The Good Front Room begins 'phase two' after founder Dom Taylor's funeral
The Good Front Room has entered what it is calling ‘phase two’, launching a broader, more relaxed Caribbean menu, following the funeral of its founder, the late chef Dom Taylor.
From this week, the restaurant's traditional starter and main course structure has been replaced by ‘Lickle Plates’ and Big Plates’, alongside wider Caribbean influences and more accessible pricing, in the first major menu evolution since the permanent Dalston site opened in February 2026.
A broader taste of the Caribbean
While Jamaican cooking remains important to The Good Front Room, the new menu looks more widely across the region, drawing on Guyana, Trinidad, Guadeloupe and other Caribbean cultures and traditions.
Lickle Plates are grouped across three sections: Caribbean Sea, Caribbean Garden and Caribbean Fire Pit. Dishes include escovitch soft shell crab, peach mango peppered prawns, Trinidadian doubles, Guyanese poulourie skewers, pepperpot sliders and jerk chicken with plantain jam.
Big Plates include brown stew short rib with rice and peas, a Guadeloupe-inspired colombo de poulet, green seasoning and tamarind grilled sea bass, and balanjay with coconut white rice.
A new way to eat
The traditional starter and main course structure has been dropped in favour of Lickle Plates and Big Plates, giving guests the freedom to order a few dishes with drinks, share across the table or build a larger meal.
Lickle Plates start from £12, with dishes brought to the table as they are prepared rather than following a fixed sequence, creating a more relaxed and social style of dining. The new format and pricing are designed to suit a range of occasions, from a quick dinner or date night to a larger gathering, with the aim of making repeat visits easier.
Continuing Dom Taylor's story
Head chef Amani Garcia now leads the kitchen. She worked alongside Dom and brings a background that combines professional kitchen training with experience in photography, videography and editing.
Dom grew up in south-east London, one of five children, and began cooking for his family from a young age before building a career that would eventually lead him to television.
He won Channel 4's Five Star Kitchen: Britain's Next Great Chef with The Good Front Room concept, before taking it to a residency at The Langham in 2023, where his contemporary approach to Caribbean cooking first reached a wider audience.
The permanent Dalston restaurant, at 1 Thomas Tower in Dalston Square, opened in February 2026 following the residency's success.
The name was inspired by Dom's great aunt Myrtle and the front rooms traditionally kept for special guests in Caribbean homes.
Reflecting on his family background in a previous interview with The Staff Canteen, Dom said: "My mum's Jamaican and my dad's St Lucian, and food was everything in our family. It was how we expressed love, how we connected."
Dom died earlier this year, with his death announced on Monday, July 13, prompting tributes from across the industry.
Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, who shared the news at the time, described him as "warm, kind, funny and stylish" and an "incredibly talented chef”. Ayesha Kalaji, chef patron of Queen of Cups, recalled appearing alongside him on a Be Inclusive Hospitality panel, saying: "I'll never forget how warm and kind he was."
The Staff Canteen reported on the wider tributes paid to Dom at the time, here.
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Days before phase two launched, The Good Front Room closed its doors for Dom's funeral, as a “mark of respect”.
The new direction retains the identity and purpose on which The Good Front Room was built, with several dishes and flavours associated with Dom remaining on the menu, creating continuity between the celebrated Langham residency and the restaurant today.
Phase two begins as much a tribute as a relaunch: a contemporary expression of Caribbean food, culture and hospitality, with a front room that everyone is invited into.
Visiting The Good Front Room
The Good Front Room is at 1 Thomas Tower, Dalston Square, London E8 3GU, open Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to 11pm and Sunday from 12pm to 7pm.
The new menu and further details are available at thegoodfrontroom.co.uk
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