Discover Vanilla Moon where flavor and sophistication are king

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This edition of CulinaryDelights’ is the 17th one and I would like to thank all our avid readers, who read the column every Friday and provide constructive feedback. At this point, I feel as though I have been to or at least heard about the majority of restaurants in Lagos, so discovering this weeks’ restaurant, Vanilla Moon restaurant came with an inexplicable kind of excitement. The pictures of the restaurant alone oozes an atmosphere of grandeur.

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I scrolled through Instagram and as I usually do and stopped by the My Crawl App page, a digital platform that shares events places and things to do in Lagos. The platform was created by Bukky Karibi Whyte, CEO of Robert Taylor Media. As I was scrolling through my Crawl app’s Instagram page, I came across Vanilla Moon, a brand new European restaurant in Victoria Island. What attracted me to the place was how bright and fresh the pictures looked online. I believe that it is fundamental for restaurants to have an online presence. Let’s face it, the world has become a digital place and increasingly people look online for vital decision making. The majority of places I go to are either recommendations from friends or online. Restaurants that are not maximizing their digital audience are missing out on huge chunks of the economy.

On this beautiful Saturday, I had lunch plans with my very good friend Basheer Tosin Ashafa. BTA is the MD/CEO of Cantagali Limited, a full-service, a niche-oriented and growing business group comprising companies such as Cantagali Limited (real estate marketing, property development, and facility management); and Triequity Capital (Investment & Finance). Basheer is very intelligent and our conversations are always very mentally stimulating. 

 

As I entered the restaurant I had a big smile on my face because the outdoor decor was stunning.

The building reminds me of a modern french maisonette, reminiscent of a building you could easily find in Bordeau France.  Let’s just say Vanilla Moon made a great first impression. It’s the kind of space that gives you a feeling of happiness and joy just by being surrounded by the design and aesthetic. I have noticed a trend that a lot of new restaurants are incorporating green grass carpets and flowers for their outdoor dining areas. It was clear from the moment I walked in that this wasn’t your average restaurant. The ambiance was soothing, the décor was spectacular, and the staff was unpretentiously courteous. 

As I made my way inside I was greeted by a hostess who showed me to my table that Basheer was already seated on. As soon as I sat down they came to take my drink order and shortly after they took my food order. I wasn’t sure what to order so as usual, I asked the waitress to come and make a recommendation. As the restaurant is new she called the chef who is a gentleman from India, and while speaking with him I found out he had recently relocated to Lagos for the job. He recommended that I have the petit de Pollo, which is chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes with creamy mushroom sauce. I had it with mashed potatoes and spinach. It was really filling and tasty. I finished the whole plate and was extremely satisfied. 

 

Basheer had rib eye steak medium rare with mashed potatoes and spinach as well. It looked like 250g of deliciousness, I almost wished I ordered the same thing as him.

Here is what he had to say

“It was clear from the moment I walked in that this wasn’t your average restaurant. The ambience was soothing, the décor was spectacular, and the staff was unpretentiously courteous. Need I say that the drink had a taste of elegance and I could bet that it came from the best mixologist in town, who took his time to recommend the various drinks. I particularly enjoyed the chef and his team taking out time to engage us and get direct feedback on the quality of the meal. The only downside for me was the few staff that  around the restaurant, which seemed a bit awkward. Overall, I had a great evening and I recommend Vanilla Moon to anyone who has great taste”.

Vanilla Moon is located in a leafy by-lane of Victoria Island, Lagos. The menu is curated with an array of European dishes raging from a tapas menu that can take you to any outdoor Spanish market, fresh-house made pasta, steak room, sharing boards with Charcuterie, Sliders & Fondue. There is also the ruffle Mac & Cheese, Vanilla Moon Lobster Thermidor, and Twinkle Twinkle Tiramisu. 

The ambiance is perfect for a night out with friends, a date night or even a weekend brunch with loved ones. Equally works for outdoor/indoor dining. 

Contact: Instagram: @VanillaMoonLagos 

Total

Petit de Pollo N6000

Rib Eye N 14 000

2 Mocktails N 7000

N27 000 

Rating 

4.5 stars