The Rum Kitchen West Indian in West London

Building on Notting Hill's strong links to the Caribbean (the community, the carnival, bumbling travel book salesmen…), The Rum Kitchen is part colourfully upscale beach shack, part dark-wooded ship's quarters, a bi-level vision courtesy of the folks behind Ping.

Head to the downstairs bar to recline in leather seats, a great place to get trunk.

Guzzle from a fairly sizable mug depicting the British Virgin Islands, though if they drink what's in these things, by now they must be just the The British Islands.

What is in these things? Cane hooch, and lots of it. They have other glassware too, like for this Navy-style Grog, or a pint of secret recipe house punch named the Rattle Skull. So if you're wondering where Lennox Lewis is these days, he's in this bar, just clocking people in the skull.

Helping your stomach in its noble defense of your liver is a menu of Caribbean classics, from this saltfish w/ ackee (Jamaica's "national dish" made w/ a lychee-like fruit), to mutton curry, oxtail stew, and jerk chicken -- both names you'll be called if you don't go to the carnival.