One of the great strengths of the London dining scene is the diverse array of global cuisines on offer.
Chefs from all continents and cultures open their doors and serve the dishes they grew up with, inspired by memories of time spent with family and loved ones.
London’s selection of African restaurants is a prime example, reflecting the vast range of cooking styles the continent has to offer. Whether it’s West African suya, South African braai or North African dukkah you’re after, we’ve got you covered.
For years, West African food in Britain has been touted as the next big thing, and the range of options in London is tremendous.
Be it from Senegal, Gambia, Ghana, or Nigeria, the food has existed in the capital for decades.
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Whether you want great-value takeout jollof rice or an experimental, deconstructed egusi stew, there's a restaurant for you.
He Built the Biggest African Restaurant in The World
Michelin-Starred African Cuisine
An older sibling to Akara, Akoko is undoubtedly one of the most successful African restaurants London has ever seen. Having received One MICHELIN Star in 2024, it’s doing a brilliant job of fulfilling founder Aji Akokomi's dream of bringing West African cooking to a wider audience.
Cleverly combining British ingredients with familiar African dishes and flavours like jollof rice and suya, the cooking proves to be refined, original and beautifully balanced.
When Adejoké Bakare’s Chishuru won its first MICHELIN Star in 2024, it was the cherry on top of the restaurant’s rapid rise over recent years.
Propelled by the talent of self-taught Adejoké, the restaurant is a fun and welcoming place underpinned by delicious West African cuisine.
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The set menus offered at lunch and dinner deliver an array of well-balanced, confidently judged and easy-to-eat dishes.
Chishuru’s spacious, terracotta-toned space in Fitzrovia is a far cry from its original cupboard-sized Brixton location.
That said, this modern West African spot still explores flavours like no other restaurant in London.
There are spices and sauces you’ll want to mainline, be it an electric peppersoup broth or an egusi-slathered spiral of cabbage, and the set menu structure means everyone gets to have a bit of everything.
It’s easy to see where this thoughtfulness comes from when owner Joké Bakare greets tables upstairs and down, with hugs, kisses, and recommendations from the serious all-French wine list.
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Akoko’s serene central London restaurant provides a multi-sensory experience and fine dining expedition of West Africa in Fitzrovia, via its tasting menus.
Each dish, be it an adaptation of a stew, salad, or baked treat comes with a story.
The jollof rice, topped with shredded smoked goat and accompanied with sumptuous, soft goat belly, even comes with a physical printed story.
The menu changes with the seasons, but you can always expect vivid flavours that wow.
Any thoughts that a tasting menu may mean a stuffy experience are immediately put to ease by the relaxed and calming pastel interiors, and charming staff.
Jeremy Chan has an energy that knows no bounds; he’s very much a chef who cooks with passion and intent.
As time goes by, he continues to refine and develop his repertoire, seeking out the best seasonal produce the UK has to offer, then combining it with lovingly sourced West African spices.
The surprise menu is a journey indeed and whilst there is notable spice and heat to the dishes, it never masks the true flavour of the main ingredient.
Exploring Diverse African Flavors in London
You’re never short of places to eat in Borough Market and among the many world cuisines to choose from is Akara’s West African offering that blends in some South American elements for good measure.
The restaurant is a tribute to the titular black-eyed pea fritter that is popular in both West Africa and Brazil.
It comes with fish, meat or vegetable fillings and is likely to be one of the highlights of your visit.
We shift our attention now to South Africa, or rather a small slice of it in the streets of Marylebone. If you’ve ever visited Africa’s southernmost country, you may already be familiar with ingredients like biltong and rooibos; if you haven’t, then this is your opportunity to get acquainted.
Elements of other global cuisines are incorporated here too, but owner Patrick Williams ensures that there’s always a South African heart beneath it all.
We’re off to North Africa now and the former Barbary Coast, which provides both a name and plenty of culinary inspiration for this restaurant situated in the perennially pretty Neal’s Yard.
Cooking over coals or in the tandoor oven is a feature of the menu, which also incorporates Middle Eastern influences and comes in a sharing plates format.
Waakye Joint provides the perfect introduction to Ghanaian food. Your first port of call should be the eponymous waakye. The dish is almost a set menu in itself.
A bed of soft rice and beans is accompanied by salad, noodles, a boiled egg, well-seasoned fried fish, and a dollop of shito.
It’s perfect for lunch but the portions are so friendly, it may very well carry you through to dinner.
You could stop to sit and eat but Waakye Joint, with its extensive glass cabinets of food, is more primed for takeaway as you’ll see from the waves of people coming in and out.
Expect Saturdays to be busy as traffic is halted on the nearby Seven Sisters Road as revellers head to the local struggling football team, Tottenham Hotspur.
Deluxe Manna in Tottenham is a Congolese spot, so not technically West African, but their menu reads like a family tree of the wider Afro-Caribbean community in north London.
The buzzy atmosphere, soundtracked by afrobeats, and late opening hours mean there’s no rush to be in and out.
Sit back, relax, and settle in for the evening.
The sleek interiors, matte black walls, and a gold-rimmed bar might imply dainty, quaint plates of food. But this is not the case.
Our go-to (and you’ll quickly notice many others’) is the Manna platter.
In this collab of cultures, grilled fish and meats like ntaba (smoked lamb) surround a mountain of jollof rice, kwanga (a soft cassava dumpling), and more.
Elasticated waistbands recommended.
Nigerian food, even when ordered in a group, is usually a solo, personal affair.
One’s favourite stew and swallow is chosen, and each person stays in the confines of their own plates and bowl of warm water to cleanse their hands.
But Chuku’s fusion of Nigerian cuisine with small plate-style eating is too good to miss.
Be it suya-spiced meatballs, ojojo (yam croquettes), or cassava fries.
The vegan section is headlined by the tricoloured egusi bowl which deconstructs the classic Nigerian stew into a shareable, sumptuous dish.
Plus the Tottenham spot, with its big-hearted hospitality and upbeat playlist, will make you feel at home whether you’re rocking up solo, for a group brunch, or a casual birthday dinner.
Eko Bar, situated in the heart of Homerton, is the epitome of a Nigerian lounge bar.
Tinted windows, flash cars parked outside, and a vibe that doesn't pick up until the late hours of the night.
But when it does pick up, you’re in for a swing.
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