By Staff Reporter | NewsAmericasNow.com
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 15, 2026: Caribbean cuisine has arrived at America’s most prestigious dining table. A Caribbean restaurant has grabbed the coveted number one spot and several others have made the list of the NY Times 100 Best Restaurants In New York City
The landmark annual ranking was chosen this year by the publication’s new co-chief critic Ligaya Mishan. The recognition marks a defining cultural moment for a cuisine long excluded from the upper ranks of dining despite its deep roots, rich complexity, and undeniable influence on American food culture. Leading the 100 restaurants list and the Caribbean contingent is Kabawa – a prix-fixe Caribbean fine dining experience in Manhattan’s East Village that earned the number one spot, beating out even Le Bernadine, which fell to 21.
Kabawa – The Caribbean Restaurant That’s Making Diners See Things Anew
At the top of the list and the Caribbean representation sits Kabawa, the Manhattan tasting menu restaurant helmed by Barbadian chef Paul Carmichael. The Times described it as one of those rare restaurants with the power to make diners see things anew – high praise in a city with more than 25,000 restaurants competing for attention.
Carmichael’s prix-fixe menu is built around the bold, layered flavors of the Caribbean – sorrel powder, tamarind, allspice, and Scotch bonnets – but carries a deeper purpose. The Times noted that the Barbados-born chef has something profound to say about Caribbean cuisine as a through line in the African diaspora – a point of solidarity sustained through colonization and disenfranchisement.
None of it is heavy-handed. The Times described the mood as effervescent, the menu urging diners to “Luv yuh self.” And on any given night, Carmichael can be found next door at the more informal Bar Kabawa, slinging goat patties – because as the Times put it, he understands that the small joys matter too.
Kabawa is located at 8 Extra Place in the East Village and is part of the Momofuku restaurant group.
The Caribbean Restaurants That Also Made The List
Beyond Kabawa, several community Caribbean staples earned spots on the prestigious list — validating what Caribbean New Yorkers have known for generations.
A&A Bake and Doubles – Brooklyn (Ranked #95) The beloved Trinidadian institution in Bedford-Stuyvesant made the cut with its iconic doubles – baras fluffy, channa chickpeas sweet-hot, musky and messy, with all the sauces – at just $2.50 each. Located at 1337 Fulton Street, A&A has long been a cultural anchor for New York’s Trinidadian and Tobagonian community.
Cas West Indian & American Restaurant – Brooklyn (Ranked #91) This bare-bones Crown Heights Jamaican spot earned its spot on the strength of its oxtail alone – the gravy described by the Times as dark and luscious, the inky imprint on the rice worth the visit by itself. Located at 135 Kingston Avenue, Cas keeps it real with Golden Krust loaves on the shelf and freshly made pepper shrimp packed the traditional way.
Trinciti Roti Shop – Queens (Ranked #88) The Times made it clear that Trinciti in South Ozone Park is worth every minute of the A train wait and the half-mile walk from the station. The star of the show is the buss up shut – a roti as big as a shirt, rolled and wrapped and rolled again with gobs of butter and ghee, finishing with all the flaky richness of a Southern biscuit. Located at 111-03 Lefferts Boulevard in Ozone Park.
Kingston Tropical – The Bronx (Ranked #72) Since 1970, this Wakefield takeout spot has been serving Jamaican patties done exactly by the book – marigold yellow, faithfully crimped, perfumed with thyme, flaky without collapsing. The Times paid tribute to founder John Levi, who established the bakery with his wife Joyce and passed away just months ago. Located at 4000 White Plains Road.
Why This Moment Matters
The inclusion of Caribbean restaurants across multiple boroughs and price points – from a Manhattan tasting menu to a $2.50 doubles – sends a powerful message. Caribbean food is not a monolith, and it is not a niche. It is a cuisine with history, depth, diaspora roots, and a story to tell that goes far beyond jerk chicken and rum punch.
For the Caribbean diaspora in New York – the largest in the United States – this recognition by the nation’s most influential food publication is long overdue validation. Caribbean restaurants have sustained communities, preserved cultural memory, and fed generations of immigrants and their American-born children for decades without a fraction of the media attention lavished on European and Asian cuisines.
The 2026 list suggests that is finally beginning to change.
