FOOD // TURTLE BAY

If anybody asked me what my ideal job would be, it would be eating and writing and then maybe eating a little more. I am one lucky burger to be invited to a fair few foodie events in my area, as guys, it is super small so these things are quite rare. When Megan asked me if I wanted to mate date the shizz out of a Wednesday night I was game as a badger. Especially when I found out it was the brand new Caribbean Turtle Bay that had just opened up in town.

I have an absolute love for spice so this was right up my street. I am not a vegetarian but I had heard that the meat free starters here were a treat so we decided to mix it up and really digest the menu and take this into consideration while sipping on one, two maybe three cocktails.

I have been to Turtle Bay in York last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. You can read that post here. The decor is amazing and something that really sets this place apart from anything in our area to be honest. It is fancy free but the interior really jazzes this place up. I am a fan of functionality and this is what you get here. Corrugated metal, exposed piping and minimalistic lights give this place a real chill vibe. You can dress up or you can be a casual Carli and rock up in pair of sneaks and a jumper. 

Reggae posters clad the walls bringing this place to life, with amazing tall windows and fairy lights this is a bloggers paradise.

I am a sucker for a starter as I prefer little portions (and plenty) so I can try more of what is on offer. Some call is greedy, I like to call it experimental. Choosing form these starters was extremely hard as there were so many that I could have snaffled down in one, so we decided to share, as always, and order a veggie starter and a meat packed one.

We opted for Classic Beef Patty in well, what I can describe as a pasty. How very northern of us. It was like a beef burger in a turmeric filled pasty. Not good for my clear braces but do I really care? Not one bit. This came with a spicy ass Scotch Bonnet mayo which was totally delish. I thought why not just really dye these teeth a little bit more luminous and stick with the theme of some turmeric Trini Doubles. Little puffed up flatbreads with spiced chickpeas with cucumber, mango and coconut.

This starter was packed with spice so the cocktails, and beer of course was flowing. We thought we would really take on the Jamaican experience and smash a few rum cocktails. The Reggae Rum Punch is a favourite of mine. Made with rum, of course, bitters, strawberry, pomegranate, lime, orange and pineapple. It really does pack a (rum) punch but one to order most definitely.

To chose from their mains, what a challenge. There is so much tasty ass food to choose from. I somehow got Megan to try a goat dish as we share everyyyything. We also went for Braised Pork Belly because well it's Meg's favourite and what a good choice it was too. Definitely my favourite of the two. Onion chutney and sweet potato mash was to accompany the 24 hour marinated jerk belly pork. I totally scoffed down that pork rind like the crispy pork scratching that it was and I don't regret a flipping thing.

We also went for a One Pot, Our Goat Curry which I did find a little fatty so couldn't inhale it as much as I would have liked. Think chilli, think ginger, think spices. Think coconut rice 'n' peas and some delightful festival dumplings which I had never tasted before and went down a treat.

This was all washed down with some Red Stripe and a Carib Beer from Trinidad. Ice cold and totally need. 

As if were not full enough it was onto dessert. It wouldn't be dinner without sharing a dessert now would it?

I had no choice in the matter as pudding was too be Dark Chocolate Brownie and I do think if I had suggested something else it could have resulted in instant death. As if I was complaining! I could eat a million of these things.

We headed over to the bar to finish our evening off with a rum board. We thought why not go for the strongest one on the menu as it was a Wednesday after all and a coconut delight. These were sipped and squandered like everything else that had been put in front of us like we had not eaten in months.

This place does some top notch cocktails and guess what? They have 2'4'1 cocktails before 7pm and then starts back up again at 10pm. If that does not make you want to live here then I don't know what will. Turtle Bay is the most fantastic addition to this town.  There is plenty more I want to try out on their menu so will most certainly be back.

Oh, just a quick one. The staff are blooming tremendous too. From their knowledge of food to complementing rums to choose what cocktails to get us smashed on a school night.

Thanks Turtle Bay you were a delight. Thank You.

Love Carli x

Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // Bloglovin' // Pinterest

* I was a guest of Turtle Bay but my love of this wonderful food is all my own and I take full responsibility for my luminous yellow braces.