Buster Mantis - (Near Lewisham, South East)

5 /5 Joseph Stansfield: Came for the cheap Thursday menu. Staff were super attentive. Food came out fast staggered and hot which was perfect. Incredible flavours, pork belly, curried coat and Guinness Punch are a must.

3 /5 Kourt Marie: I visited Buster Mantis hoping to try the lamb, but unfortunately it was sold out. I ended up with the roast chicken, which was disappointing; dry and lacking in flavour. The roast potatoes didn’t taste fresh; they had the kind of superficial texture that suggests they may have been frozen before cooking. Drinks were fine, and the atmosphere was decent enough, but nothing stood out. Given that Buster Mantis takes its name from Busta Manti, a Jamaican figure, the expectation is that the cuisine should bring bold, authentic flavour. Jamaican food is never meant to be bland, yet that’s exactly how this meal felt. Overall, the experience was underwhelming. With uninspired food and only passable drinks and ambience, it was just… meh.

5 /5 T: My second time in dining here and it was better than the first. The first occasion, my friend and I had a few bites- chicken wings, chips, and the oxtail croquettes (delicious). We returned last Sunday for the Sunday roast and I have to say it was one of my favourite roasts I have had-apart from my own of course! The rum punch cocktail, was perfect and had a little punch to it. Both my friend and I opted for the leg of lamb roast which was perfect along with 2 sides, macaroni/cheese and plantain. Definitely worth the price and I will be returning with others to try.

3 /5 Aman B: Heard lots of good things about this place before visiting. Booked dinner for a group of 9 at 8.30 on a Saturday night. Given the group size, we contacted the restaurant beforehand to enquire whether it would be helpful if we pre ordered. Once at the restaurant and before ordering we checked whether everything on the menu was available and we were told it was, which was great particularly given it’s a fairly small menu. However once we went to place our orders, we were informed that they had run out of the jerk chicken which was disappointing. Most of the group then opted for the curry goat but again a short while after ordering were informed there wasn’t enough for everyone. It was after 9pm when we placed our orders for the mains but given that the menu is so small with limited options, it was disappointing to hear that there wasn’t enough food to accommodate orders. We were able to order plenty of starters which all tasted pretty good, particularly the oxtail croquettes and salt fish fritters. Those in the group that were able to try the curry goat also enjoyed that. But others who were left with chicken burgers were very underwhelmed. Staff were all really friendly, tried to be accommodating where they could and also apologetic so cant fault the service. They also made the effort to make up for the situation with some complimentary drinks. Overall, a cool little restaurant with some interesting takes on Caribbean dishes. Majority of what we ate tasted pretty good but just disappointing that the restaurant was unable to fulfil a limited offering menu. Advice would be to not make a late booking if you want all options to be available!

3 /5 David N’Jai: I visited Buster Mantis with friends for a Christmas link-up after hearing a lot of positive things about the venue, so I arrived with good expectations. My friend who made the booking was very clear from the outset – before we were even seated – to confirm that the full menu was available, which staff assured us it was. Our starters arrived after a bit of a wait, but they were genuinely very good. The sailfish fritters, oxtail croquettes and chicken wings were all well cooked and full of flavour, so we were excited to move on to the mains. However, when it came time to order, we were told that there was no jerk chicken. Given that the menu is already quite limited, losing one of the main options didn’t leave us with much room to choose from. We tried to adapt and go for alternatives like the curry goat or the chicken burger, only to then be told that the chicken burger was also unavailable. On top of this, the waitress wasn’t able to advise on the wines, as she didn’t know which was which, which added to the overall sense of disorganisation. I don’t believe Buster Mantis is a bad venue – the food we did receive was genuinely well-prepared. But the service, communication, and lack of attention to detail really let the experience down. When you’ve chosen somewhere specifically to enjoy time with friends, you expect a certain standard of service and consistency, and unfortunately that wasn’t delivered. I left feeling really disappointed, especially after hearing so many positive reviews. With better service and clearer communication, the experience could have matched the quality of the food – but on this occasion, it fell short.