For a daintier carbon footprint why not head to Zone 4 for your holidays this year and sample some fine Caribbean cuisine with the best views this side of... erm, Crystal Palace?!

The Venue
Situated on Woodland Road, just off the main Crystal Palace drag, what was once a dark, dingy basement bar is now a warm, inspired Caribbean restaurant. Walking in you are welcomed by the seductive amber glow of firefly lamps which give the place some real holiday warmth. The decor is very much beach-shack chic with bamboo dominating both the walls and the ceiling. There are murals of Caribbean sunsets on three out of four walls which are beautiful, if a little tongue-in-cheek. Yet despite having no windows to the outside world, the whole scene makes it very easy to forget the drizzle on this cold, damp Friday night.

The Atmosphere
There is no doubting the provenance of this place as each guest is warmly welcomed by the delightfully exuberant staff who make each customer feel like a member of the family. Soft reggae leaks from every wall and armed with an umbrella'd glass of rum punch, before you know it you have well and truly relaxed in to the Caribbean way of life.

The Food
The menu is short and snappy with a range of interesting and mainly West Indian dishes. Starters include a fabulous Caribbean king prawn in crispy coconut batter which comes served with a fresh mango and chilli salsa. The prawn arrives solo but is as big as a claw and meaty with just a hint of coconut, the soft, sweet mango is a cool accompaniment which every so often slaps you in the face with a fiery tang of fresh red chilli. The Old Harbour Crab Back is good, but not great, the hunks of firm white crab meat are served a little dry with garlic, onions and topped with crispy-ish breadcrumbs.

If this is your first venture into West Indian cuisine, then you can rarely go wrong with a Jerk dish. The Trench Town Jerk Chicken breast is a real hit and is generously served with the traditional rice and peas. A large, tender breast of chicken arrives char-grilled and coated in a sticky, spicy jam which will have you reaching for the water jug on more than one occasion. The fried chicken with festival is another winner and is frankly, quite huge. A large fried chicken breast is served with two doughnut-style cornmeal buns, called Festival. Soft, with a crisp shell and a hint of vanilla, the fist-sized buns are a delicious accompaniment to the spicy chicken and the cool, crunchy coleslaw.

Desserts range from a rich and creamy guava cheesecake to the Chocolate Fusion, a mix of white and dark chocolate mousses. After such a filling meal, the light (although very boozy) banana flambe is definitely order of the day, bananas are sliced and flamed with a hefty tot of Jamaican rum, and served with a cool, pistachio ice cream.

The Drink
You can't visit the Caribbean without sampling some of the native spirit. The cocktail list is vast with plenty of rum numbers. The house specials include a potently pink Rum Punch and the trashy but traditional Pina Colada. The cocktails are generous, perfectly mixed and a real steal at £5.50 upwards. There's a decent beer list which includes the all-essential Red Stripe as well Carib from Trinidad. The wine list is more traditional with a good value dry Muscadet at £13 a bottle and a lovely Sancerre at a smidge over £20. Although with West Indian cooking, the cocktails and beer make surprisingly good partners.

The Last Word
While Island Fusion may not have the beach-combing views of Rick's Cafe in Jamaica, it has captured the essence of the Caribbean with it's friendly service and generous, tasty food. Recommended.

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