Coco – Taste of the Caribbean

Coco is the sort of place that makes you regret years of calories wasted on hard chips and bad pizza. It may even be enough to put curries — the takeaway king — on the back burner for a few weeks until you get cravings for the venue’s simple yet tasty Caribbean menu out of your system.
Opening in May 2012, there hasn’t been lots of time to explore the range carefully, but what’s been tried so far will guarantee multiple return visits.
The cornerstone of the menu is gorgeous stuffed dumplings with the fillings you may expect — jerk chicken, curried mutton — along with centres perhaps less familiar, such as saltfish with either ackee or spinach-​like callalloo. Each dumpling will set you back a measly £1.60.
You can buy familiar accompaniments separately such as rice and peas, but the handy Coco Box puts it, or similar, in the same container as your chicken or mutton for £5.50, salad included.
Curried patties and soup rounds out the menu and is joined by the standards of chips, tea, coffee and soft drinks. There’s even fresh fruit for those whose head can’t be turned by fried goodness.
Other issues of note are the particularly friendly, helpful staff and limited seating at a small bar in the basic yet not unattractive surroundings, should you find it too hard to wait to take your food home.
Cash is the only accepted form of payment. The chicken and mutton is Halal.