Caribbean Scene

If you’re ever in Stratford and feeling peckish, make sure you steer clear of Caribbean Scene. 

K., Sh. and I went there on Tuesday evening before going to see “East End Tales” at the Picture House (part of the East End Film Festival).

I had read a review of the restaurant on-line earlier in the day(1/5 stars), but we foolishly decided to give it a go anyway. 

First impressions were good (or should I say deceiving?): the restaurant was spacious and attractively decorated – mock beach huts, a large fish tank, and reggae music playing in the background. 

Unfortunately, the food turned out to be over-priced rubbish, and the customer service was pretty shoddy.

I initially ordered a spicy beef burger with plantain, but was then told they had run out of both, so I opted for jerk chicken instead.  Sh. plumped for a veggie burger, whilst K., who had already eaten, went for an “Emerald City” cocktail.

I’ve eaten jerk chicken several times before, and each time it’s been delicious.  Caribbean Scene’s take on the dish, however, was nothing short of revolting:  a large plate of bitter, vomit-inducing sauce, with a single piece of stringy, over-cooked chicken plonked in the middle.  No sign of any marinating here.   The chicken didn’t come with anything, so I’d ordered a bowl of rice and peas to go with it.  The rice was dry and tasteless; the beans (peas) were mushy and few and far between.  I wish I’d taken a photo, so you could share in the horror. 

Sh.’s meal was equally disappointing:

A tiny, bland burger, with a sad-looking piece of lettuce shoved into the bun, and nothing else.  No side salad or attempt to improve presentation.  Cost = £6.50.   Sh. had also ordered a particular type of fruit juice, only to be told that it was unavailable.

K.’s  cocktail should have been the restaurant’s saving grace (how can you get a cocktail wrong?), but unfortunately, it wasn’t.  Her blue Curaçao/ vodka/ melon liquor/ lime juice drink, served with an ungainly slice of lemon, was average-tasting and overpriced – it actually cost the same as Sh.’s meal!

When we came to pay, we told the waiter how disappointed we were.  He first questioned whether we had ever eaten Caribbean food before (implying that we didn’t know what to expect and that was why we were disappointed!), but then admitted that lots of people had been complaining.  He asked whether we’d like to speak to the manger, and we said we would.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to tell the manager our views as he was “too busy” to speak to us.

We paid (no tip, natch) and left, and won’t be going back again.

I actually think that 1/5 stars is rather generous!