Tropikàl

Tropikàl doesn’t shy away from bold flavour—or history. Chef Jae-Anthony’s kitchen pulls from across the Caribbean and the wider Afro-diaspora, tracing spice routes from Haiti to Ghana to Panama. The menu is high-impact: griot fried to a crisp, lobster soaked in garlic pepper sauce, oxtail braised until it slides off the bone. But there’s just as much attention on the small details—cassava callaloo cheese dip, ackee and saltfish fritters, coconut shrimp crusted and grilled. Even the poutine comes with jerk gravy. The cocktail list, anchored by rums and tequilas, leans sweet and punchy, with nods to sorrel, ginger, mezcal and Hennessy. Whether you hit the Montreal or Ottawa outpost, Tropikàl’s vibe is part dinner party, part island getaway, part speakeasy—and all unapologetically rooted in Black culinary identity.