ukethnic

01st July

"Cocktails very nice,over priced. Chicken wings could be cooked 10 more minutes.

My curry - goat meat awful, should be seasoned overnight.
Don't expect too much gravy and they have surly staff.

Watch out for the whopping service charge..."

Priya, MyVillage

01st March

"Yummy yum yum! Yes, being a Caribbean haunt you can cast away from the usual chicken, rice and peas and explore the unknown at Mango Rooms.

To say the menu is diverse,it is far from hitting the listing. There is an array of choices that are very exciting and palatable.

It does get extremely busy so it may be worth setting out earlier than planned and, lord behold if you miss your booking, the waiting time is as delayed as the Victoria line.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel as the bar serves as the waiting area- so what you eat in weight you gain in alcohol too."

NW5

05th April

"How depressing to read reviews which focus so much on the ethnicity of the person who served their food.

I have been to Mango Rooms on several occasions and always had a good meal. My friend, who originates from Jamaica and whose parents still live there, says the food is good and
authentic. It is billed as being more modern but the menu is varied enough to have more traditional things on it. The service could be better but the staff are polite, just a bit slow.

On the occasions that I have visited the head chef has been from the Carribbean. I spoke to him and he was very nice indeed."

Matt

24th March

""Went for a meal at the Mango Room's last Monday. It was totally packed so it was a good job we'd booked. We got there a bit early but were able to sit and have a drink in the dark and cozy little bar, tucked round the back. Once we got to the table, we had excellent service from the waiters and were served some pretty decent Caribbean food. The plaintain for starters were ok but the main course of that traditional Jamaican meal, Jerk Chicken with rice and peas was gorgeous. Really hot and spicy and the chicken was lovely and tender. My mates all seemed to enjoy what they had too - it seems the curried goat and the salmon are to be recommended. Not too expensive either - about ?9 for your main. Nice to get some decent, relaxed and unhurried service too - unusual for London. Although I was with a big group, I reckon this place would be great for a romantic meal for two.""

Ali S

24th March

""Having secured a Friday night date with a fantastic female, I took on the gentlemanly task of seeking out a restaurant that would make the night what I expected it to be. Now, I was not spoilt for choice. This time of year you're doing well if you can get your office Christmas party booked in for February! So, of the few places I could actually get a reservation, The Mango Room, for some reason, stood out.""

Mark

24th March

""I booked a table for Feb 14th or so I thought! I talked to the restaurant and they said they would phone me and confirm the booking next day but did not. I phoned them that day and confirmed it. Just to make sure I phoned them on the 14th to re-confirm it (and was told yes there was no problem). Low and behold when we turned up they had lost our booking and without so much as an apology (but much denial and "you didn't speak to me etc") we were shown the door. My advice is if you want to turn up and get a table try, but if you want to book for something don't bother, they were disorganized, rood and we were left hungry and fed up. Nice work Mango rooms!! I hope they go bust.""

Angela

24th March

""Went to the Mango Rooms on February 16th for my birthday. Upon booking this event, I asked whether they'd cater for children, since I was bringing about 4 children with me and there was 9 of us in total. I was told yes, but on the night, they said they didn't have anything suitable for them. The food was too hot or spicy, so we had to order them Crab and Potatoe balls, which none of them ate. I was served by a woman who didn't under english very well. I ordered Fish Creole, which cost ?9.50 and the fish was sooooooooooooooo small, I was not amused. The rice dishes are served to you in tiny bowls, which people would use to dip there fingers in to wash. The atmosphere was dark with background music you couldn't really hear. Our overall experience was ok but too pricey. When I usually go to an West Indian restaurant, we get a GOOD SIZE HELPING OF FOOD AND AT REASONABLE PRICES. Our bill came to ?186.40 which included over ?20 for service charge. OF A TRUTH. NEVER AGAIN. Peeps, try Cottons fo Camden or BB's of Ealing. HEALTHY PLATE SIZES AND YOU'RE FULL.""

Courtney Williams

24th March

""This is not a Caribbean restaurant!!! This is a fraud !!! This is someone latching onto/exploiting the Jamaican/Caribbean concept to appeal to an audience that might be looking for an "upscale" atmosphere in which to have an island meal since so many Caribbean restaurants or nothing but take-out joints as well as the uninitiated who does not know 'true" Caribbean food. These people have no concept of what Caribbean food, in particularly, Jamaican food should taste like. For example, their Curried Goat dish that is trumpeted as been "great' is HORRIBLE! First thing, is that, it is tough!!!.

"Even school children in the Caribbean knows that curried goat is not to be tough, but instead, tender and succulent. I had to cut mine with a knife. Aghhhh. How awful!!! One party had the Ackee and Cod Fish dish. Again they are clueless. The first rule is that if you are using canned ackee, as they are, you must first drain-off the brine that the ackee is canned in and not add it to the dish why? Because it kills the flavor of the cod fish which is the integral core flavor to this dish. Just as bad was their cod fish fritter appetizer. A dried up lumpy ball of breaded flour with not even a hint of cod fish.

"Again they are they are clueless as to what a Jamaican fritter should be. I think they were trying to do a Jamaican fritter in the style of a Bahamian Conch Fritter. TOTAL FAILURE!!! In addition, to cook rice and peas with black-eyed peas and not kidney or gungo peas is a Cardinal Sin. How laughable is that. Also, horrible are their drinks. I had a Rum Punch that was a frothy mix of juices with some Rum. THEY HAVE NO CLUE.

"The Planters Punch that the other members in my party had were equally tasteless and had no "island flavor" to it. For those in my party who had non-Caribbean dishes, eg. the seared tuna and the snapper dishes, they stated that there dish was good which is what this restaurant is apparently good at should be billed as: a nuevo continental cuisine restaurant with a "hint" (and I mean a hint) of the islands. I cannot believe that in all of London the owners of this restaurant could not find Jamaican/Caribbean chiefs/cooks to prepare the meal.

"Also, don't tell me they could not find Caribbean individuals in all of London who they could hire to be waiters. Instead, we were confronted with "white" wait staff that didn't have a clue about Caribbean food. This I believe speaks to the arrogance of the people who own this restaurant. They should not get way with perpetuating this "FRAUD" of a restaurant. I am from New York. These people would be laughed out-of-town, even by 'white' New Yorkers. If you want truly authentic and tasty Caribbean food (or Jamaican food) this is not the place!!! STAY AWAY !!!!!""

LW

24th March

""Unlike many West Indian restaurants in the UK, Camden's Mango seem to me to believe in good service without a scowl. This other reviewer is talking rubbish - the food is great, very authentic and delicious. However, as with any international cuisine it has been adapted as it has made its way over here. After all when did you last eat an English style Tikka Masala in Mumbai or chow down on the local Peking Happy Eater's version of Kung Po Chicken in Chengdu? And surely it shouldn't matter what colour the waiters are! Would you be offended if you were served by a 'Caribbean individual' at an East End pie 'n mash shop?""

Jim

24th March

""I'm surprised that people haven't liked Mango it's one of my favourite restaurants in the area. Ok, the portions are a bit on the small side but personally I'm into quality over quantity. I've always found the staff to be great and the food very authentic. The jerk chicken is killer (without the downtown Kingston gunshots) and I would deffo put it first on your list of things to try out. It's a shame that some people haven't had a good time here but I'm sure they must be in the minority. LOVE IT.""

Chris Lawrence

24th March

""I went back there for the first time in three years and it was absolutely dreaful compared to what it had been like before. Food was bland, service very poor (they had two waiting staff for a lunchtime at the weekend!) and completely devoid of the specialness it used to have. Had booked a smoking table because one of my party smoked and we were forced to eat in the bar area and not the restaurant. This is such a shame because the Mango Room used to be so wonderful - it has been ruined and I doubt it will survive. ""