The more sophisticated of the three Caribbean Scene restaurants; the Royale venue is for the more romantically inclined diner seeking a taste of the West Indies. Boasting stylish and tropical décor, views overlooking the dock and a welcoming atmosphere, this is an authentic Caribbean restaurant worth travelling east to check out - just don't imagine it to be inexpensive.

The Venue
Overlooking the beautiful Royal Docks and The O2 Arena, Caribbean Scene Royale resembles an exotic island retreat in a somewhat sterile part of east London. Whilst the Hurricane Bar offers a great area for people to sip cocktails, admire the impressive view and enjoy the regular bands that entertain diners weekly, it is the dining area that's most notable. Aside from the obviously popular window seats, the restaurant evokes the feeling of dining in a tropical paradise for those not lucky enough to have bagged a water view. Spoiled only by a rather incongruous screen showing muted scenes of various chain openings in shopping centres, the restaurant is painted with stunning beach scenes, and houses tropical plants and palm trees underneath its beach-hut style roof. Managing to err on the right side of style and avoid looking tacky is to be commended, though the television is a little off-putting and distracts from the décor.

The Atmosphere
The relaxed atmosphere is aided by the helpful staff who are enthusiastic and keen to ensure all customers are enjoying themselves. Saturday evenings feature entertainment in the form of a band that serenades diners unobtrusively into the night from the Hurricane Bar, and the restaurant proves popular with couples looking for a meal in a romantic setting.

The Food
The presentation of the food at Caribbean Scene Royale is one of its fortes. The appearance of most of the dishes is well thought and executed, though this doesn’t make up for offerings that are sometimes underwhelming.

The grilled goat’s cheese starter with mushroom and spinach is a bold dish, with the cheese erring on the stronger side but the accompanying vegetables toning down the flavour a touch. Conversely - and surprisingly - the ackee and salt fish moneybags starter is quite the opposite, tasting bland and offering little in terms of flavour. At just under £8 a pop, diners may well expect more for their money. Other options include marinated fish bites with seasoned mixed peppers and spicy BBQ sauce, garlic king prawns, golden baked plantain rounds and mini-crab cakes, all at around the bordering-on-steep £7 and £8 mark.

Main courses, although once again rather dear (most coming in at just under £20), are much more successful. The honey BBQ marinated chicken is juicy, flavourful and generous, with the two cuts of bird slathered in a delicious sauce mild enough for the less-adventurous diner. The curry goat parcel with crispy coconut shavings is creatively presented and served with rice. Offering a spicy kick to complement the tender meat, this is one authentic dish that Caribbean Scene excels at - though at £18 it's probably to be expected. Other must-tries include flamed jerk chicken, Caribbean Scene rack of lamb, and the pricey lobster and sweet potato if you have money to burn. All the carb-heavy sides can be ordered for around £5, and the sweet potato mash, plantain and festival mix are all recommended.

The dessert menu, however, is disappointing and surprisingly limited, offering some fruit and ice cream based options served almost too quickly. Clearly taken straight from the slightly too-warm freezer, the seemingly pre-packaged mint chocolate chip ice-cream bon-bon is already melted before it reaches your table, and lacks the chocolate centre described on the menu.

The Drink
The wide selection of drinks on offer are available not only for those dining, but for those who choose to drink at the Hurricane Bar, too. A wide variety of white and red wines are available at between £18 and £25 a bottle, though the house wine is a little acidic. The lagers, beers and ciders include the expected offerings such as Magners alongside more authentic options such as Banana Bread Beer and Trinidadian Carib beer. Alcoholic and non-alocholic cocktails are available with punches touted as the specialities. Incredibly sweet and just under the £8 mark (with the exception of champagne based glasses), these are for drinkers who are prepared for the sugar hit which follows.

The Last Word
The slightly steep prices aren't fully justified here, though many of the authentic dishes are enjoyable. Despite the dessert menu leaving room for improvement, the dining experience is certainly one to try if you’re searching for a trusted Caribbean restaurant and have a little extra cash to flash at the end of the month.

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