Yah-so - Croydon

This restaurant is definitely a guilty pleasure. The food is exceptional, and after dining here multiple times, I had the chance to observe the chef while waiting for the restroom. It was clear that he takes his work seriously and genuinely enjoys what he does. However, the staff could improve their customer service; you might feel overlooked at times. If they do happen to acknowledge you, it’s a nice surprise. As for the drinks, they’re not impressive either; I’ve found the cocktails to taste overly sweet without much flavor. It’s best to stick with beer or wine instead. On the plus side, the prices are reasonable. Overall, the food is authentic, and while the customer service can be inconsistent, I still recommend this place.

When I asked for the dessert menu, I was told I couldn’t have dessert because the space was needed and there wasn’t enough time. I was completely taken aback! Where was the communication? Why wasn’t I informed earlier? I could have ordered sooner. I wasn’t even offered alternative seating, and there were just two of us; perhaps we could have been accommodated on the lovely outside terrace since it was a warm evening. Clearly, the service needs improvement, and I was quite disappointed. The suggestion to order dessert to take away only added insult to injury. That said, I will return because I genuinely enjoy the food, drinks, and atmosphere, and the background music is generally very pleasant.

We ordered a variety of dishes including plantain, chunky fries, ribs, festival, mac and cheese, jerk chicken, rice and peas, along with some drinks. Excited for our meal, about 10 minutes later, the waitress returned to inform us that they were too busy to serve our food since we hadn't made a reservation. I've dined in both upscale restaurants and casual pubs, and I've never encountered such absurdity. We expressed our willingness to wait, but she bluntly insisted they were busy, despite the fact that the restaurant was not full at the time. This was truly a joke. Our drinks hadn't even arrived and there was no one at the bar to assist us.

We had a table booked for Sunday night but had to wait a while to be seated, however we did receive an apology for the wait. The food was delicious but I found the curry goat just slightly on the saltier side. The portions were on point as were the cocktails, especially the daiquiri. Lastly, there's a nice vibe, authentic music, a welcoming decor and the staff were courteous. As a resultWill definitely return.

Atmosphere is lovely, food taste excellent, the cocktails were ok. I enjoyed the visit. My birthday was well spent.