Next door to Salfone, which took over the empty hairdressers' shop on 10 Palace Parade, is a cafe. It is listed on several websites as doing fast food and take-away as well as serving food to eat in. There is however no take-away menu available as far as I am aware.
When I visited last year there were few obvious places to sit- the cafe has lots of tables but they were all crowded together in a manner that required customers to move them if they'd wanted to sit down. Apparently there was once a time when all the tables would spill out onto the pavement in front of the place, but that this was banned for a time until the council decided to permit Al fresco dining outside places like the Calypso in 1 June 2008. Since then I suppose the weather has not really been suitable.
When I visited last year, however, no one was eating. A young man was lounging in one of the chairs, spreadeagled in a manner suggesting he owned the place. Something about his body language suggested that he didn't look like he was going to be bothered to make customers particularly welcome. This is a pity because I quite like Caribbean food. Perhaps he was another customer, perhaps he is part of the management. I didn't know.
Perhaps I was already put off because two friends who I had also previously asked to try the place and give me a review came back telling me that the place was not very inviting. My friends decided not to buy any food. So did I. I posted about the place on here asking if anyone had eaten here and asked if they felts like giving a review on it,but no-one commented.
I noticed however that the Calypso is now under new management. As well as on the chalk board to the left of the counter, they have some enticing looking dishes advertised in the window now, although, unfortunately, no prices are provided. These dishes include many standards one would expect, such as Ackee and Salfish, Escovitch Fish, Oxtail, Curry Goat, Fried Chicken, Stewed chicken, Corn Meal Porridge, Rice and Pease, Fried Dumplings, Fried Plantains, Beef Soup and Red Pea Soup, as well as Soul Food like Yam, Boiled Dumpling, Bananas and Sweet Potatoes. They also have Irish Moss on the drinks board to go with the usual soft drinks, tea and coffee.
Tel: 0208 509 1120
[Updated 22 February 2009]