KABAWA Opens in the East Village

Kabawa, the new Caribbean restaurant from Chef Paul Carmichael and Momofuku, is now open in the East Village at 8 Extra Place, New York, New York. A deeply personal restaurant, Kabawa offers a nuanced and distinct perspective on Caribbean cuisine. Every touch point — from the custom mosaics to the ingredient sourcing to the instrumental music — is intentional and thoughtful, tapping into chef Paul’s upbringing in Barbados to reflect the vibrant, welcoming spirit of a Caribbean home. Kabawa opens on the heels of Bar Kabawa, the daiquiri and wine bar that has quickly become a lively staple in the neighborhood.

Designed in partnership with Joseph Alayón Ormaza of SUITE, Kabawa reflects the vibrant, inviting spirit of the Caribbean family home. At Kabawa, guests aren’t just dining, they’re joining a shared experience that is personal, collaborative, and rooted in the generosity of Caribbean hospitality. The rattan lining the bar is a nod to the chairs Paul grew up with in Barbados. The louvered doors are a staple in Caribbean houses. The color palette was carefully chosen to avoid tropical clichés. A custom mosaic anchors the space with vignettes pulled from daily life in the Caribbean. 

Music plays a central role in the experience. At Bar Kabawa, it’s high-energy and lyric-driven. In Kabawa’s dining room, the soundtrack is exclusively instrumental, featuring original compositions created by Paul’s cousin in Barbados, woven into a playlist he curated from 50+ hours of music.

The menu is a three-course prix fixe ($145/person), structured to showcase the depth and diversity of Caribbean cuisine and the ways that it has been shaped by colonial histories and migration. Kabawa highlights flavors that often go overlooked: curry, introduced by Indian and Chinese indentured laborers post-slavery, or breadfruit, a staple across the islands. Ingredients are procured thoughtfully, balancing what’s fresh locally with direct ties to the Caribbean. Paul has worked with Labay Market in Flatbush to source seasoning peppers, cassareep, and soursop from suppliers in Grenada and the Dominican Republic.

Kabawa’s wine program is an invitation to discovery, whether of the under-visited corners or unheralded growers of the world map map of wine, or of the well-aged treasures that have been slumbering undisturbed in the cellar, inherited from Momofuku Ko. While Bar Kabawa celebrates the Caribbean’s cocktails with a special focus on the Daiquiri, Kabawa’s cocktails are spirituous versions of the rich and varied non-alcoholic drinks of the region, from Guyana’s swank to the peanut punch of Trinidad and Tobago, alongside nostalgic childhood flavors like champagne cola and mauby.

Bar Kabawa, the new bar celebrating Caribbean culture from Chef Paul Carmichael and Momofuku, is also located in the East Village at 8 Extra Place. Capturing the spirit of the Caribbean, Bar Kabawa’s beverage program spotlights daiquiris and wine, complemented by a raw bar and West Indies patties. Housed in the former Momofuku Ko bar space, Bar Kabawa features bold colors and rich wooden details, with oversized art installations by artist Raelis Vasquez.

Follow Kabawa on Instagram @kabawa.

Photo Credit: Andrew Bezek