Limin Restaurant bringing Caribbean vibes to London

Last Updated on June 10, 2025

Limin, the UK’s top Caribbean restaurant

4.0 out of 5.0 stars

Limin Southbank restaurant, voted the UK’s best Caribbean restaurant by the Caribbean Food Awards, is a fun and vibrant restaurant in the heart of Gabriel’s Wharf, on the South Bank. For the summer season, the Limin Caribébloom pop-up gives you a real sense of being transported to the Caribbean. It’s a great place for alfresco drinking and dining in the summer, with a bright seating area set out on a sandy beach. A stone’s throw from The National Theatre and the South Bank Centre in one direction, and from The Globe and Tower Bridge in the other, it’s a Caribbean treasure in the heart of London.

Chef and owner, Sham Mahabir, from Trinidad, brings the flavours and spices of the Caribbean islands to his dishes, based on authentic Caribbean recipes. The restaurant takes its name from the word Limin, which in Trinidadian means gathering with your friends to share food, drinks and have a good time.

The menu of tasty dishes is ideal for a group of friends to share, drinks include a range of lovely sounding rum cocktails, beers, wine and cider as well as soft drinks. 

We chose a bottle of the house rosé, Rosé du Toitskloof Pinotage Rosé, which was very reasonably priced. It was dry, fruity and very drinkable.

We visited on a midweek evening for dinner and a catch-up, the restaurant and outside space get very busy at the weekend. It was hard to choose from the enticing-sounding dishes, they were all tempting.

I opted for calamari with jerk tartar;  the calamari was cooked in a crunchy spicy batter with a wedge of lemon. 

My friend decided on the chicken wings with scotch bonnet mango jam. The succulent meat was perfectly cooked in a sweet and spicy sticky sauce with a tang of fresh lime. The portion sizes of both dishes were generous, ideal for sharing.

For the main course, there was a choice of curries, grilled dishes and the chef’s favourites. Side dishes included basmati rice, masala chips, fried plantain and mango and citrus slaw. The menu was clearly labelled for dietary requirements, with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.

My companion plumped for the Island catch, which came served with masala chips, coconut curry peas and jerk tartar. The fish, a Basa, came in a crispy, spicy batter, perfectly accompanied by the tasty jerk tartar, and the masala chips were excellent.

For me, there was a clear winner as far as choice went, The G.O.A.T. –  A Trini curry of goat meat served with Basmati rice.  I don’t often eat goat meat, as it isn’t readily available in major supermarkets near me. I wasn’t disappointed; chunks of juicy, succulent meat were served in a spicy curry sauce. There was plenty of fragrant rice to soak up the tasty sauce.

Having eaten very well, we probably didn’t need a dessert, but were tempted to try one.

I’m a fan of ice cream to end a meal, so I decided on the Trini rum ice cream. It arrived in a bowl, three scoops of ice cream liberally sprinkled with coconut. The ice cream was very refreshing with a lovely, deep rum flavour.

My friend chose the intriguingly named Coco-Nut dream. This dessert was a thick slice of dark chocolate tart, garnished with strawberry slices. The tart was rich and chocolatey, a great way to finish the meal.

Limin Southbank serves Caribbean food at its best, warm, spicy dishes full of bold flavour. On a summer’s day, the outside space is a vibrant place to enjoy drinks and share tasty food in a lively alfresco setting.

Limin Southbank is worth a visit, the authentic dishes from Trinidad and Tobago are hearty and tasty with great spicy notes. Why not take time to visit this lovely venue when the sun is shining?

For more details and to book a table, visit Limin Southbank. Opening times are: Monday to Thursday 12 pm to 11 pm, Friday and Saturday 12 pm to 12 am, Sunday 1 pm to 8 pm.

Limin Southbank, Gabriel’s Wharf, 56 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP. Telephone: 07916316851.

We were guests of Limin Southbank.