What Dom Taylor did next – the celebrity chef opens a restaurant on the carnival route.
Following his standout victory on Netflix's Five Star Chef, Dom Taylor could have rested on his laurels. After all, his winning Caribbean concept, The Good Front Room, landed him a coveted spot at The Langham. But for Dom, that was just the beginning.
The chef's next culinary chapter, Marvee's Food Shop, named after his mother Marveline, is a love letter to the culture, music, and spirit of the Caribbean. Tucked under the Westway flyover in Ladbroke Grove, Marvee's is situated in the epicentre of the Notting Hill carnival route. And while there's no blaring sound systems in sight on the busy Saturday afternoon we visit, the energy is unmistakably alive.
Housed within UNDR, a music and events space close to Portobello Road, the venue offers a warm, lived-in charm. The design is deliberately nostalgic with acrylic textures, retro wallpaper, and the kind of worn flooring that tells stories rather than hides them. The dining room evokes the colours and patterns of Caribbean homes and takeaways from the 1980s and 90s. A bar gleams in the corner while artwork by Caribbean-British artist Yvadney Davis adorns the walls, celebrating the Windrush generation and its legacy. Outside, a terrace with banana palms feels more West Indies than West London.
Chef Dom has taken Caribbean comfort food and elevated it with a contemporary edge. The concise menu skips over starters and moves straight into mains, but not before teasing us with a Corned Beef Patty (£8.50). Encased in crisp, golden pastry and served with a rich, oxtail gravy for dipping, it's a nostalgic yet robust bite brought to life.
From there, it offers Caribbean cuisine’s greatest hits. There's Boneless Curry Goat (£19) laced with warming spices, complemented by a delicate coconut and garlic sauce or Crispy Spiced Banana Blossom with Gungo Pea Daal. The Jerk Chicken (£18) arrives smoky, fiery and tender, perched atop a crisp Festival Waffle, offering a clever twist on the deep-fried dumpling traditionally served as a side. Here, it's the base for a dish that channels comfort and is enhanced with a sweet plantain jam. All meats served are halal, ensuring accessibility without compromising on tradition or flavour.
The Escovitch Fish (£18) is another standout, light and flaky, imbued with flavour, and lifted by a sweet sauce that brings both balance and depth. Although the absence of ackee, salt fish and calalloo is noted, sides (£7) are no afterthought. The Lime, Chilli & Maple Plantain walks the line between sweet and savoury, while the Mac + Three Cheese delivers gooey delight, and the Pineapple & Heritage Tomato Chow is fresh, bright and cleansing.
A quote on the back of the menu reads "We Nuh Hav Dat" and this transpired to be the case with the Sweet Plantain, Coconut, and Caramel Soft Serve (£7). Instead, we finish the meal with a simple yet satisfying Old Skool Cake (£8.50) served with hot custard, and topped with strawberry jam and coconut crisps for texture.
Drinks-wise, there's a short but solid list of tropical cocktails and mocktails, designed to complement rather than compete with the bold flavours of the food. Expect rum-forward and fruit-heavy tipples that support the superb soundtrack featuring John Holt and carnival classics.
Marvee's Food Shop doesn't aim to recreate the fine dining ethos of The Good From Room; instead, it offers soul. Every detail, from the menu to the music, is carefully crafted with a playful nod to Caribbean food shops scattered across London. The setting under a flyover might not scream destination dining, but it adds to the charm and has already become a neighbourhood favourite.
With Marvee's Food Shop, Dom Taylor has created something personal and powerful: a space that champions the past while pushing Caribbean cuisine into the future. The food is bold, flavour-packed and generous, with prices that remain approachable and portions that leave no room for complaint. Condiments such as the Rum and Raisin Glaze to the Oxtail Gravy should be bottled and ready to take home, just as Levi Roots did with his Reggae Reggae sauce several decades ago.
If The Good Front Room was about proving himself in a five-star hotel, then Marvee's Food Shop is about returning to his roots and redefining Caribbean food in London today.
GO: Visit www.marveesfoodshop.com for more information.