Abigail Sears
I visited Guanabana for the first time on Friday. It came highly recommended a few times and I was finally in the area to try it. Upon arrival, I noticed the restaurant was packed which was a good sign and it didn't take long to be seated as I had a reservation. The service wasn't terribly slow but it could have been a tad bit quicker. The food itself was good but could have been better - I ordered the curry lamb and it came with rice and peas, plantains and salad and I ordered a ginger beer - but next time I'd try something else on the menu. The lamb tasted quite game-y, and there is a certain way to prepare lamb to remove that taste and the portion of rice and peas was small compared to how much meat I got. And these were the smallest plantain I'd ever seen. Next time I'll stick to the jerk chicken and rice which it seems like was ordered at every table. Though the food was good, there are Caribbean restaurants which give you great food, good portions and are great value for money, which I am still on the search for. Overall 7.5/10.
Sunny Miah
Title: A Pleasant Dining Experience with Great Service and Delicious Food
Rating: 4 stars
I recently revisited this restaurant after a long absence and was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. The service provided was top-notch, and the staff went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction. Even though it had been a while since my last visit, they made us feel welcome and attended to our needs promptly.
While I was initially disappointed by the changes made to the menu, with a reduction in options and a stronger emphasis on Caribbean cuisine, I must say that the food itself was excellent. Each dish we ordered was flavorful and well-prepared, leaving us thoroughly satisfied. The lady serving us also provided recommendations, ensuring that our choices were complemented with a few extra bits that enhanced the overall dining experience. The kitchen staff deserves praise for their attention to detail, as there were no mistakes made with our order.
Moreover, I would like to commend the restaurant's willingness to accommodate our request for desserts from another shop owned by the same owners. It was a kind gesture that added a touch of variety to our meal, and we truly appreciated their flexibility and customer-focused approach.
On a constructive note, I feel it's important to address the issue of hygiene. The cleanliness of the bathroom left something to be desired, and there were noticeable body odor smells that were slightly off-putting. I believe that maintaining clean facilities is crucial for any establishment and would recommend that the management pay closer attention to this aspect.
The only dish that fell short of expectations was the prawn dish. Unfortunately, it lacked flavor and seasoning, resulting in the prawns seemingly swimming in plain water and the virgin drinks don’t bother at all. However, this minor disappointment did not overshadow the overall amazing dining experience we had with the other dishes.
In conclusion, my recent visit to this restaurant left me with a positive impression. The excellent service, delicious food, and the staff's willingness to accommodate our requests made for a memorable dining experience. While there is room for improvement in terms of menu selection and hygiene, I would still highly recommend this restaurant to others seeking a satisfying meal with great service.
Yasin Amar
Really cosy restaurant in the Kentish Town/Camden area. The food was incredible, and also a considerable amount! I had a lovely time and would definitely recommend, whether you’re a fan of Caribbean cuisine or would just like to try something new.
Shaneen Olmos
Food is incredible every time, although mains come out at very different times which dampens the experience a little whilst the rest of the party waits for their food (sometimes can take up to 10 mins for the rest of the meals to come). Staff is kind and lovely, even when certain meals may not be available and they always accommodate. The food is always fresh and value for money, you will leave satisfied. Bathrooms could use a deep clean tho.
Gether Mercer
Loved this restaurant!!! My cousin recommended that we visited and we WERE NOT disappointed. The food, the atmosphere, the vibe was alive. You can also bring in your own alcohol. The oxtails were tender and so full of flavor. Try it!!!
latifah abdi
This is by far the best Afro /Caribbean restaurant in London.
We came as a group of nine and the staff were so catering to all our specific needs.
The interior and detail of everything in this fine establishment is astonishing.
Now let me say by saying that there is not one thing on the menu that isn’t 10/10.
I had the luck chance in trying the jerk platter , chicken Alfredo, oxtail and the Caesar.I have never tasted such flavoursome and mouthwatering food like this from a restaurant in a long time.
The head Chef (Stefan) was a delight and I greeted myself and my entire family.His hands are truly blessed.He has a true talent in the kitchen and made our experience ten times better.
THIS IS A MUST VISIT.I will definitely be back to try the roast dinner on a Sunday!
Ikram Casi
I had been craving a good filling Sunday roast for a little while now & after doing some research online as to where to find halal roast local to me, I found this hidden gem. I headed over to the restaurant, found a good parking spot within 3min so that was a plus! I proceeded to walk in where I approached the waitress I had spoken with over the phone when making our booking, she sat us in the back where it had a lovely breeze coming through the terrace (I think it was) and it was good for the eye as it was picture worthy! Anyway, I had ordered many jerk chicken roast & my partner had ordered the beef roast. My partner asked for his steak to be done medium however he had received his it well done, he didn’t complain as it was still nice but extremely chewy. As for me, I was extremely happy with the chicken I would definitely order it again. The wait for the food was quite a wait and we were warned about this, but I think for the future it’s important for everyone on a table to receive their food at the same time. Also, when we had asked for the bill it took an additional 10/15mins to chase it up. I would visit again as the food was great overall.
Saif Islam
Really nice but please read the full review. I ordered oxtail and my friend ordered the half baby Jerk Chicken. First of all I wanted to replace my rice and peas, which came with the oxtail, with home slaw which was cheaper then the rice and peas but I was told they couldn’t do that but they could replace it with Jolof rice which was also more expensive then the home slaw. They did however let me get the Jolof rice for my friend as his didn’t come with any sides and I didn’t end up getting the home slaw.
My oxtail meat was not consistent in its tenderness and at first I thought they must have mixed some curry goat with my oxtail but when I asked the chef he said they have multiple suppliers of oxtail meat and that was the reason for the inconsistency.
The chicken was cooked really well and both dishes tasted really good. I can’t complain about the flavour. I also liked that they gave the jug of water with ice it was a nice touch on a hot day. Overall the service was really good.
I would go again but it’s not going to be my go to Jamaican food place. It’s a lil bit far and I have options near me which are as good.
Samantha Maitland
As a certified gastronomist I can't begin to explain the multidimensional experience that is the food at Guanabana. Do: get the jerk chicken platter (its enough for 2 to 3 ppl and the flavor of the smoke in the chicken and the freshness of the coconut in the rice and peas will steal your words), get the garlic parmesan fries, eat the vegetarian trio and or the sea bass. Do not: skip out on this place. It is a must go! Chef Stefan ah do im ting...di food sell off!
Arsanti & Reza
Great service and table was ready on time which was perfect for breaking fast with my wife.
We got the steak with peppercorn sauce which was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. We also got the jerk chicken with rice and peas which was so good, I would definitely recommend this restaurant!
Maria Gayle
Great food, great place. My son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter took me there for my birthday 🎂 👏🏾🥂🎂
AThousandSplendidSuns KH
The prawn starters were really good. The Sunday roast was lovely as well. We requested medium for the tomahawk steak yet this was more well done than medium.
Sherika G
My first visit to Guanabana after spotting the roast on a friends IG story. I had the Island roast with jerk chicken, along with a mango mojito mocktail. Food was nice, well seasoned and not overwhelmingly spicy. Would definitely go back as I’d love to try the other dishes on the menu. Kinda regret not trying the Mac and cheese after seeing other diners enjoy!
F Ansari
We visited this restaurant for our team Xmas Dinner. We had booked a table and were welcomed promptly. The seating is a bit cosy, and the atmosphere is very friendly. The staff are super professional and really do look after you. We had a big order and they looked after us. Another positive is that this place is HALAL (winning!). The ribs were amazing, patatas bravas on point, the calamari was decent, the jerk chicken was delicious. The only letdown here was that for Xmas Jerk Beef Roast was mediocre. We had two orders of that at medium rare, but got extremely well done chewy meat, plus the lobster was not a lobster tail, but sliced in half (a bit disappointing and would recommend avoiding ordering this as it is £45). Bar that, it's a great hidden gem, and I'd definitely go there again.
D M
Went with the girlfriend for our 4th month anniversary. Nice location and the facilities were clean and pleasant.
The food was very good, tasty and while it was about £15-17 for a meal - the portion size was very good.
Drinks were fab would recommend both the mango and lychee smoothies
Service staff were very nice too, seemed happy and were polite.
Thank you for giving us a lovely dinner on our 4th month together ❤️
Khalid I
Clean seating environment (even the toilet was clean, which for a Friday night is impressive!!)
Loved the flavours, great tasting food. Very friendly staff. Smiling and helpful (one of the best restaurants by far). Only down side was they put a plate of food on our table, then took it away saying it’s for the wrong table.
Was a pleasant surprise there was a pray facility provided which was a bonus.
Only critic is price is very high, can be seen as overpriced even.
Asma Khatun
Went to celebrate Mother's day with the family as we were regular customers and have always enjoyed the food and the service. So today was the worst service along with the food possible. My beef bacon was shredded and the smallest pieces ever I wouldn't feed that to a dog. Asked for it to be changed and was given more shredded bacon and when we looked at our meals the eggs were not runny but just not cooked. The white bits of the eggs was running down looking all snotty which could result in food poisoning. When we called the manager over he said that's how he does the food and if we wasn't happy we should leave. I was gobsmacked as he was quite aggressive in his manner of speaking. Literally snatched the plates of the table and stormed off. As I got up because I would not put up with this kind of service he came running back and asked me to pay for the drinks which I had not drunk. He literally chased us out the door with more aggression and told us he was right and the customers are wrong and slammed the door shut.
To add to this the restaurant and the poor quality of food and service the cutlery was filthy and we had to change our own cutlery and our mojitos had no taste and was full of froth. It's seems this place has gone way downhill. I wouldn't never recommend to go there cos the place is a dive along with the diabolical service.
Umm Asiyah
Me and my husband were looking for a place to have special dinner together as we hardly have chance to go anywhere alone due to kids etc I found this place online and I thought he would love it as he likes jerk chicken I messaged them for a special table and I gave instructions that I wanted a nice place not in middle of restaurant and gave instructions on what I wanted I also asked if it can be decorated for our special evening which they replied of course they will decorate it and I was made to feel like i will have special place from the inside of the restaurant so I was happy and excited thought this is perfect and was looking forward to it as it was a surprise to my hubby made sure I reserved it in time so my place won't get given to anyone etc when we got there I was told that most the restaurant was booked for parties or birthdays that must have booked after me as this wasn't mentioned before, I mentioned to the waiter that I booked it few times and Everytime he kept saying I know you booked but but it's full cause of the parties, so we ended up getting a place two tables behind the front door which wasn't great the table was bear had just cutlery no napkins my hubby had to get some from the empty table next to it... I was extremely disappointed as this was a surprise and I made sure everything was perfect before hand if I knew this would happen I wouldn't have bothered coming or making a surprise... After we were seated and chose our food the same waiter decided to give us a jug of mojhito on the house as it's a special night (since I mentioned it in the messages) we ordered the nachos which were delicious and I ordered the rump steak fajitas which was really delicious but the steak had lots of pieces that weren't edible and chewy but some other bits we soft nevertheless I liked it and my hubby got the jerk chicken with spicy sauce it was delicious too... After we finished we decided to pay and go so when I went to pay the same waiter said to me that after I sat that he remembered who I was when I booked and messages etc and that his whole restaurant was full cause of the parties and birthdays and which is why they couldn't give me a better table anyways I was disappointed as whole I really thought the promise given to me would be kept based on my messages etc the toilets are disgusting as well which made me feel even more sick of the place. I think the waiter tried to make it feel better with a jug of mojhito and some sweeties at the end but that was pointless. Overall very disappointing Eventhough my hubby tried to show me that he was ok and that he liked it I knew deep down it was a real extreme disappointment thanks to guacabana.
Rowena 'moomin' Kelly
This is a hidden treasure...off the beaten tourist track in Camden. It is quirky, eccentric and laid back. The most wholesome soul food I've had in a restaurant. It feels like you are really being fed and it is worth a trip back to London just for this. The best curry goat ever. Portion size is awesome and it is excellent value for money. I can't wait to explore the rest of the menu. If you like things super-efficient and 'corporate' it won't be for you. It has a very laid back vibe. For the Marley fans !
Amalan Karthigeyan
Had a bad experience at this place. The place was run down, food was mediocre and ended up having food poisoning that lasted a good couple of days. I don't recommend this place at all.
Shadiyah Marshall
Fantastic place, lovely friendly staff and top notch food - Fresh & Tasty my tastebuds are always rejoicing. It's our regular spot for brunch & dinner. � Just Loving It �
Andrew Fontenelle
We were looking for a place to celebrate my Mother's 80th birthday and Guanabana came up during my search. I was very impressed with the place on my first visit to organise details, and Saber, the Manager was most helpful.
Our party of 17 arrived on the night to find that our tables were nicely decorated and everyone enjoyed the food which was delicious. We ordered from the Christmas menu and the portions were generous. The staff were all very friendly and despite Saturday being a busy night, the service was very good.
Great atmosphere, good music, and good food, what more do you need to celebrate a birthday. I look forward to my next visit and will certainly be recommending this restaurant to friends and family. Thank you Saber and all the staff at Guanabana.
Imtiyaz Rohim
Me along with 11 others came here for a friends birthday and the service was absolutely disgusting. The jerk chicken I ordered had an off after taste and I have had jerk chicken before in different places and was disappointed when eating here. The salad that goes along the chicken wasn't fresh as some of the lettuce was brown. The "hand cut chips" was such a small portion and was way too salty. The waitress was rude and grumpy and had 0 customer service skills. At the end of our meal we wanted to pay separately and it took forever due to the waitresses lack of math skills and no till system. She even had the cheek to say for us to get our own change. Overall I wouldn't recommend anyone to go here and especially as a large group
Ladelle Jeanea
Horrible service, unfriendly staff. Will not be visiting again and I advise any potential customers to stay away. Wouldn't even rate them 1�
Alvarez Gordon Itahisa
Omg what a fab night!
Went for my son's 14th bday. Book a table for 10. Got a curtosy phone call and he understood my son was at home so we spoke in code lol
Table had balloons on it for us and the cake hidden in the fridge. Birthday boy arrived the whole restaurant staff and all sung to my son.
The service was excellent the food delicious!
One particular waiter was so sweet to my youngest daughter bringing her crayons ect and asking her every so often if she was ok. All my guests noticed and were very touched. Great that we could bring our own drink. Sublime evening thank you Guanabana!!!!
Arjun Ladva
Mandem burger was the bomb, especially with the 2 for 1 offer which made it even better �
Rj Le
Slow service, absent and rude staff, apart from two waiters. Short big guy working there has no manners, and tries to bully and intimidate customers. As a Caribbean and South American native, this food is an insult, with the exception of the adobo wings. Also they don't have a liquor licence! �
Neville Palmer
The food was far too salty, the cola was cheap and watery, the sound track contained homophobic tracks and when asked to remove the tracks from the play list I was told by management that they did not understand the meaning of the particular tracks. The final incident was confusion over the final bill whereby one of our party had to calulate the final bill as there was a discrpency of over £100, this is after having to intervene between staff members who could not agree on the final bill.
On leaving the Restuarant we then see the chef returning from the pizza shop with a pizza ..... really not a good advert!! I will not be returning to this Restuarant. The one saving grace is that the waiters/waitresses were all very polite and attentive.
Meera Saeed Salim Khalfan
Love it here, the staff are so friendly and the food is delicious and really well priced. Thank you for a fab night 😀
Tasneem Alam
The halloumi and croutons were fried which was a little disappointing in my salad but they had the best churros! Highly recommended for the dessert
Masuma Khatun
Great food and service! Plus the food is halal!🙌🏻😍
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