In the United Kingdom, Nigerian and West African restaurants offer visitors an array of culinary experience different from the cuisines traditional to the UK.
For many years, food has remained one of Nigeria’s most desired exports. Nigerian cuisine has gained rising appeal overseas as the country’s delicacies, featuring locally popularised dishes continue to draw curious taste buds from across the world.
From the renowned Nigerian party Jollof rice to spicy pepper soup and seasoned chicken and beef suya steaks, to plantain and classic local soups like egusi and efo riro, Nigerian cuisine conveys the travel experience many cannot easily find elsewhere in the UK and introduces them to a new culture through food.
Every year the UK’s dining scene celebrates its finest in The National Restaurant Awards which celebrates the brilliance and vibrancy of the UK’s eating out scene, with votes cast by over 200 top chefs, restaurateurs, food writers and critics. On the night of the awards, the list of the 100 best restaurants in the UK is released.
This year, 3 Nigerian-run restaurants were listed among the top 40 in the best 100 above others like Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London.
1. Ikoyi
Ikoyi, a two-time Michelin star high-end restaurant which its earlier critics can no longer afford was named the 10th best restaurant in the UK at The National Restaurant Awards. “The foundation for our menu is a vast collection of spices with a focus on sub-Saharan West Africa, which we have sourced with utmost care since opening” is what you are welcomed with when you go to book a table on Ikoyi’s website. Ikoyi is owned by Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria, which is believed to be an inspiration for its name, shared with one of Lagos state’s affluent towns.
“Chan’s food isn’t getting any easier to pigeonhole. Controlled use of spice is a hallmark, as is the procurement and careful handling of top quality produce from Britain and, occasionally, further afield. Some dishes do reference Ikoyi and Hassan-Odukale’s Nigerian roots, including plantain, spiced efo and roasted peanut; and smoked jollof rice (now served with chunks of lobster),” the awarders stated. “Other dishes on the current tasting menu include mussel and saffron creme caramel with N25 Caviar; octopus morels and peas; sweetbread with duck and coffee; and almond butter and einkhorn wheat.”
“It’s an English produce-focused restaurant using some West African ingredients,” Chan told Google Arts and Culture.
2. Akoko
Akoko is known as one of the UK’s best places to eat. The West African-themed dining was named 23rd among the 100 best restaurants in the UK. ‘Akoko’, which translates as ‘time’ and also ’the first’ in Yoruba, takes inspiration from the family recipes and travels of British Nigerian restaurateur Aji Akokomi, who opened the restaurant back in 2020.
Ayo Adeyemi, who boasts of an impressive culinary journey, serves as its head chef, earning it a Michelin star in 18 months. His culinary prowess also earned him the ‘Chef to Watch’ award.
Serving a tasting menu that runs for eight to 10 courses depending on supplements, Adeyemi draws inspiration from the cuisines of Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia and Senegal.
“The three cornerstones of Akoko’s culinary ethos are fire, umami, and spice. Most dishes incorporate an element of live-fire cooking, courtesy of the custom wood fire grill that dominates the kitchen space. Plating, meanwhile, retains a minimalist style, intended to keep the focus on the punchy flavours of each dish,” the award presenters wrote.
The natural beauty of rural West Africa inspires Akoko’s aesthetics and interiors. Its walls are covered in terracotta clay and contemporary African art while every dish is served in a bespoke piece of handmade pottery.
“It’s smart, relaxing and immersive.”
3. Chishuru
Chishuru, a Michelin-star West African-themed restaurant in London is considered one of the best Nigerian-owned restaurants in the whole country enjoying the spotlight in 2024. This year, its owner, Adejoke Bakare made history as the UK’s first black female chef to be awarded a Michelin star, barely months after moving to Fitzrovia. She was also awarded ‘Chef of the Year’.
Bakare, whose desire to work in the culinary industry started during her university years as a student in Nigeria selling snacks has grown to build respect and attention among the UK’s food dining scene after just 4 years of opening her West African restaurant Chishuru in Brixton Village’s Market Row for the first time in 2020.
Chishuru’s coveted lunch menu features a beautiful fermented crispy rice cake with smoky, meaty mushrooms, an utterly creamy and light corn cake with fragrant coconut, date and tamarind sauce and grilled breadfruit served in several ways.
For dessert, they offer fonio-infused ice cream (fonio is a West African grain that gives the ice cream a slightly nutty flavour) with carob custard, crunchy peanut praline and a delicious coconut crisp. For its status, the restaurant has been notable for being affordable.
