Jodi Hinds
From fine-dining to home-style cuisine – here's our guide to the best African restaurants in London
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London is loaded with African restaurants dishing out delicious food, showing the sheer diversity of African cuisine in the capital. Whether you’re looking for a fragrant North African tagine, some East African injera bread topped with spicy stew, or a more modern take on traditional cuisine, you’llbe spolit for choice. Here’s our guide to the best Africancuisine in London, from the much-loved new site of Chishuru, to Peckham hit Kudu– asleeksmall-plates South African restaurant and co*cktail bar – as well as West African tasting menu spot Akoko in Fitzrovia,andKhamsa in Brixton, an excellent outing for genuine Algerian cooking.
RECOMMENDED: The 50 Best Restaurants in London.
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London's best African restaurants
- West African
- Fitzrovia
price 3 of 4
Joké Bakare's much-loved independent West African restaurant's set menugives you the perfect collision of sweet, salty and peppery heat. This isprestige comfort foodspanning Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba cuisines andthe cosy, two story site offers up theoverall feeling that you may have returned to the womb.
- West African
- Fitzrovia
price 4 of 4
5 out of 5 stars
Recommended
Pulling largely from the cuisines of Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal, Akoko offers a ten-course tasting menu, which in the absence of à la carte is the only thing on offer, with vegetarian and vegan options. It might runto a lofty £120, but fiddly and teensy Michelin-star food this isn’t. At the end of this culinary voyage, you’ll be pleasantly stuffed with witty, inventive food, including chef Ayo Adeyemi's take onGhanaian bofrot doughnuts, yam croquettes,lobster clawandscotch-bonnet pepper soup, andjollof rice.
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- Nigerian
- Old Kent Road
price 1 of 4
Diners come to the Old Kent Road's iconic 805 toeatNigerian-sized portions of cowfoot, spiced chicken gizzards, fish pepper soup, jollof rice and peppered snails. Tilapia with fried plantain, grilled chicken with couscous and salad, and tiger prawns in a chilli and garlic sauce also feature.There's another branch in Hendon as well as Hyde Park, and more in Abuja, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana, should you really get the taste for it.
- Eritrean
- Kennington
An elegant outpost of Eritrean cuisine on traffic-clogged Brixton Road, Adulis has been servingsince 1996. Artefacts, musical instruments and images of folk heroes adorn the place, while the menu majors on stews served with ubiquitous injera bread. Finish in style with traditional honey wine.
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- Nigerian
- Tottenham
'The world's first Nigerian tapas restaurant', Chuku's first bricks and mortar site in Tottenham followssuccessfulpop-ups in the capital and a crowdfunder campaign which bagged more than £30,000 in 30 days – even Beyonce has given them dosh. Run bybrother-and-sister duo Emeka and Ifeyinwa, expect London-inspired twists on classic Nigerian dishes, from jollof quinoa to plantain waffles.
- Ethiopian
- Holloway Road
price 1 of 4
Hollowayites can get stuck into injera in this unassuming spot, where the Mesi combo for two is a plate of serious joy for £31.45, featuring all of the very best from the menu such asyebeg wot, gomen and zilzil tibs. Fantastic.
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- West African
- St James’s
price 4 of 4
A hip, two star Michelin fine-dining restaurant now based at the equally hip 180 Strand which deals largelt inNigerian jollof cuisine, using it as a jumping-off point for cooking that transformssub-Saharan West African food into boundary-pushing hyper gastronomy. You'll pay for it though, with the tasting menu a whopping £300 per head.
- South African
- Peckham
price 2 of 4
Destination neighbourhood dining in Peckham – that’s the schtick at Kudu, a good-looking restaurant specialising in South African-inspired small plates. It may be named after a species of antelope, but don’t come here expecting exotic decor: instead, the dining room has the vibe of a sleek, vintage lounge bar, while the kitchen shows its rainbow nation allegiances with several dishes arriving in traditional cast-iron skillets (as in the old country).
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- Ethiopian
- Kentish Town
A local landmark, the Queen of Sheba offers up authentic, delicious and dramatically portioned Ethiopian platters. If you're on your own, then the one-person veggie selection of misir we't (red lenti stew), atkelt we't (sauteed cabbage with potato and carrot) and kik alich'a (split pea stew) should be plently, but any more of you, then it's time for theQueens Special Vegetarian Platter for two to three.For £35you'll find extra dishes of shiro we't (roasted chickpeas), gomen (spinach), fosolia (green beans) and the house Sheba salad. There are alsochicken, lamb and fish dishesversions available.
10.Le Chamerel
Dining at Le Chamerel, the self proclaimed 'top Mauritian styled bistro' in north London, is a vital chance to experience an under-explored cuisine. The family-owned restaurant uses in-house recipes going back decades. Don't miss the range of biryanis and mine frites, a Mauritian-Chinese fusion dish of fried noodles with veg, cooked in a soya sauce.
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- Moroccan
- Shepherd’s Bush
By day, Adams Café is a redoubtable greasy spoon with a menu to match; by night, it morphs into a cosy North African bistro with exotic Moroccan and Tunisian flavours taking centre stage. Mix ’n’ match from a great-value menu that moves from crisp little savoury pastries to tagines, couscous and grills. Complimentary appetisers and optional BYOB add to the feel-good vibe.
- Algerian
- Brixton
An exceptionally pretty and homely little spot that aims to demystify the little-known delights of Algerian cuisine, Khamsa is a labour of love for its owners. The interior looks gorgeous (think colourful pillows, hanging drapes and handmade crockery) and the kitchen generally makes a good fist of things – we particularly liked the marvellous meze selection. It'sunlicensed, but you can BYO (£2 corkage).
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- Moroccan
- Finsbury Park
It’s tough finding tagine for under a tenner in London, but this Moroccan caff regularly comes up trumps. Our fish tagine was spot-on, likewise a succulent couscous royale. Finish with pastries and a cup of mint tea poured from a beautiful brass pot.
- Eritrean
- Maida Vale
A mosob is a handwoven table around which Eritreans gather to eat – the owners of this namesake restaurant are keen to promote every aspect of their homeland. Spicy stews are the headline acts, with an impressive choice for veggies and vegans, plus the obligatory injera bread for scooping.
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- Algerian
- Crystal Palace
Billed as serving a fusion of Algerian and French cuisine, this Crystal Palace bistro is a cool family-run outfit festooned with mismatched furniture and massive mirrors on colourful walls. Starters of harira soup, merguez sausages and halloumi salad give way to couscous, tagines, grills and a whole host of delicious North African dishes.
- Contemporary European
- London Bridge
Opened by South African owners in 2003, this sprawling venue is dedicated to Cape wines but also offers a full international menu with some noticeable rainbow nation overtones. A vast walk-in cheese room and champagne fridges tell their own story, while the blackboard menu runs from artisan charcuterie to biltong-crusted kangaroo steaks.
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- Ethiopian
- Tufnell Park
The scent of frankincense and the aroma of roasting coffee beans hit you as you walk into this charming Ethiopian restaurant, whereflavoursome stews, curries and house specials will impress vegans as much as meat-eaters.
- Nigerian
- Finchley Road
If you’re looking for quality Nigerian food in London, Enish is a brilliant bet, with branches across the city including inLewisham, Brixton, Camberwell.Enjoy some of London’s best jollof rice alongside other staples of Nigerian cuisinesuch as Asun (spicy roast goat) and a variety of suya (meat skewers). For vegetarians there's jollof with beans, and plantain, as well as yam and okra.
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- Ethiopian
- Holloway
price 1 of 4
Just a short walk from Arsenal's Emirates stadium lies Wolkite, one of London's premier Ethiopian restaurants, known for its doro wot - a spicy chicken stew - and kitfo; a raw beef dish made with luxurious spices. Establishedin 2011, Wolkite serves a wide range of dishes and has extensive options for vegetarians and vegans, including shiro wot chickpea stew and gomen collard greens.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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