Make way for Turtle Bay

Joanna Harwood samples the delights of Leamington Spa’s new Caribbean restaurant and bar. 

Turtle Bay – the newest addition to Leamington Spa’s culinary palette – was buzzing. On March 20^th, I was invited to the launch party of the Caribbean chain’s latest restaurant along with a small team of reviewers, and it was incredible.

The restaurant was crammed with people and reggae music spilled from every open door. The second I walked in, a free cocktail was pushed into my hands and the smell of jerk BBQ was already beginning to make my mouth water, so I decided to take a look around the place to take my mind off my already growling stomach.

The restaurant looks as though it’s been pulled straight out of the Caribbean.

An enormous wooden bar that looks a little bit like a beach hut dominates the centre of the restaurant, and strings of fairy lights were draped along the walls. Pictures of Bob Marley and the Jamaican flag were everywhere, and close to the kitchen, a live band began to play all the reggae classics.

Being a student, I naturally headed straight for the bar.

Turtle Bay has an impressive range of cocktails on offer. As well as being able to choose from the more standard pub drinks (beers, wines and spirits galore), there are several Caribbean-style cocktails on offer, ranging from classics like the Mojito and the Daiquiri to more unusual creations, all filled with rum, plenty of ice and fresh tropical fruit juice. My favourite was the Bay Caipirinha, a mix of rum, citrus fruit and crushed ice that was incredibly refreshing – the perfect accompaniment to spicy Caribbean food.

The food was also incredible. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to sample the whole range of Turtle Bay’s menu, as the food served came under the broad heading of ‘nibbles’, rather than the dishes you might usually order in a restaurant. Groaning platters of Jerk Chicken, Ribs, Chilli Fried Squid, Sweet Potato Fries and Curried Trini Chickpeas – to name a few – were soon demolished by the guests, and I was no exception. The food had just the right level of spice – not so hot as to be painful, but just hot enough to give the food a real sense of warmth and flavour. The food did prove a little difficult to eat at times – I soon had rib sauce all over my hands and had to work out a way to get my share of the curried chickpeas without grabbing a fistful straight from the bowl – but it was absolutely delicious. All of the dishes served came straight from the Turtle Bay menu, and with prices ranging from £4.95 to £15.50, it can just about fit into the student price range.

All in all, the Turtle Bay launch party was a great success. With delicious food, refreshing cocktails and live reggae music until late into the night, there’s not a lot more that you could want. I’ve yet to go back and experience the restaurant on a normal business night, but from what I’ve seen so far I can definitely recommend it.