Cocos — Restaurant in London

My partner and I chose Coco's out of the numerous Caribbean restaurants (starting from Sydenham area).

DECOR: 10/10 Firstly, the decor is absolutely classy: ornate gold touches throughout, mixed with a tropical, demure , yet authentic setting. Expect tropical trees within, elegant Black and gold finishes with waiting staff smartly attired.

The toilets are downstairs in a basement, where the level of finish did not stop. I was amazed to be greeted with beautiful gold wash basins, intricate palm tree bag hooks and a very polished finished!

There's also a hidden enclave, with a separate dining area, once again elegantly decorated, a private bar - fitting for a private function of maybe 50 guests. Soo lovely!

FOOD: 10/10 I ordered my favourite Jerk chicken, which was served on a clean and artistry styled almond shaped plate..it came with rice n peas, plantain, coleslaw and salad, with a separate petite jug with jerk sauce to control your level of heat. The heat was low-mid and soo flavoursome. As a caribbean person, used to mama's food at home and dined many places , this hit the spot!!

My partner ordered the steak, which arrived on a cooking plate so was sizzling for 10 minutes after it was served!

It's so refreshing to find a Caribbean restaurant that's classy, like other well known restaurants and still provides top notch food! I wish there were more franchises, especially out in the 'shires' too! Well done to Coco's! 🏆

Drinks: 10/10 The rum punch was on point!!

Ambience: 10/10 A delighted surprise that a bottomless brunch was underway, so great lovers rock, rnb was playing amongst a gaggle of happy, beautiful restaurateurs. I loved the music, made my day!

Service: 9/10 The service was great but a little slow. But I understand new staff were being trained at the time and there was often a gather of staff but no one always watching the diners to see if they needed service. That being said our newly trained waiter was so polite, courteous and helpful = 10/10🤩

Overall an amazing afternoon date with my...

Friendly staff, service a bit hit and miss though.

Restaurant was very quiet, only 4 tables occupied with people.

Firstly surprised that water was never offered for the table and we had to ask after 10 mins waiting at table.

The English Breakfast I ordered came without any Sourdough toast, which was part of the offered dish. So after about 5 mins of waiting and thinking was it coming or not, I finally had to ask if the toast was coming? Only then was was it bought out to me.

Asked waiter for salt & pepper, who said would bring us some, then promptly went about doing something else (making cocktails) and never actually delivered any at all.

Staff (x2) seemed overly preoccupied with making two cocktail drinks at bar (like for 15-20mins).

For a brand new restaurant, only open for 2-3 weeks, I’d be pretty annoyed that my business could be undermined by the front room staff, over really, really simple stuff that cost’s nothing to get right. Yes you can be forgiven when really busy, but this is especially poor service, given the small number of customers at the time.

Water on the table should be the 1st thing, then deliver the full meal you’re offering on your menu, offer condiments when delivering meal to the table.

I would say however the food was very good and really nice surroundings, so not all bad 😀

The comments made above, are taken in an effort to be helpful, as I’m from a Hospitality service management background (30yrs plus) and 1st impressions do count, especially when you’re trying to grow.

Sunday 5th May...

Date night was a success! We travelled from Kent to Crystal Palace, and it was definitely worth the journey. The restaurant offered a flexible menu with the option for a small plate, a large plate, and dessert. We went for a large plate and two desserts.

I chose the roasted butternut squash with ackee, plantain, cherry tomatoes, olives and kale. It also included what I think were possibly small peppers (don’t quote me on that). The flavours were incredible; I’m still thinking about how good it was. The plantain was cooked with the skin on, which was a new experience for me it was delightful. Honestly, there wasn’t a thing I could suggest to make the meal any more enjoyable.

Hubby had the oxtail with rice and peas. It was so tender that it was practically falling off the bone. He loved it and even said it might give my oxtail a run for its money (I can cook, but it was impressive!).

For dessert, I initially wanted the black cake, but they were sold out. The waiter recommended the chocolate tart, which I wouldn’t usually go for, but it was outstanding. It was so good that I ordered a second portion! Hubby had the apple crumble and later opted for sticky toffee pudding; he enjoyed both and mentioned how tasty they were.

The restaurant has a nice standard—attentive and polite staff, clean toilets, and the perfect ambience. There was gentle background music that enhanced the experience.

Overall, we had a lovely date with exquisite food in a sophisticated setting. I would absolutely...