooked, then kept warm for hours in a broiler then re-grilled. Terrible. The chicken was disintegrating and the marinade was dreadful. Have the owners not tasted the food here? Cod cakes: OK - also reheated. Mains: Mutton curry: very salty, tiny portion of rice and the skimpiest portion of coleslaw. I asked the waitress to ask chef to fill the ramiken and the chef sent back a personal message for me about it being a garnish. I do not expect personal messages from the chef. And these guys really are cooks - not chefs! Duck breast: asked for medium - came very well done. Again salty as anything. Sides: Mac N Cheese. DREADFUL. It arrived with a golden cheese top bubbling - we were excited. Then we tasted it. No salt, mushy and the cheese had zero taste. It was like warm rubber. Avoid avoid avoid. We avoided dessert to save disappointment. Ambiance: Ragga music blasting above your conversation level - not ideal. Sat ina hallway just by toilet. Not very intimate. All in all, a total let down. There is not a drop of carribean love and authenticity in their food, and I feel robbed paying £77 for above experience. A total let down - another resturant in camden thats gone down the pan. read more

The service here is appalling, food is overpriced and no one here knows customers service or how to explain the drinks happy hour menu paid over £150 for very slow service, the colleagues there were training someone new on the Job who obviously didn't know what he was doing and kept getting the orders mixed how. HOW EMBRASSING. Its not worth the money I will no longer be dining in any Cottons restaurant EVER. The food is 100% not authentic!!!! read more

Cottons has one of those small shop fronts that's easily missable if you're not in the know, but this bar and restaurant is rather deceiving, inside there are 3 different rooms that can hold up to 80 people and the bright and colonial decor reflects the tropical ambience of the Carribbean. I've found myself in here on a weekday evening knocking back daquiris and cuba libres. No, not because I'm a raging alcoholic but because at £4.50 for happy hour drinks it was too good to pass up. The food here is supposed to be incredible too, with traditional jerked meats and curries firm favourites. read more

Cottons - Caribbean Near Me - London, XGL

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Best way to warm up in winter... Spicy food and a fire place! Cotton's in Camden is a gem, from a beautifully put together menu, polite and friendly staff to cosy surroundings and wonderful food. You can't really go wrong with this combination. This is what I would call a "up market" Caribbean place, with fabric napkins and a bill that will come to £25 a head with a cocktail. It's worth it though, these cocktails are brilliant. Rum, ginger, tropical fruits. You can warm yourself by the open fires and close your eyes sipping away at a beach island dream in your glass. I really loved this place as if someone asked me for a perfect date venue, I'd recommend coming in here. Perfect. read more

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It's often difficult to find a decent Caribbean restaurant in London but Cottons is definitely worth a visit. Each room is named after three Caribbean islands (Barbados, St Lucia and Margarita) and once you step inside Cottons you forget you are in Camden. Their platters (meat, fish or vegetarian) are great value for £12.50 and a great introduction for anyone not familiar with Caribbean food. At the weekends there is a great party vibe with a DJ on the decks until 1am. Cottons offers stylish authentic Caribbean food in a great atmoshphere- don't for to book to avoid disappointment! read more

Cottons - Caribbean Near Me - London, XGL

If you like rum and you like West Indian food then look no further. You'll need more than one visit to work your way through the 300 strong rum collection. The only let down about this place is the small space near the bar. Otherwise this could be the perfect place to spend the night in Camden. read more

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After being on my to-do list for over a year, I finally tried Cottons on Friday. I went with my boyfriend Ben and our friends Angharad and Paul. The first thing that struck me was that I could only book a table for either 5 our 9:15 pm. Weird, as neither of those are traditionally times people want to eat dinner. No matter - we would hang out in the famous rum bar until our table was free at 9:15. Cottons' rum bar was smaller than I had imagined and very popular, leading to a bit of a cramped cocktail experience. But as the other patrons were cheerful and the cocktails were amazing, this didn't bother us for long. Behind the bar is a huge wall of rum, and the cocktail menu uses them very creatively. I started on the hard stuff with the Killer Doppo (for types of rum) whilst Angharad went for Cool Runnings (cucumber heavy! Very refreshing). Paul stayed on the Red Stripe all night (you can't win them all) and Ben unimaginatively went for a Long Island Iced Tea (not even looking at the menu!) Us girls then tried the China Breeze (with coconut rum and lychee juice) and we soon found ourselves at our table. Our table was a cosy little booth - the ceilings were quite low, and the while set up made us feel like we were on a boat. Starters comprised Ben and I sharing jerk pork ribs, Angharad with some black eye bean fritters and Paul had shredded sweet chilli chicken (I think). It all disappeared quickly, and then the lads and I sopped up the remaining jerk sauce with complimentary dough bread. Whilst we were waiting for our mains, we ordered some more drinks - Angharad went back to Cool Runnings (a good film!) while I moved on to El Draque (made with mint and tea leaves). Paul was still on the Red Stripe, and Ben asked for... a whisky. Our waiter couldn't believe it, and (rightly) refused to serve him whisky in a rum bar! To our surprise, he soon returned with half a dozen different rums for Ben to try, adamant that he would find one akin to whisky that he would like. He did, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it was. This super-star treatment (and this particular waiter, in fact) made our evening not good but great. Mains came. Angharad had barely looked at the menu before homing in on curried goat with peas an' rrrrice. Paul went for a jerk spiced lamb shank (mm, jerk) sitting on a bed of sweet potato mash and wilted spinach, and Ben and I defied convention by sharing a main - the mixed jerk meat grill. We did bulk it up with a side of dumplings and coleslaw, but sharing a main led us to feel satisfied rather than stuffed - watch out, restaurants, we might do this more often in future. Sorry. The food at Cottons was delicious - good portion sizes, and going beyond the barbecue, into the restaurant. Rather than just a chunk of meat with a handful of rice (my experience at Stratford's Caribbean Scene), Cottons offered really top quality cuisine, beautifully flavoured. I particularly loved the jerk belly pork. I was also intrigued by some of the more unusual menu options, such as jerk venison. Maybe next time. Cottons was clean, with a friendly atmosphere. The waiter service was friendly and, as I mentioned above, very helpful in guiding our choices. My only criticism would be the unusual table booking times (which led us to get home at beyond midnight - not ideal, considering we only had a meal out, not a night on the lash). Whilst I had originally considered the premises "cramped", given the atmosphere, I would now changed that evaluation to "cosy". Definitely recommended, even if you forego the meal - the cocktails were amazing! read more

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I got to finally assess the quality of my local Caribbean restaurant. Sure, I have been in here for a rum or should it be rhum before, but tonight was about trying out the food. Would it be as good as my mums? Well read on and see. With an alleged 200 different varieties of rum on offer, I did well to stick to fiery ginger beer. The food menu reads how a good Caribbean menu should. Fritters, dumplings, plantain, goat curry, beans etc... were all there to be enjoyed. I ordered the house speciality meat combination that comes with peas and rice, plantain and a nice spicy sauce. Oh mama! The server was highly proficient in a simplified, no frills way. She was busy and did her job well. Hard dough bread was brought to the table promptly after our drinks, and throughout the starters and mains came at well set interventions. The vibe of soft Soca music playing added to the relaxed atmosphere, thus making the rather bland décor nothing more than a passing distraction. Every dish brought to the table was excellent and filling. None of this gastronomic tiny dot in the middle of the plate rubbish - these were plates filled with lovely grub. Main meals average out at around £12, which I believe is fair value for money. So to my earlier question - was the food as good as my mum's? No! Oh come on, did you really expect it to be. I like lots of dessicated coconut in my peas and rice, and for allergy reasons I can understand why I couldn't taste coconut in my rice at Cottons. There probably wasn't any in there. Other than that, this place has it all. There is live music on the weekends, a fantastic drinkers bar, and three separate dining areas so you can find a spot that suits you. Oh yeah, and the food is great. Not as good as yours though mum. read more

I'm not a huge fan of Caribbean food, all that rice and peas stuff isn't my favourite cuisine. But I'm always happy to give somewhere a try. We ordered the West Indian meze, the fish fritters were divine, especially dipped in the chickpea curry. They bring some stodgy white bread and butter out which really hits the spot. I love carbs. Sadly the starter was the highlight, as my Trinidadian seafood curry was a bit grey and unexciting. My companion destroyed her Jerk chicken, maybe I should stick to the traditional and order that. It's a nice restaurant with a fireplace and friendly atmosphere. They have a big cocktail menu, but as the food was fairly pricey I wasn't going to add drinks on top of that. read more

Went to have dinner at this horrible restaurant just before a play at Roundhouse. I asked a vegetarian dish that came with grilled plantains, eggplants, roasted peppers, rice and a brown sauce. It was absolutely disgusting. All the vegetables were not fresh and the whole dish was microwaved! Had some fruit smoothie as well, seemed to be okay. Result: got food poisoned, had a long flight early on the morning still really sick and regretting for having dinner at this place. The only positive thing about this place was our waiter. Never choose this place to eat! read more

Cottons is a fabulous caribbean restaurant in the heart of Camden. The interior is very cosy and the food is so hearty and warming! I once had the Grilled Goats Cheese on a baked spinach grilled pineapple & potato cake, served with sweet chilli jam at £11.75 which was to die for! They have 270 different types of rum which is a bit mind boggeling! Overall a great experience! read more

Great vibes Great cocktails Couple street-front tables Wish there were more tables indoors but sometimes size doesn't matter. Had a Caribbean yellow bird and a Cuba libre. Both were great. Will be back for a bite if I have a chance on this trip. Fingers crossed. read more

Appalling service, especially from the front of house staff. Mediocre and overpriced food. Very disappointing, do NOT eat here.

I have been wanting to try this place for ages but its an 1hr journey so we hadnt made it so far. We went to a private event there last night where cocktails were matched with the food and WOW what a fantastic night. We started off with a Wray n Ting and had the salt fish fritters with a mango chutney. The main meal was the meat mixed grill - a huge portion of jerk meat and rice, lamb kofte,rib,chicken and belly pork with plantain, this was served with a paloma cocktail and finally a chocolate rum cake with cream served with another cocktail. The food was outstanding, and we will definetly be back, i want to try the west indian meze and Jerk fish mixed grill. The only downer is that its a tight on space but the food and cocktails more than make up for this, yes it would be exceptional if it had more comfortable chairs and space. Very good prices and i would definetly recommend this place to those wishing to sample carribbean food. read more

The food was OK. My big issue was a security/identity theft issue. For some reason, if you use an American style credit card (signature instead of a chin/pin like the UK) the manager demands to make a photocopy of your ID. The manager & waitress explained that this was in case the card is rejected, they can go back to the bank. I don't buy it. Other places in the UK, they just check the signature on the receipt and the card, or ask to see your ID, not take a full photocopy. If you are not using a chip/pin card, bring cash. read more

I have been wanting to try this place for ages but its an 1hr journey so we hadnt made it so far. We went to a private event there last night where cocktails were matched with the food and WOW what a fantastic night. We started off with a Wray n Ting and had the salt fish fritters with a mango chutney. The main meal was the meat mixed grill a huge portion of jerk meat and rice, lamb kofte,rib,chicken and belly pork with plantain, this was served with a paloma cocktail and finally a chocolate rum cake with cream served with another cocktail. The food was outstanding, and we will definetly be back, i want to try the west indian meze and Jerk fish mixed grill. The only downer is that its a tight on space but the food and cocktails more than make up for this, yes it would be exceptional if it had more comfortable chairs and space. Very good prices and i would definetly recommend this place to those wishing to sample carribbean food. read more

What a fantastic place! I had never been to a Caribbean restaurant before, and have little experience of the cuisine - so it was with some hesitation that I let my friends talk me into trying this place they all raved about. Anyhow, my first experience, one cold winter evening, was just marvellous! Very welcoming and attentive staff, outstanding food (though the dessert menu could be expanded I think), and a great selection of cocktails. Sitting near a warm open fire (downstairs), in a unique atmosphere. My only negative was maybe the table we sat at was a bit cramped (more of a booth really), with not very comfortable cushions on hard wooden benches - but everything else was very satisfying, and I look forward to returning many more times... read more

Poor, poor and poor. Went for a friends birthday and there were serious complaints by the management for taking a while to pay for the bill. The food was nothing special, I find better stuff locally tbh and for a fraction of the price and in bigger quantites. AVOID! read more

Cottons haha a great vibe - bar out front with live music and a restaurant out the back. Food took a little while to get to us, but when it did it was tasty. I had the fish and seafood kebobs, which was wonderfully cooked and seasoned and was the perfect portion. My company shared a meat platter which they enjoyed too. read more

More than a restaurant, Cottons is a vibrant bar with an authentic Caribbean feel. I am a fan of their elaborate and classy cocktails made with the best rums you can find in the Caribbean. The staff at the bar is very friendly and there's often some good live music too! read more

This place has really gone down, i have been coming here for 20+ years. 1 star for the atmosphere and service, the food was terrible, the drinks warm and the glasses dirty, i drank my dragon stout from the bottle. When i made a comment about this and the fact that the service charge was already added to my bill and prefer to decide myself, the manager was a total smart alec telling me that the restaurant will be here for another 25 years. Well it will have to-improve dramatically to do this!!!!Dr K read more

Got to cottons around 630pm for the first time today 7/7/13. Upon arrival we got told that they were full booked and we could sit at the bar instead of the restaurant because we didn't make a booking (fair enough) we came along way to come here for some GOOD jerk. Wrong! I placed my order over the bar and they demanded money before I got my food, I thought fine, as we're not sitting in the restaurent but two stools and a small ledge opposite the bar. I thought this was still ok. When I got to my seat I calculated what they charged me and it came over by £5. I spoke to the gentleman who served me and after looking back at the recipt he told me the service charge was added to my bill even before I go my food and even still we went sitting in the restaurant but the two stools and a tiny ledge! He then told me the manager would come and speak to me. I saw the manager and even made eye contact with him after I saw the bar staff talk to him. The Manager didn't even have the ordasity to come up to me once, better yet, it was him who punched in my order when I placed it with the bar staff. To top it off the food was way over priced! I have had better frozen jerk chicken, I kid you not. Service poor, food poor, and a complete rip off! Avoid this place, go to one of the small nice and easy Italian joints in the area instead. I only went there because of the reviews online, if you've had proper jerk chiken, this is not the one for you! Disappoint awaits and a small dent in your wallet. read more

mmmm, this place was a delight! i reserved a table for 5 of us at 6pm on a saturday night. they put us at a table right next to an open fire place, which was a dream on a freezing february evening. it wasn't busy when we arrived, but we were eating early due to a gig at the round house. it definitely filled up quickly and seemed close to full by the time that we left. we were early enough to partake in happy hour prices, which was a joy on a saturday night. i had a cocktail with coconut in it (haha, obsessed) which came in a margarita glass. i think it might have been called a china breeze, or something similar. it was strong, sweet and delicious. i tried a few other cocktails round the table and they were all very strong, and tasty! i had a rum loving friend and i cannot wait to take him back to this rum shack, he will be a very happy man! the food was really, really good. my boyfriend and i shared the salted fish and pumpkin fritters for a starter, and they were excellent. good size portion to to share too, with a fresh side salad and a lovely, tangy sauce. for my main i had the red snapper which came on a yam, wilted spinach and a lovely coconut curry sauce (haha, truly obsessed!). it also had creole prawns scattered around the side of the plate. the red snapper was lovely - a firm, white fish with a lovely flavour. yum! the portion was good too and i was very happy with my choice. my friends and boyfriend had between them a mixed fish grill - they were mainly happy about this, apart from one of the fishes was very bony, and for my friend who doesn't like bones in anything, this was an issue for him (but was obviously down to poor personal choice and wasn't a reflection on the quality or taste of the food), a mixed veggie grill and calypso chicken. the highlights for them all were the rice and peas, and the jerk sauce which was great and a super good kick to it. our waitress is also worth a mention. she was very softly spoken, polite and unobtrusive. i really can't compliment her highly enough as she did an excellent job at looking after us in a totally charming way. i'm very glad we came to cottons, and i'm sure i will be returning again soon! read more

My second time at Cottons, the first time we didn't get to eat as they had annoyingly mixed up the time of our reservation. Success the second time around... Arrived early enough for the happy hour on drinks (£5 on a selection of cocktails and beer) both of my drinks were fine. The food took longer than expected, especially as staff had told us it would be fairly speedy. My entree was lovely chicken with a coconut based sauce. My main was a huge disappointment as the kitchen had forgotten to de-scale my fish. I told the waiter and he took it away for them to redo which would have been fine if I wasn't on a schedule and with 7 other people. It took about 10/15 minutes for my food to arrive back at the table. By which time the rest of my party were preparing to leave as we had to catch a show starting at the roundhouse. I had to inhale my food which left me feeling uncomfortable for the first half hour of the show. read more

Review for cotton Quick Facts * Attended end of Jan 2012 * Customer service isn't good * Food a bit expensive, 2 courses no alcohol £50 * Small portions * Main stream, not traditional Caribbean, some flavours work some don't * Not much atmosphere (no music) in restaurant area, only in the bar I took my wife to cottons for her birthday, we entered the restaurant via the only entrance the bar which played reggae music and seem to have an atmosphere. There are 2 floors. we weren't show where to go so waited until a chap who seemed to be chatting up a young lady noticed and showed us upstairs to the restaurant. The restaurant is quiet as you cannot here music from the bar so there is not much of an atmosphere. The starter wasn't very Caribbean and wasn't very nice. It took about 45 minutes to an hour for the main course to arrive. The customer service is not great, my waitress was like a robot, no smile or interaction with us or other she served. I complained that the prawns was over cooked and she shrugged her shoulders and didn't offer an alternative, never apologised or even called the manager. I couldn't see a manager so I thought I will just deduct £2 from the £9.75 starter. The flavours were not very Caribbean choices especially the prawn starter and the one my wife had. The mixed jerk was nice but not traditional jerk, tasted more barbeque. The portions were not very big, the jerk mixed meat, a 5th of a belly pork, 1 small thigh, a wing, a small meatball size of lamb kofte, it was very nice but not enough of it. A bit expensive, £50 for 2 courses for 2 with no alcohol. The manager who I later discovered was the chap who was chatting up a lady earlier didn't offer me a solution and said I should have told him earlier about the problem., just said he would remove the service charge and refused to give me £2 or anything of the £9 starter even though it was overcooked. He didn't apologise or show any understanding. It wasn't obvious he was the manager as he wasn't dressed like one or had a uniform or badge. I would never go back to this restaurant or recommend it to anyone. I said that I would write a review and the manager didn't seem to care. I explained that the owner would care and I was surprised to here that it was a family run business. The truth is my Caribbean cooking is much better than this restaurant but fancied a change. read more

the food is out of this world, its a shame the customer service lets this place down