Kabawa New York

Kabawa doesn't feel like a restaurant. It feels more like being invited into a Caribbean kitchen that happens to have a very good bar, a lively soundtrack and a chef who knows exactly what he wants to say. In Manhattan's East Village, chef Paul Carmichael has turned the former Momofuku Ko space into a warm, tropical-modern room, with the open kitchen and U-shaped counter putting the cooking centre stage.

The food is a joyous tour of the Caribbean, moving between Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, Haiti and Puerto Rico without getting trapped by the idea of authenticity. The menu is clever. Pepper scallops with sorrel and Scotch bonnet bring heat and brightness; breadfruit toston with octopus is earthy, crisp and deeply satisfying. The mains are equally generous - the goat with spicy scallop Creole is memorable - while the coconut turnover is simply out of this world.

What makes Kabawa special, though, is its lack of fine-dining stiffness. There is precision, certainly, but also music, laughter, generous portions and a sense that everyone is having a good time. What more can one ask from a restaurant?