More than a couple of years ago now, I was lucky enough to spend six months working in Jamaica. It was an absolutely fantastic time.
I was based in Kingston, which is about as far away from "idyllic Caribbean beauty" as you could possibly imagine. It’s a bit like Slough-on-Sea, I guess. But you know what? I loved it. I absolutely loved Kingston, and moreover, I just got to absolutely adore Jamaican food.
I’ve always loved barbecue anyway, but the way they do jerk—jerk pork in particular—oh my gosh. It is incredible. I used to go to this place on the way back from where I was working; it was an absolute shack of a spot, but they got to know me really well there. I even ended up taking all the locals there for my leaving do. I have very fond memories of that place.
Knowing that Bristol has a large Caribbean population—connected, unfortunately, back to the slave trade —I figured there had to be good food here. When I was searching up restaurants and kitchens, I noticed this one place. Not only was it a Caribbean restaurant, but it had an incredibly high rating on Google. I did a bit of looking around, and the reviews seemed pretty valid, so I went.
It was a quintessentially Jamaican experience. The service was very odd—slightly brusque, but friendly in a Carribean sort of way. I sat there on my own for a minute, and then a big Caribbean family came in, which added a bit of atmosphere.
I ordered a bowl of curry goat. Now, I’m a massive Indian curry fan, but when I tried the Jamaican curry goat? Oh, I thought it was beautiful. So, I sat there with my curry and a pint of Red Stripe, just pretending I was back in Kingston.
10 out of 10 for St. Mary’s Kitchen. It absolutely lived up to my expectations of bringing back my Kingston memories, and I think it's a pretty apt cave for Bristol as well.
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