Restaurants

The Thames doesn’t glisten much on the dreary riverside walk from Kew Bridge station to the characterless concrete block that houses Glistening Waters,. But inside the plain yet colourfully lit interior, there’s a cosy vibe, with regulars sipping beer at the bar and couples and families filling the handful of tables. Cool Caribbean and western pop plays quietly so that people can chat and chill. Service on our trip was slow but smiley, and the rum punch was, for once, not too sugary; the alcohol-free cocktails are great too. Without doubt, the Caribbean food here is among London’s best. Jerk chicken with avocado salad, drizzled with sesame oil, made a lovely starter – getting the taste buds heated up, but not excessively. Mains of curried goat with basmati rice, and tiger prawns in coconut rundown, were sublime; the former had the full taste of slowly simmered Jamaican home cooking (explaining perhaps the slow service), while the latter was rich and replete with bittersweet flavours. Portions were big. The only manageable dessert was coffee and a shared tropical fruit crumble (cooked to perfection), ending what must surely be the best evening-out in Brentford.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009