New review from Nov 2019:…read more This is my second visit here and far more disappointing. The reason is the waiter/owner was grumpy and when I asked for a takeaway box for the moyin moyin he actually scowled! Wow. The moyin moyin is quite flavourful but the jollof rice is a real disappointment. I've had far better in Ghana. Two years ago: I popped into here for lunch around 1:30pm today and whilst the owner could have been friendlier in greeting me (a smile doesn't hurt ya know), I appreciated him coming outside the restaurant to hand me my takeaway food where I had waited in the lovely sun for my order. The interior is quite small with only a couple of tables with lovely African sculptures all around. There is chalkboard of specials along with the regular menu. Sadly the sweet potato balls were sold out so I got the moin moin and the spinach stew. All together less than a tenner. There are four pieces of moin moin, which are just deliciously savoury. I recommend eating them with the nonspicy spinach stew with melon seed, which, whilst not delicious, was tasty and filling. It would be perfect on a cold winter night. If I was in the area, I would return just for the moin moin!

Nice small restaurant with good food and a friendly owner. I…read morehad the chicken in coconut which was really good. Bring cash since cards are not accepted.

Dining at Ikoyi is nothing short of a revelatory experience--an extraordinary journey of flavor,…read morecreativity, and artistry that sets a new standard for contemporary fine dining in London. From the moment you walk through the door, the restaurant's minimalist and elegant aesthetic creates a sense of calm and anticipation. The warm lighting, understated décor, and impeccable table presentation immediately signal that you're about to experience something exceptional. Ikoyi's tasting menu is a remarkable exploration of bold spices, seasonal ingredients, and inventive culinary techniques. Every course is a masterpiece--beautifully plated, meticulously balanced, and full of vibrant, unexpected flavors. What truly sets Ikoyi apart is its ability to elevate familiar ingredients into entirely new expressions. The interplay of heat, smoke, sweetness, and umami is done with absolute precision. Each dish tells a story, and together they create a symphony of tastes that is both exciting and refined. The attention to detail in every component--from sauces to garnishes--is outstanding. The service at Ikoyi is flawless. The staff is knowledgeable, gracious, and attentive without ever being intrusive. Their explanations of each course enhance the experience, giving context to the ingredients and techniques in a way that feels engaging rather than formal. They tend to have a strong accent... so be patient. The staff is so remarkable to hay every need is anticipated, glasses are refilled seamlessly, and the pacing of the meal is perfectly orchestrated. The hospitality is warm and genuine, contributing to a dining experience that feels both luxurious and welcoming. The atmosphere at Ikoyi strikes the perfect balance between sophistication and comfort. It's intimate yet energetic, with an open kitchen that allows guests to witness the culinary team working with incredible focus and artistry. The subtle design details--tones, textures, and the harmony of the space--create a beautifully curated environment that complements the inventiveness of the cuisine. Ikoyi is a destination restaurant--one that surprises, delights, and leaves a lasting impression long after the meal ends. It is rare to find a place where creativity, technique, hospitality, and atmosphere blend so seamlessly, but Ikoyi achieves exactly that. This is not just a meal; it's an unforgettable culinary experience that deserves every accolade it has earned. Highly recommended for anyone seeking one of the most thoughtful and inspired dining experiences in London.

Awarded two Michelin Stars and currently seated 15th on W50b Ikoyi most certainly has its fans, the…read moreventure between Chef Jeremy Chan and business partner Ire Hassan-Odukale thrusting West African flavors into a previously unprecedented global spotlight. Located on the Strand, a severe room and joyless service fond of the term "umami" placing added heft on bold flavors, dinner consists of 15 items ranging from single bites to substantial portions of largely British protein and produce. Focused on "spice based cuisine," frequently to the Food's detriment as with a delicious Sweetbread lost in a pick 'em of ingredients beneath Sausage buried in Horseradish, highlights arrived mostly early such as with the Beef Tart or Crème Caramel with Caviar and Razor Clams, but at $575pp (1 cocktail each, no wine) there are far too many plates later where "less" would have been more.

The restaurant layout is simple: a huge braai at the back of the restaurant with tables and chairs…read moreset up at the front, a bar downstairs and a separate area in the basement that is dedicated for groups to about 22 people. I started off with a glass of wine from South Africa. Their wine list and cocktails have South African influence. Price was £7 - £9 for a glass of medium level wines. I was recommended the prawn skewers, cous cous salad and a lamb with apricot skewer. My personal favourite was the prawn skewers. The chefs have peeled the bodies beforehand but left it's head and tail shell intact. It was served with some rocket salad and two difference sauces (in a separate sauce plate) to complement the heat and spice from the prawns. I did not think the separate sauces were that important as I did enjoy the prawns and rockets together. I do like sucking prawn heads, and oh boy, it was juicy. The prawn was well cooked. Loved the combination of chilli in it. It was very tasty and spicy. I must say that £12 for 4 pieces of prawns might be a little steep for a lunch meal. The lamb skewer I had apparently was something new they are about to add their list of sosaties. It definitely smelled good as it was served. On the skewers were about 8 chunks of lamb meat, 6 pieces of apricot and 5 pieces of onions. Juices from the apricot burst into your mouth as you chewed on the fruit. The lamb was also juicy, well seasoned and succulent. It didn't have any bad smell to it, so I thought it was a dish well done. Cous cous salad was refreshing. It came with generous serving of rocket leaves, raisins, pine nuts, cheese and some slices of freshly baked crusty bread. The dessert was fantastic although I must admit I did not see the South African influence in it. I had the dark chocolate mousse served with blackberry compote, yogurt and pumpkin seeds. I spoke to Mark, person in charge when I visited, about this and was told the dessert will be taken off the menu. So the restaurant is definitely taking some positive steps to serving better food and improving the menu. Overall happy with my food here

We really enjoyed Hammer & Tongs. Tried all three appetizers (curried fish, biltong, bread); had…read morethe Baby Braai (chicken, pork belly, lamb, chips, couscous salad, and braaibroodje, all great except the pork belly which was just fair), and chased with the Malva pudding (sponge cake with apricot syrup and a scoop of ice cream, really good). Was good and would definitely come back again. Was dead on a Tuesday night: no problem getting a seat. Server was helpful and friendly. Only bad point: clothes now smell like a bonfire--but totally worth it!

Lovely place! Tasty food, friendly and welcoming service!…read moreConveniently located near by Buckingham Palace.

Great service and stuff. Very nice ambiance and great distance from touristic areas. Highly…read morerecommended. Food was very good and also tea! If I come back to Uk and I am this area I will definitely stop by again! Thanks

I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday at Stork during a recent visit to London. Stork did…read morenot disappoint!!! The vibe gives an African and Caribbean feel. Relaxed with some glam. There was a DJ playing a variety of music. When we arrived, the hostess immediately greeted our party and thanked us for choosing Stork for dinner. She was very sweet, offered coat check service and seated us at a table on the downstairs dining room. Our waiter was very nice as well and took the time to explain a few dishes in detail. Every guest in our party enjoyed their dishes and cocktails. Our friends arranged a cake with the restaurant as a surprise for my husband I as we both had birthdays this month. The cake was moist and delicious! Additionally, restrooms were well stocked and clean. Stork will always be on my list to visit in London.

I had a top tier dining experience at Stork for dinner one evening! The food was impeccable so much…read moreso that I visited again for lunch the following day! For dinner I had their egusi which wasn't too spicy and had amazing flavor as well as some of their Ghanaian Ice Cream for dessert. For lunch the following day, I had their soup which was super delicious along with one of their cocktails. I loved the aesthetics within the restaurant and the overall decor throughout. I had great servers both times I visited, as they were very attentive. The music was great as well and I loved how intimate the downstairs setting was along with the lightening. Stork was definitely one of my top food choices in London.

where do I begin. The salads are interesting. I had the Italian tuna on a bed of greens with the…read moreperfect dressing. The veal, yes I mean veal meatballs are delicious. I love the sauce it's cooked with. Of course I could not resist the homemade pasta with sardines, capers, raisins and fennel. I'm sure there some other magical ingredients throw in there. Perfect mouth symphony. The service was on it, the atmosphere was like southern Italy. Great hospitality

Honestly, I can only vouch for the snacks and one cocktail here, but they were so good, I feel it…read moredeserves a review. First off, what a beautiful dining space. You wouldn't know it by walking past on the streets of Soho outside, but the interior is worthy of the finer restaurants in the ritzier parts of the city. Reservations for dinner are recommended, but I didn't have any trouble snagging a seat during the "Afternoon Tea" hours of the day. At that time, only snacks and drinks are available- and at these prices, I'm kind of glad that they were all I could order- but with two snacks and a cocktail, you should be set for a few hours. (The items can be a bit carb-heavy, here). I started off with a thick slab of the most delicious Focaccia I've ever had with a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the Nduja Toast. The focaccia was soft, crispy, and almost juicy with all that oil, and a dash of rosemary. Simple though it may have been, I had to go back for seconds. And at only £2 per slice, I think I got a pretty good deal for that dirty, dirty carb fest. The Nduja Toast comes as two tiny pieces of think, hard bruschetta with a slathering of dates, marjoram, and a drizzle of chestnut honey. Slightly-sweet and spicy, I found it the perfect starter to whet the appetite for another piece of that focaccia. To wash this tiny meal down, I decided to splurge on their Alchemist cocktail, made with tequila, ginger, honey, fermented Mandarin tea, carob bitter, lemon, and egg whites. Tiny, a bit too much on the sweet side, but overall, not a bad drink. Given how delicious and exotic the snacks are, I think it's safe to say this restaurant is definitely worth visiting; especially if you like raw things, which is what a sizable portion of their menu is known for.

So I came to London with almost everyone I talked to saying that London had terrible food, cut and…read moredry. It was bizarre. I was determined to prove them wrong. So I fired up my algorithm, ranked every restaurant in London in a top 100 list, and started picking and choosing. My first dinner of my trip ended me up here, at Archipelago. The vibe of Archipelago from head to toe is exploring exotic cultures and cuisines, big game hunting, and adventure. It's interesting. Reminds me of Sean Connery from A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I got in, got seated at one of the very eclectic table and chair combination, and started browsing this overwhelming menu. A lot of the things on the menu, I didn't know what they were. I ordered and ate them, and I still don't know what they were. So, cards on the table, you definitely need a sense of adventure when you come here. It's exhilarating, honestly. We started off with sharing an app, the Serengeti Strut (crispy zebra "jerky", smoked onions, pickled garlic, carrot & ginger fluid gel and biltong soil). The zebra was crispy, but not quite jerky-like. Indescribable in flavor, but I liked it. It was a little smokey. A good pop from the garlic slices, and some nice earthiness from the gels. A solid app. There was also that soil on the plate that was like pork floss, if you've ever had that. Bizarre texture, but definitely added to the adventurousness. For my main, I ordered the Hot Marsupial (zhug marinated kangaroo skewers, candy beetroot & guindilla salad and red onion farofa). I also ordered two sides, because I'm a hungry guy, the Thai rice (sticky coconut milk rice) and a potato salad I can no longer find on the menu. This is the second time I've had kangaroo, and it's official, I love kangaroo. It's so soft, like a filet, but it also has some good flavoring in it, almost like a tamer wild boar. So, so good. The salad was pretty meh, but it was pretty. And the sides were needed. The rice had a nice sweetness and I just love carbs. Solid main. I also got to try the Oudtshoom Patram (ostrich tenderloin steak, peppercorn sphere, twice baked blue potato with cheese & bacon, Asian Caesar salad). This was excellent. My first time having ostrich, and it was amazing. It was a little spicy, almost like pepperoni or salami, but much deeper. Don't know how to describe it, because it's it's own thing. It was the best thing I ate this night, though, so if you're coming here, you have to have this. I mean it. I also had a nice dessert that I can't find online, but it was a curry spiced ice cream with a dark chocolate cake. And man, it was very good. Never through of curry and ice cream together, but know I do. Lovely lovely. Overall, this was a wild ride. I have no complaints, and you should come here if you wanna get a little wild.

Great food and atmosphere! Has the kangaroo, zebra and worm. All were absolutely fabulous and…read moretotally recommend it!

Ate here twice while in London. Got the Nordic burger the first time as the lady taking orders…read moresuggested it. It was absolutely amazing actually, and I think the bun might have been the best part, and that's taking nothing away from the rest of it. Came back the next day and ordered the elk burger and it was one huge gooey, delicious mess of a burger with sauce all over. Just amazingly great!