Slice of Jamaica on Portobello Road: Boom Burger

So as an exuberant Londoner, devoted 80% of the time to our higgledy-piggledy junk shop of a city with her treasure troves, convenience items and mistakes stuffed side-by-side around the moody blood-line of the Thames, I make it my business to try new establishments as often as I can. This is obviously not as often as I would like as time and an unbottomless wallet put some somewhat sad restraints on my quest to tell the city's never-ending story... However one cold Friday in February, I found myself heading west to the over-filmed yet still fabulous Portobello Road to experience a taste of Jamaica in the expensive reality of Notting Hill.

To be honest, it was a work night out, a birthday celebration and we wanted a fun  atmosphere and not too much cash being spent. I'd seen that Boom Burger had softly opened and so we headed there with promises of Jerk burgers and heady, rum cocktails happily in our heads after a busy week. 

I didn't realise it's exact location until I arrived and was transported right back to my teenage years of Saturdays at Portobello market, breathing in the leather jackets as we reached the end of the row of stalls and paused under the bridge for an illicit cigarette, having spent an entire day debating whether we really should buy a certain cheap trinket. 

It used to be a cafe, I think where Boom Burger is now, in it's current outfit, it's all black and tinted with the familiar colours of  the Jamaica flag, green, yellow and black on its logo. The night we went a DJ spun some reggae outside on a table filled with discs to buy. I have no idea if he's there all the time..

Inside, it's small not too small but just right with Jamaican accessories and artwork adorning the services and a sleek black bar serving rum or beer only on the far wall. There's only four tables and the decor is the right sort of scruffy to be cool. When we were there there was plenty of young London hipsters eating, drinking and soaking in their own hipsterishness. Trainers and snap backs or blazers and bow ties, anything goes in hipstaland.

The kitchen is open and the pretty boy chefs make your burgers and wings and fries right in front of you in a matter of minutes.. calling out your order when it's ready. 

We sat and drank endless rum cocktails and enjoyed the delicious goodies served up in plastic baskets. 

Rum and ginger beer is my new favourite drink.

I had the Jerk Boom, Jerk chicken, with fried plantain, rocket, mango and pawpaw sauce with fries.. it was very good all most chickeny jerky goodness. See:

Very good

My colleague had the Jerk Wings.. also very tasty and not too greasy and a plain salad.

Apparently the Boom Burger is also delish...

After all the jerk goodness we felt the need to continue the theme and walked around the corner to the always fabulous Rum Kitchen, where we drank and danced till well past midnight (rebels I know ;)).

I would certainly return to Boom Burger and I can't wait to go in daytime in the summer and sit on the dappled street side of Portobello Road watching the marketers and shoppers do their dance.

Boom Burger:
272 Portobello Road
Notting Hill, W10 5TY
boomburger.co.uk

Rum Kitchen:
6-8 All Saints Rd, London W11 1HH
020 7920 6479
therumkitchen.com