Cottons

If I had to sum up my entire experience at Cottons Restaurant, Islington in one word, the word would be ‘dire’.
From the lack lustre, unseasoned food, bad, blaze service to the smell of sewage being pumped through the air vents into the bar… it’s a truly dreadful place to dine…
Usually I'm not one to comment on things unless I have experienced them for myself. So, when a friend of mine flat-out refused to accompany me to Cottons Restaurant for a mutual friends birthday dinner, I didn't let it sway me…until my own experience spurred me to write this review in order to warn you and also to recommend that you keep your money deep in your pocket!

Our order was taken by a rather slovenly, dishevelled looking ‘gentleman’ (and I use that word lightly) who looked like he'd just woken up and would rather have been back in bed.
My friends' order arrived in good time however, after 35 minutes with nothing to nibble on than a basket full of hard dough bread I decided to ask when my fish platter dish would arrive? Turns out the ‘gentleman’ waiter had not placed my order with the kitchen and grunted at me to ‘sit down and wait!’.

My mediocre fish platter eventually arrived accompanied by a bowl of cold rice and peas. It was definitely nothing to write home about. The birthday girl ordered a curry mutton meal. The chef obviously didn't read the part of the menu that said ‘curry’ as the meat lacked anything of the sort. In fact, it was so bland she found herself ‘seasoning’ it with salt and pepper at the table! Another friend commented on how awful and salty her fish soup starter was and that she couldn't eat it at all.

The restaurant had a time limit on the table and before we had all finished eating our deserts (which were lovely), the ‘gentleman’ waiter appeared and demanded that we hurry as our table now needed for other guests. We were ushered down into the basement bar and dance area for drinks and a DJ.

As soon as we approached the bar we could smell the stench of a sewer being pumped through the hot air conditioning units in the ceiling. The smell was so overpowering to the point of nausea. To stop ourselves heaving over the bar we decided to leave. We didn’t even see the DJ arrive, let alone shake a leg!

Needless to say my friend had a very disappointing birthday.

I went to Cottons yesterday for my sisters 40th. The food was tasteles and the coke did not taste like coke it tasted more like pepsi. I had curry goat and rice I had to wait about fifteen minutes for my rice. The meat had a lot of fat and bones on the curry goat.The coslaw tasted like they made it with yougurt. The cheesecake was not set and started to melt. The plantain still had the skin on and was saturated in oil and was very soft. There was no guiness punch, peanut punch and no carrot juice.I would not recommend any West indian person to go there if they like authentic west indian food. I was very disappointed and wished I had stayed at home and cooked.

I have never been compelled to write any kind of review before but just got back from celebrating my 40th at Cottons in Exmout St. Read reviews before I confirmed and thought nah it cant be all that bad. But it was. The only positive was the service. Can't really comment on the food as i have a head cold and couldn't taste it, but my 20+ guests said i was the lucky one. Don't know where to start. But got my main and had to wait at least 10 mins for the rice to arrive, which by then the main was luke warm. Everyone of my guests were extremeley dissappointed with the food and we were 23 people. Hopefully my diners that had taste buds in good working order will leave a review. Soft drink i asked for was a Coco Cola, did not taste like it but very flat. And apparently diners the night before were not that impressed according to a member of their own staff!!! Sons comments – Quality of food was quite bad, curry goat did not have much meat but very bony and fatty, Baileys cheesecake was like ice-cream, not firm by the time it got to the table looked liked it had melted ( mmm, not sure if cheesecake should be melting at all). All diners were of West Indian background and could not believe people could have the audacity to serve West Indian food that even the dogs back home would turn their noses upto.

We went to Cottons to celebrate 2 birthdays. Bloody AWFUL! The rice and peas was not cooked! Some of the meat had bloody still in it, the main course came without the side dishes and when it did come your meat or fish was already cold! Don't go to Cottons for dinner very bad food. It's a shame because there is not much caribbean restaurant around town! I can cook a 3 meal course better than that chef and I learnt from the best my mum, did not got to no cookery school! The music was ok the Dj played good music but he played each track to the end which was pointless because by the time you came to the middle of the tune you was already bored.

We went to this restaurant in January 2008 to celebrate my birthday. It was absolutely dreadful. The starter was uneatable as the prawns were either too old or completely overcooked. The main was ok but for the price it was very very bad value for money. The desserts were also ridiculously priced. The staff from the kitchen kept looking over to our table and it made us feel uncomfortable. The restaurant is situated in a very nice area of London with really amazing places to eat just down the road like Medcalf or Moro. The meal cost us about the same amount as it would in these two places but the quality was just not comparable. I would definitely not recommend this restaurant.