2210 By Natty Can Cook, London SE24: ‘Much more than just posh jerk chicken at fancy prices’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

It’s 6pm in Herne Hill, south-east London, and I’ve popped out for some Caribbean food wearing fancy athleisure wear. Yoga trousers and a smart hoodie, but PE kit nonetheless. And, once I arrive at 2210 By Natty Can Cook, I realise I am severely underdressed.

When chef Nathaniel Mortley announced that he was opening a restaurant that aimed to celebrate Caribbean culture “in style” and to win a Michelin star, his loyal Instagram following, as well as their families and friends, took the brief and dressed accordingly. As fancily plated ackee and saltfish spring rolls passed by, as well as a lot of rum punch, I rustled in my handbag for some bigger earrings and more makeup. “This isn’t dinner, it’s an occasion!” I hissed at Charles when he asked why I was off to the loo to put on some lippy, leaving him with a menu filled with the likes of confit pork belly with scotch bonnet mayo, lobster rasta pasta and carrot and plantain bhajis. By the time I got back, a plate of thin, crisp roti with a highly addictive scotch bonnet butter dip had appeared. One shouldn’t drink butter, but in this instance it’s excusable.

‘A crispy beast’: 2210 by Natty Can Cook’s ackee and saltfish spring roll.

This new restaurant is a natural progression of Mortley’s recent stint at the Greyhound pub opposite Peckham library, where his red snapper with corn salsa and jerk chicken with brown butter mash quickly earned him a loyal audience. Mortley began cooking as a teenager – his mother’s an accountant and his father a businessman – and he went on to work at the likes of Oblix and Jason Atherton’s City Social, but then circumstances led him to spend some time at Her Majesty’s Pleasure in Brixton HMP.

Dwelling on this prison stint may seem a bit churlish, not least in light of quite how utterly classy 2210 is, but those jail years are a pivotal part of Mortley’s origin story. All cool restaurants these days open with an idyllic, flowery tale about Chef Tarquin floating about Thailand or India, gap-yearing and stealing inspiration, so by contrast, when Mortley speaks about his time at the Clink, the charity-led, prisoner-run restaurant at Brixton prison, a food writer’s ears are bound to prick up. The Clink, which I frequent from time to time, is a funny old restaurant: you make a booking at least a week in advance, gather in a Portakabin for security checks, and are then escorted into the intimidating womb that is Brixton prison. If you’ve ever watched Porridge, which was filmed between 1974 and 1977, well, Brixton doesn’t feel much different now, and an atmosphere of hopelessness hangs heavy in the air. Until, that is, you step into a discreet outbuilding where a semi-formal restaurant serving a modern European menu is in full swing. Prisoners cook, prisoners do front of house and, inside these doors, at least, some hope prevails.

Mortley threw himself into life at the Clink, and in doing so asked himself some big questions about how he’d ended up locked in a cell, rather than rising to the top of the Caribbean cooking game. Now, umpteen residencies later, he must look out of 2210’s service hatch when service is in full swing and pinch himself at how far his life has turned around.

‘Elegantly flavoured’: 2210 by Natty Can Cook’s jerk chicken supreme with fried allspice terrine, charred spring onion and mango and pineapple salsa.

Charles, my longsuffering dining partner, says 2210 is the best meal out we’ve had this year; for me, it’s definitely up there in the best-of list. That ackee and saltfish spring roll, for example, is a crispy beast filled with rich, moist fish, served on a red pepper velouté and drizzled with a spring onion emulsion. Next up, a lamb belly skewer strewn with a masala reduction and tomato concasse. The jerk chicken, meanwhile, is elegantly flavoured with thyme, garlic and cinnamon and comes with a good, sharp mango and pineapple salsa. A particular stand-out is the seared pimento duck breast that’s served with confit duck leg croquette and pumpkin puree.

‘Highly recommended for your own sense of wellbeing’: Natty Can Cook’s deep-fried apple crumble.

Sure, 2210 isn’t by any standards cheap – starters are about £12 and mains hover around the £30 mark – but there’s an attention to detail in every dish that makes this place more than fit for a special occasion. There are only two desserts on offer right now: plantain cake with white chocolate ganache, which is a hunk of sponge with “chocolate snow” and the more humble of the two. Treat that as your starter pudding, then move on to the deep-fried apple crumble, which is large hunks of pickled apples with apple gel and caramelised pecans, all deep-fried and served with coffee chantilly and a split basil creme anglaise. Calories-wise, this is, of course, entirely unnecessary, but for your own sense of wellbeing, I highly recommend it.

2210 by Natty Can Cook is much much more than just posh jerk chicken at fancy prices. It’s already mobbed and there’s something genuinely good going on here.

• 2210 by Natty Can Cook 75 Norwood Road, London SE24, 020-3713 5108. Open Weds & Thurs 5-9pm, Fri 5-11pm, Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-9pm. From about £50 a head for three courses à la carte; Sun from about £45 a head, all plus drinks and service