Cottons Caribbean restaurant to open two new sites

(Photo: Cottons' colourful decor in Notting Hill)

Caribbean restaurant group Cottons is to open two new sites, one in Shoreditch and one in Vauxhall.

The current Boxpark Shoreditch – which first opened in 2013 ‒ will close at the end of April, to be replaced by a new 75-cover, 1,600 sq ft site on the nearby Curtain Road, opening in May.

The new Cottons Vauxhall will open in a 4,235 sq ft space overlooking the Thames, in St George’s Wharf in June.

These openings will take the group to four sites in total, including its original Camden venue, which opened in 1985, and its newer Notting Hill site, which opened in 2016.

Both new sites will serve Cottons’ Caribbean-inspired menu, including starters such as the 48-hour marinated jerk wings with banana sauce; and salt fish fritters with green mango and homemade scotch bonnet pepper relish.

Main dishes will be along the lines of curried mutton with fried plantain; and whole baby jerk chicken with slaw.

Each site will have its own ‘rum shack’, with an extensive variety of rum.

Décor will reflect the group’s usual laid-back, colourful style.

'We look forward to bringing the Caribbean sunshine more permanently to Shoreditch and for the first time, to South London,” says owner Chris Singam.

Cottons first opened in Camden in 1985.

Its Notting Hill location won a Guinness World Record last year for its 372 varieties of rum on sale.