Turtle Bay Caribbean Brunch with endless cocktails (Review)

Brunch was not as most people think, invented by the Americans. It was coined here in good old 19th century England but like most things got popularised by the States in 1930.

Brunch is enjoying a renaissance with millennials as the lines between late night and early morning activities become more blurred, resulting in more of them being out and about around midday.

So, it was with great excitement when we received an invitation to review Turtle Bay’s (a chain of UK wide Caribbean restaurants) brunch menu with a bottomless supply of cocktails as part of their Summer Sound Clash festival.

We visited the Brixton branch, and being part of a franchise, they all have that similar Caribbean rum shack feel, with the idea being to create that authentic tropical ambience.

Whilst we waited for our dishes, we were treated to their yummy Sunshine Bellini which consisted of prosseco, strawberry, and cherry nectar and crushed ice. A few more than we should have of this refreshing drink was consumed.

My partner had the Big Kingston Grill Down (pictured). Which was thick cuts of Jerk bacon, chunky spicy sausages, a huge mushroom, roast tomatoes, grilled roti and two eggs fried to perfection with a large dollop of curried chickpeas.

The highlight of the dish, my partner commented was the exceptional flavoursome jerk bacon, which had just the right amount allspice and scotch bonnet to give it that recognisable kick without being too hot for palettes not used to pepper, especially so early in the day!

I had the four scrambled eggs on toasted rotis, which came with roasted tomatoes, jerk bacon, spicy sausage, mushroom and chilli relish. I really liked the spicy sausage. It was thick, juicy and oozing with flavour. The only slight criticism was that the four eggs looked more like two and also could have benefited from some seasoning.

The portions were very generous and we struggled to finish our meals. Combined with endless amount of cocktails (for two hours), at £25 this brunch deal is fantastic value for money.

Even though we were there for the brunch, Turtle Bay does an incredible selection of mains and sides. We’ll now highlight some of the dishes that seem to be popular with customers.

If you’re a lover of curry be sure to try the mouth watering Prawn curry, which is fresh shrimp cooked with sweet potato and mango pieces in a rich spiced tomato and coconut milk curry and served with steamed rice (picured right).

Another crowd pleaser is the Babybacks ribs (picture below), which is a large whole rack of slow roast and glazed pork ribs served with either Jerk gravy or BBQ sauce.

When it comes to dessert, it has to be the celebrated Chilli chocolate brownie served with an ample amount of chocolate ice cream.

Like all Turtle Bay restaurants, the interior is cool, laid back with the look and feel of a Caribbean rum bar It is obvious that a great deal of attention has gone into creating that ‘Caribbean’ experience. The Brixton branch gives an extra nod to the Jamaican influence with posters of reggae concerts adorning the walls and sound system boxes tucked away in the corners.

The free Sound Clash Festival will feature a selection of sunshine-inspired rum cocktails and some of the best Caribbean cuisine along with authentic reggae vibes. There will be live DJ sessions from a variety of prominent artists that include Laid Black, Tita Lau, Real Roots etc.

Turtle Bay’s Summer Sound Clash will be taking place at the following locations:
Bristol Broad Quay on 15th – 18th August
Brixton on 4th – 7th July
Leeds on 18th July – 21st July
Manchester Oxford Street on 1st – 4th August
Peterborough on 8th – 11th August
Swansea on 11th – 14th July
Chelmsford on 22nd – 25th August

Other Turtle Bay restaurants across the UK will be celebrating the Summer Sound Clash Festival tour by adding a limited-edition rum cocktail to the menu. For more information about the festival, or to reserve a table, visit: www.turtlebay.co.uk