A vibrant addition to New York City’s East Village, Kabawa is the latest project from chef Paul Carmichael and the Momofuku group, and expresses a deeply personal homage to Caribbean culture shaped through Carmichael’s Barbadian roots and a distinct perspective on Caribbean cuisine.
Following the success of Bar Kabawa, a lively daiquiri and wine bar just steps away, the restaurant offers a more reflective, immersive experience. Designed by Joseph Alayón Ormaza of SUITE, the interiors channel the warmth and rhythm of a Caribbean family home. Rattan-lined bars recall the chairs of Carmichael’s childhood, louvred doors nod to vernacular architecture, and a vivid mosaic stitched from everyday island life anchors the space with understated assurance. Avoiding tropical pastiche, the colour palette and materials speak with quiet authenticity.
Music is central to the restaurant’s atmosphere. In contrast to the high-energy feel of Bar Kabawa, here the soundtrack is entirely instrumental, a curated selection of original compositions from Carmichael’s cousin in Barbados interwoven with an extensive, 50-hour playlist.
The three-course prix fixe menu ($145 per person) takes diners through the broad, complex terrain of Caribbean cuisine, drawing on its layered colonial past and diasporic influences. There’s an emphasis on underrepresented ingredients and flavours — from cassareep to breadfruit, seasoning peppers to swank — with sourcing split between New York’s markets and direct links to Grenada and the Dominican Republic, via Labay Market in Flatbush.
Drinks are equally compelling, the bar exploring the region’s spirited non-alcoholic traditions: think peanut punch from Trinidad and Tobago, or Guyanese swank, reimagined with finesse. The wine list strikes a similar tone, veering from lesser-known growers to older vintages inherited from Momofuku Ko’s cellar.
Choosing one of New York’s most storied neighbourhoods as its setting, Kabawa finds resonance in the East Village’s layered cultural history; a place where tradition, migration, and reinvention feel right at home.
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Kabawa New York Photography, Adrianna Glaviano.
