Review: Soul Mama Stratford London – Live Music and Dining

Soul Mama, the hot new, live music and dining spot in Stratford, East London.

We have to thank MOBO Awards winner, saxophonist and broadcaster YolanDa Brown OBE who has created a “home for dreamers and believers” bathed in the warmth of African, Caribbean and South American cooking.

Soul Mama is already a winner after crowdfunding nearly £250,000, the largest sum ever raised for a hospitality business on Kickstarter.

YolanDa and music manager, creative entrepreneur Adetokunbo “T” Oyelola, have chosen the right address on Celebration Avenue, as that’s what it will be every night.

Soul Mama is on the ground floor of the Gantry Hotel – a Curio Collection from Hilton which seems quite funky too, and you can see the city from 18 floors up in the hotel’s rooftop bar.

Straight in from the street, or via the hotel’s lobby, on the ground floor Soul Mama is more PizzaExpress Jazz than Ronnie Scott’s but the warm touch of the sunset bar and gold shimmering back drop for the band give the place modern style. The wine-red, car seat leather chairs are pretty comfy too and table lamps add a nice glow. Perhaps they’ll put up a velvet curtain on the sliding glass doors to give it some intimacy, although you can certainly get close up to the artist if you are in one of the front row tables.

Eating and drumming at Soul Mama.

Settling in with a Piña Colada gives an instant and relaxing Caribbean vibe. The mercifully simple drinks list has wine, gin and tonic, rum and beer. You’ll be ordering on an app from a QR code with a gig in full flow so you need to focus before kicking back and letting music wash over you. Service is quick, and the smart staff, cute in denim with leather trim aprons.

The kitchen is headed up by an impressively resume’d Executive Chef Aleandro Brown, aiming to be a Jamaican star chef, and he’s well on his way here. The menu is short with Venezuelan and Trinidadian street food staples such as arepas  and Trini doubles – warm fluffy ‘breads’ topped with beef, chicken or mushroom. The Trio (£22) looked good on the next table. 24-hour marinated Jerk wings with a hint of rum (3 wings £6.50) are jumbo sized, I wouldn’t like to try and catch these birds, but I did like eating them with my fingers.

A feast for the soul – one pot lamb, dhalpuri roti, Soul rice and chicken wing at Soul Mama.

The ‘one pot’ thyme-infused braised lamb neck with butter bean and coriander served with Soul rice (£28) is huge chunks of tender meat (and their bones) in a rich, dark sauce and moist stock-bathed rice – great for sharing. The Trini dhalpuri roti (£6) stuffed with a traditional filling of smooth split peas is also a must to scoop up the sauce.

Well, we don’t want to waste a drop – this is soul food and food for the soul after all. We’ll sleep well tonight.

Thyme-infused braised lamb neck with butter bean & coriander.

With live music across jazz, soul, gospel, reggae and more, Soul Mama’s launch programme features the likes of Mica Paris, Bill Laurance from Snarky Puppy, jazz legends YellowJackets, national treasure Gareth Malone with his sing along show, and soul singer and Goldie collaborator Terri Walker.

Soul Mama will also host events from the EFG London Jazz Festival in November 2024 with special concerts
featuring Jazz Jamaica with their mesmeric fusion of jazz and reggae and all the way from Atlanta, a four-night residency from Avery*Sunshine.

Do go, you and your soul will be nourished well here.

Address: Soul Mama, Gantry Hotel (Curio Collection by Hilton),  40 Celebration Ave, East Village, Stratford, London, E20 1DB

insta @soulmamalondon

Step inside to the joy that is Soul Mama Stratford, London