The Good Front Room is the exciting new opening from chef Dominic Taylor making its home on Dalston Square and signalling the next step for his celebrated Caribbean dining concept. Known to many as the winner of Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef, Taylor first introduced The Good Front Room during a residency at The Langham in 2023, where his cooking earned both critical praise and a devoted following. A run of sold-out supper clubs followed, paving the way for this long-term East London home.
The location is deliberate. Set in the heart of Dalston, a neighbourhood with deep Caribbean roots, the restaurant reflects Taylor’s own upbringing, raised in London by a Jamaican mother and Saint-Lucian father. Much of his early cooking knowledge came from the women in his family, where food was central to celebration, connection and care. After studying hospitality management, Taylor went on to work across London hotels and restaurants, including head chef roles at Belgraves and The Courthouse Hotel, before becoming executive chef at The Jam Tree.
The Good Front Room takes its name from the cherished 'front rooms' found in many Caribbean homes - spaces reserved for special guests and layered with pride, memory and meaning. That spirit carries through into a menu that is generous and designed for sharing, offering modern interpretations of classic Caribbean dishes without losing their soul.
Small plates include Coco Stack Sliders, maple, lime and chilli-glazed plantain, and Taylor’s Rum and Raisin Pork Belly Strips. Familiar favourites are reworked, from Ackee and Saltfish Cake with scotch bonnet aioli to Escovitch wild hake. Larger dishes such as short rib brown stew, whole jerk chicken for two and a seafood boil built around lobster, crab and goat sausage are made for group dining.
Desserts nod to nostalgia, with sweet potato sticky toffee pudding or mango sorbet soft serve, while drinks range from a house rum punch to bespoke cocktails and thoughtfully chosen wines. Occupying the ground floor of Thomas Tower beside Dalston Junction, the 80-cover restaurant is colourful, relaxed and full of energy, with a central bar, outdoor seating and a programme of music and spoken-word events that place community firmly at its heart.