Discover Cafeteria, the newest spot in Victoria Island

Located on 16 Akin Adesola Street Victoria Island, Cafeteria Nigeria is one of the cutest restaurants/cafes I have been to in Lagos lately. I use the word cute in this context because while the space is elegant, it is still very cozy. Reminiscent of a classy American diner, Cafeteria is the latest addition to the Victoria Island restaurants. They serve gourmet breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also serve bubble tea as well as cocktails and mocktails. I have been here twice once for a business meeting and last Sunday, for brunch with some friends.

The first time I decided to go with the chicken and waffles which seems like the obvious choice when at American style diner. Usually, my worry with chicken and waffles is that the combination of sweet end savoury has to be just right, or else it can make for a really bad food experience. This particular chicken and waffles were just perfect, the chicken was tender but still crispy. I also had vanilla bubble tea which was delicious. The bubble tea had my name on it, and I liked the personal touch.

The second time around I came for a brunch, I decided to have a traditional English breakfast. I came with some friends and here is what they had to say about their experience:

Vivian Ojo

”I had a great experience at the restaurant. There was clear attention to customer experience. Food was great and the portion size was fair. Lighting was great and was a great post-church brunch vibe. May need to work on getting some effective valet parking since parking space is tight. Overall, always great to see fellow sisters thriving. I’m here for it”– Vivian Ojo.

I agree with Vivian, I must also commend the owners of this space; Kehinde and Taiwo Smith are two American- Nigerian twin sister entrepreneurs. They are visible at every moment, checking on customers and ensuring that the processes are seamless. They also actively ask for feedback which demonstrates their commitment to providing an excellent experience to their customers. It a great thing to see young women so dedicated to building scalable businesses. They also own a salon in Lekki Phase 1 called my extension Nigeria and you can tell that excellence is an ethos for all their brands. I love meeting young vibrant woman entrepreneurs who are dedicated to excellence.

Here is Adesuwa’s take:

“Cafetaria’s chic, minimalist design – peek the burnt orange seats; lightbulb word art; and see-through kitchen – might make you believe you’re in a trendy hole in the wall spot in Brooklyn…that is, until the noise of Akin Adesola traffic brings you back to reality. Needless to say, the place screams ‘millennial’, but the food is anything but. Savoury chicken & waffles (my fav!), full gourmet breakfast and a large southwest chicken salad are a comfort food lover’s dream. The wait times were a bit long, and the cocktails a little on the struggle side but I bet the perky enthusiastic ladies that run the place – and are willing to even wait tables to make their customers happy – will straighten out those new restaurant kinks out in no time. Give yourself a treat- head over to Cafeteria to eat.” Adesuwa Ighile.

I will be going to Cafeteria Nigeria often that is for sure, and I suggest you do the same soon. It is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and the customer service was exceptionally good. The place seats about 30-40 people so I would definitely call to check availability first.