Turtle Bay, Walthamstow, East London REVIEW

Caribbean chain perfect for East London

Now open for ten years, this restaurant review was published soon after Turtle Bay Walthamstow’s launch but has been updated to remove some out-of-date content. Prices and certain menu items may have changed.

Turtle Bay is a Caribbean-style restaurant chain with a longstanding Walthamstow branch at The Scene, food and entertainment hub (with housing) at the top of Walthamstow Market. Not having eaten much other Caribbean food, I can’t comment on its authenticity but certainly the Turtle Bay chain must be successful, as it has expanded to over fifty branches since. Turtle Bay, alongside Nando’s, is the only original restaurant/bar tenant to remain in The Scene complex ten years after opening.

Exterior signage in turquoise letters for Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London.

Walthamstow’s entertainment hub has been a source of much local excitement. Alongside a new multi-screen cinema, Nando’s and burger joint Five Guys, comes Turtle Bay, another chain happy to satisfy local appetites for spicy chicken but with a broader menu than its Portuguese cousin.

Not having eaten much Caribbean food before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. My sole experience of jerk chicken was a street food truck hired for a friend’s wedding at which their elderly relatives’ heads were almost blown off with unfamiliar explosive flavour.

A pair of pale green Mai Tai cocktails in short glass tumblers with ice cubes, mint and clear plastic straws as served by Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London.

Nearly every hour is happy hour at Turtle Bay Walthamstow; there are two for one cocktails virtually all day – apart from peak times (6.30-9pm). We tried the Mai Tai (rum, rum liqueur, apricot brandy, lime, pineapple, mint – left) and Koko Kolada (white rum, pineapple, coconut, cream, nutmeg – right). The skinny straws stop you drinking these too fast. The Koko Kolada, ordered after our main course, is long and rich enough to replace dessert.

Pair of cream coloured Koko Kolada cocktails in tall stemmed curved hurricane glasses with clear plastic straws as served at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London. The floating ice cubes have been dusted with cinnamon.

The cocktail bar boasted forty types of rum, but bartenders can shake up a selection of alcohol-free cocktails too. Beer drinkers have the choice of Red Stripe, Carib, and pale ale.

Triangles of toasted cheese and tomato flatbread on a sheet of brown paper and red board as served at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London. In the background are colourful stickers from the kids' entertainment pack.

The kids’ entertainment pack included the usual pencils but also a cute wallet and paper domino set. There wasn’t a printed kids’ menu although my 7-year-old was offered a non-spicy child-proof choice of burger, chicken and chips or toasted cheese and tomato flatbread. He opted for the latter with some extra sweet potato fries.

Deep fried breaded squid pieces with drizzle of mayo and wedge of lime on brown paper and in a white enamel dish with blue rim as served at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London.

Deep fried sweetcorn fritters on brown paper in a white enamel dish with blue rim as served at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London.

Starters or “cutters” were all £4.95. We ordered chilli-fried squid (served with mango mole, fresh lime and coriander mayo) and sweetcorn fritters. An array of hot chilli sauces were available for even greater kick. The fritters were substantial with similar texture to bhaji – filling enough to share between two.

Jerk pork ribs covered in sauce served alongside sweet potato fries in a steel cylindrical side dish and some red onion coleslaw. From Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London.

The jerk ribs (£8.95) were served with a choice of rice ‘n’ peas, sweet potato mash or sweet potato fries (I took the latter) and Caribbean slaw. These ribs were sublime. The meat fell off them. I’d have a hard time ordering anything different next time. They’re very peppery and not for the faint hearted.

Goat curry with rice and peas served in white enamel dish with blue rim at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London

My husband went for the One Pot Blue Mountain Curry Goat (£9.65) served with rice ‘n’ peas, sweet onion chutney and flatbread. Not having had goat before, I had no comparison point and found it a drier version of lamb.

Both dishes were spicy hot – although no strangers to hot spices we didn’t feel the need to add extra sauce. We joked that maybe we’d turned into our elderly relatives fanning themselves with napkins.

This stuff is HOT. Whilst we greatly enjoyed it and would go again, we’d be wary of bringing anyone unadventurous. Portion sizes were fair to good. The menu was competitively priced, especially the “lunch ‘n’ lighter” options at £6.95.

Slice of banana and toffee cheesecake garnished with mint sprig on a white plate with blue rim served with two spoons to share at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London.

We were so full after the Koko Coladas that we skipped dessert. My son however, ate most of this lovely, sweet banana and toffee cheesecake. My husband’s coffee was served with a choice of normal or condensed milk.

Tea in a small glass cup and saucer alongside glass bottles of both milk and condensed milk as served on a colourful painted table at Turtle Bay Caribbean style restaurant, Walthamstow branch East London. A giant sugar canister with aluminium spout stands in the background.

Turtle Bay Walthamstow has been very busy since opening, there were several large parties there during our visit. Staff were friendly and attentive with food arriving in good time.

Turtle Bay has been an appropriate addition to food offerings now in Walthamstow and has since opened around six other branches in London, the nearest of which is either Romford or Camden.

We were guests of Turtle Bay Walthamstow.

Turtle Bay
The Scene, Cleveland Place
269 High Street
Walthamstow
London E17 7FD