Mangrove Restaurant

Mangrove Restaurant

Frank Crichlow's Caribbean restaurant

In March of 1968, Trinidadian-native Frank Crichlow established the Caribbean eatery. Deriving its name from the tropical Mangrove forests in Trinidad, Crichlow opened the Black West Indian restaurant at 8 All Saints Road, Notting Hill. In Trinidad, the Mangrove forests attributed its name from its mangled appearance. The forests function as a stabilizer for the coastlines during intense storms while also providing refuge to a range of diverse organisms seeking food and shelter. Due to its intricate natural infrastructure and its ability to endure, the mangrove serves as a mirror to the human need for grounding and resilience in an evolving world. Strength, support, and collaboration are the pillars of what the tropical plant symbolizes, and these pillars were the foundations of the Mangrove restaurant. The name was fitting for the new vibrant Caribbean haunt.

Neil Kenlock (photographer)

U.K. National Archives

1970

Jada Gannaway