One thing is for certain, Mambo Caribbean Bistro has got the market cornered. It’s the only Caribbean restaurant in town, which should be enough to propel a few curious souls through its doors. Mambo has so much more going for it though. Step inside and you’ll be confronted with a fun little place that has been lovingly decked out in classic Caribbean style.

This softly lit tropical love shack is fi tted with a welcoming beach style bar overfl owing with rum and mojitos. There are also high tables with grass hut roofs, colourful Caribbean art and murals, a ‘Voodoo Lounge’, paintings of Bob Marley and Che Guevara, a ‘Pirates Cove’ billiards area and even a mini liquor store section. Caribbean and Latino music drifts over the speakers and the illusion is created that one is in fact on a beach in the Bahamas, (the Bali of the Atlantic?).

I was immediately drawn to the huge, backlit map of the Caribbean area which has been plumbed in behind the pool table. The map rams home just how many different and diverse cultures, cuisines and dance and musical styles sit on each other’s doorsteps in this sunny part of the world. From the famous Caribbean islands which include St Lucia, Bermuda, Dominica, Trinidad and Antigua to the unique cultures of Jamaica and Cuba through to the American Hispanic protectorate of Puerto Rico through to Barbados and also encompassing countries on the mainland such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Colombia and Venezuela.

Mambo aims to refl ect this sunny diversity and serves up a bewildering array of pan-Caribbean cuisine. The number-one bestseller at Mambo is the Jerk Chicken (Rp.59,000), a classic Jamaican barbecue dish served with a choice of Jamaican, Virgin, Cuban or Barbados sauce. This proved to be an appetisingly unfamiliar twist on the classic barbecue chicken. The rest of the menu is equally novel and makes a great change from the same old, over familiar European and Asian fare. There’s classic West Indian Goat Curry (Rp.69,000), Caribbean Quesadillas, Cream of Banana Soup, tasty Caribbean Pepperpot stew  (Rp.63,000) and plenty more besides.

On our visit, we also tried the Asapao de Marisco y Pollo (Rp.63,000) a Puerto Rican paella that really hit the spot. My absolute favourite though proved to be the Coconut Beef Skewers (Rp.39,000). Lovers of satay really shouldn’t miss these uniquely flavoursome skewers which combine tasty marinated beef with rich, coconut cream. In fact, this one is proving so popular that it is about to be promoted from starter to main course status.

If you’re looking for something new to revitalise your jaded palate, then Mambo should defi nitely be on your radar. Careful with those Mojitos though.