ARAMI: Celebrating fine dining, fine art in one space

If you are a lover of fine dining, particularly in a tranquil setting such as a rooftop, there is a deal for you.

ARAMI, a new restaurant in town, amid stylish and world-class culinary offerings, has opened its doors to satiate your taste buds and passion.

Owned by the L’Ori Hospitality Group, which also operates a chain of restaurants across Africa, ARAMI, a fine dining rooftop restaurant, offers specially curated dining experience by a crop of culinary professionals, who go the extra mile to ensure value for money offerings for the guests, amid personalised touch.

Set on the 6th & 7th Floor, MHQ Spaces, Providence Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, the new restaurant comes with a difference.

From the entrance, the huge focus on art is obvious, there are many exciting works adorning the walls, corners and almost every open space, offering the guests more to eat and see at the same time.

ARAMI is simply an exquisite space where art and gastronomy ignite through Afro-Asian-fusion cuisine developed by a team of local and international culinary talent.

Of course, L’Ori Hospitality Group, the owners, insisted that the focus on fine dining and fine art is intentional.

While such marriage may be obtainable in a few hospitality outfits in Lagos, the scale at which ARAMI is elevating the culture is very high.

It collaborated with SMO Contemporary Art, a leading art gallery, in an opening group exhibition to bring fine dining and fine art in one room.

Titled ‘Celebration’, the exhibition, which opened on April 18, 2026, at the restaurant, is a curatorial project merging the best of art and gastronomy.

Apart from culinary delights, there are more to enjoy as 15 contemporary and modern artists from Nigeria, Uganda, Cameroon, South Africa and the Diaspora, showcase their creative ingenuity across paintings, sculptures, textiles and light-based media.

Aside from being an opening exhibition, ‘Celebration’ is also a creative project that is paving the way for the placement of modern and contemporary master pieces within the exciting new hospitality space, while positioning Lagos as a global culture, food and art hub.

Meanwhile, the collaboration with SMO Contemporary Art further ensures that guests enjoy fine dining while immersed within a carefully curated space, celebrating the best of African art and design.

But while in the restaurant, which is situated within the heart of Lekki, Lagos, guests easily feel how it responds to the surroundings. Its 360-degree rooftop views of the ocean, lagoon and constantly expanding city metropolis, continue throughout the interiors with its minimalist, light filled spaces, designed by Diana and Emmanuel Nwandu, creating a perfect backdrop to the presentation art.

Within the double volume entrance atrium guests are greeted by bold ceramic and wood sculptural works by Nathalie Djokou Kassi. Suspended high above is a large-scale undulating tapestry, Supper & Wining, by award winning artist Samuel Nnorom, celebrating Nigeria’s globally renowned textile culture. Pop-art life size figures by Adeniyi Adewole, complement an imposing four-meter-wide abstract painting by Ayoola Gbolahan, exploring the connection between our cultural heritage and traditional value systems. Lenticular digital media works by Somi Nwandu, merging photography and printmaking with optical illusion, explore Uli, the ancient iconography of Igbo women used on architectural facades and on body tattoos.

A rare portrait on paper, embellished with gold leaf, by modernist Geoffrey Mukasa, dubbed “Uganda’s Picasso”, hangs alongside contemporary works by Chika Idu, Christopher Samuel Idowu, Uchay Joel Chima, T. Badru, Olawale da Silva and Alex Nwokolo, creating a powerful dialogue across generations of artists.

“By developing an exciting programme of curated art events and live performances we are committed to introducing new audiences to the best of African art,” said Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, SMO’s founder and artistic director. “SMO has curated modern and contemporary art in leading public and private spaces for the past ten years. We are convinced that these types of collaborations ensure we increase art appreciation across diverse publics by presenting exceptional works by master artists and rising talent within beautifully designed, secure, and well managed spaces for everyone to enjoy.”

“ARAMI is a family-owned legacy project, which is committed to bringing bespoke gastronomic experiences to a growing population of discerning foodies,” explained Valentine Nwandu, CEO, L’Ori Hospitality Group. “Architectural interiors were designed by my wife and son, and our hospitality training and media departments are managed by our daughter Victoria.”

“With its Hibachi stations, fine dining restaurant, bespoke private meeting rooms, and sweeping rooftop entertainment areas, we believe we will become Lagos’ best kept secret for where to relax and enjoy exceptional culinary delights and the best of African artistry!”

Explaining the concept of ARAMI, Diana Nwandu, an executive of L’Ori Hospitality Group, which is also a co-owner of Sora Restaurant at Trinity Towers, Oniru, Lagos, noted that ‘Arami’, a Yoruba word, is a single word that every person carries with them every single day.

“We chose this word deliberately, because this place was never just about food,” she said. “Arami was built on the belief that nourishment goes deeper than what is on your plate. It nourishes your mind through the carefully, beautiful and curated art on every single wall.

“It nourishes your body through world-class cuisine, crafted with attention and excellence. And it nourishes your soul through the ambience, the energy, and the people you share the space with. When you walk through these doors, you are not just coming to visit”.

On his part, Hussein Tawil, general manager, ARAMI, welcomes guests with open hands, while assuring them best of fine dining and fine art, amid world-class facilities and some of the best views in Lekki.

For Ayoola Gbolahan, one of the exhibiting artists, whose 243.8 X 426.7 cm large-scale work titled ‘Chronology’, is already adorning the wall of the restaurant, ‘Celebration’ has offered him and other artists opportunity to display art in an unconventional space, amid reaching out to new set of viewers and clients.

Nathalie Djokou Kassi and Somi Nwandu, whose ceramic works and paintings, respectively, are boosting the aesthetics of the restaurant, are exciting to participate in the group exhibition, while the younger artists among them, such as Adeniyi Adewole and Christopher Samuel Idowu are grateful to ARAMI for creating the opportunity to showcase alongside established artists.

At the end, Tawil, who was part of the opening team of Sora Restaurant, amid over 16 years in the hospitality industry, is inviting lovers of fine dining and fine art to visit to enjoy the beautiful blend of the two.