Tucked in a corner of Londons’ Mayfair is a little piece of Jamaica. Jamaica blue is a coffee bar selling Jamaican blue mountain coffee and West Indian food.

On my first visit I was ready. Years of ordering at West Indian takeaways and restaurants had taught me what to expect. I hastily scanned the menu determined to make up my mind before it was my turn lest I get a cutting remark from a sassy old woman working behind the counter or a long drawn out 'choops' from an overworked employee as they kissed their teeth and asked what's taking me so long.

Jamaica blue was different. I needn't have worried and on subsequent visits I have found the staff always courteous. As I walked in the door Ericah Badu was singing sweetly over the sound system. This was to be followed by laid back jazz and some soft old time reggae. I could get used to this. I scanned the menu which consisted of Jamaican themed sandwiches, patties, soups and salads. There was the usual coffee variations, again with themed names. Dread latte, reggaechino etc.

I ordered pumpkin soup and lemon grass / fever grass tea. They offer a range of teas from Japanese to the lemon grass / fever grass tea I ordered. My companion ordered the jerk chicken salad and dread latte. But I'll get back to the food.

If you look around Jamaica blue you'll discover it's divided into two rooms with distinctly different personalities. Straight on from the counter is a cosy little hideaway. The furniture is wooden or wicker depending on where you sit. The wooden tables and chairs are interspersed with cushioned wicker lounge seating. The walls are simply painted white with one side of the room decorated with vividly colourful photographs of Jamaica, her people and her most famous son, Bob Marley. The other walls host a constantly changing display of art and poetry. The lack of windows here along with the non-intrusive lighting makes the room feel cosy and intimate. All that's missing is a natural log fire for those long winter evenings.

Alternatively just next door is a room which continues the natural theme but benefits from large windows and doors which fills the room with natural light. This room also hosts the sound system and a small stage. Jamaica Blue plays host to events most evenings and during lunch. The events range from gospel concerts to poetry evenings to video presentations. Some of the events are broadcast on the web. A link to the timetable of events at Jamaica Blue can be found at the end of this article.

The natural lighting in this room makes it the perfect space for summer evenings and lazy lunches. It is a larger space than the first room, hence the stage. It will be interesting to see how it adapts for the colder weather but at the time of writing I can think of nowhere better to relax in the long summer evenings after work.

Now back to the food. My pumpkin soup was spicy but flavourful complete with miniature dumplings. The hard dough bread was soft, fresh and very more-ish. The jerk chicken was not as good but that was not to say it was bad either. I felt it could have been more tender and although the salad was fine, I would have liked to have had the choice of rice. The coffee was of a good standard. Having been spoilt by the plethora of coffee houses around at the moment we are used to ordering our coffee 'our way' and having it just so. Jamaica Blue was unable to make the latte with skimmed milk as they don't offer the option. This was only a slight disappointment but as any coffee bar hobo will tell you the lighter the milk the better it froths. The lemon grass / fever grass tea was from a bag but flavourful and aromatic nonetheless.

Like most coffee houses the drinks aren't cheap but I wouldn’t say overly expensive when compared to the competition. The food although good is limited in choice. On the whole the atmosphere, the choice of environments, the quality of the food and drink that is on offer and the events make this not just a unique place to spend your time but an ideal place to spend time with friends.

Blackflair visits restaurants independently and anounymously.

Top | Home | Front Page | About Us | Contact Us | Disclaimer
© 2000 Blackflair