West African

• West African restaurant Shakara arrives in Marylebone

  

  New West African restaurant Shakara opened quietly just before Christmas, but it has some impressive names behind the scenes. In the kitchen is Victor Okunowo, previously from Talking Drum and a semifinalist of MasterChef: The Professionals. He's been helped with his initial menu by Ayo Adeyemi, formerly of Akoko, who was involved as a consultant. 

  Taking over the space that was Indian

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• Little Baobab is serving up Senegalese food at the Africa Centre

  

  Little Baobab has been serving up authentic Senegalese cuisine from its Peckham Levels hatch and other pop-ups across town (as well as quite a few music festivals) for a while. Now they're launching something different, settling in as the new long-term resident kitchen at the Africa Centre (in the space where Tatale used to be). 

  Adding something new from its regular offering,

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• Chishuru

  West African food from Adejoké Bakare in Fitzrovia.

• Akara

  Akara is a West African restaurant in Borough Yards from the people behind Akoko.

• Test Driving Akara - deep-fried delights in Borough Yards

  

  West African restaurant Akara is the follow up to Akoko and sees the team focusing in on deep-fried snacks and a not inconsiderable amount of heat. We head down to Borough Yards to check it out.  

• Akara comes to Borough Yards from the man behind Akoko

  

  9/10/23 - Updated with the opening date

  The man behind Fitzrovia's Akoko, Aji Akokomi, is getting ready to open his next West African restaurant - Akara in Borough Yards. 

  An akara is a crispy savoury fritter made from black eye bean and you'll be seeing those on the menu here, all with different fillings. They include carabinero prawns & vatapa, hand-dived scallops, ox

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• Test Driving Chishuru - Adejoké Bakare's West African restaurant shines in Fitzrovia

   

  Adejoké Bakare's Chishuru has made the move from Brixton to Fitzrovia. We head down to see what the West African restaurant is cooking up in its bigger, central London home.

• Alhaji Suya get ready to open in Brixton

  

  Brixton residents who love their suya, and those who haven't had the pleasure yet, should look out for a new West African takeaway business opening their way very soon.

  Alhaji Suya is getting ready to open their fourth London store, beside Brixton station, to add to their other locations in Peckham, Greenwich and Walworth. Their new place will be a kiosk in an alleyway linking Brixton Station Road and Atlantic

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• Adejoké Bakare is opening the new Chishuru in Fitzrovia

  

  23/8/23 - updated with the opening date

  She closed the original Brixton Chishuru back in October 2022 but now Adejoké Bakare is gearing up to launch Chishuru 2.0 in Fitzrovia (taking over what used to be an old Pho site). 

  The new space will be larger than the original (seating 50 compared across two floors to the original 32) and promises an open kitchen

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• Yard Sale and Chuku's are teaming up for a jollof-base pizza

  

  Having hit the news for securing a $10k donation from Beyoncé after she performed just up the road, Tottenham restaurant Chuku's is keeping up the heat with a new collaboration with Yard Sale Pizza. And we'll confess, we fancy this a LOT.

  The ‘Lagos Heat’ pizza, which hits Yard Sale's Tottenham and Walthamstow branches this month is topped with spicy, smoked Lamb Asun (peppered with ginger, garlic, red

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• Chishuru chef Adejoké Bakare’s pop-up is coming to Borough Market’s Globe Tavern

  

  This summer there's another enticing reason to visit Borough Market, with word of West African chef Adejoké (‘Joké’) Bakare’s forthcoming pop-up at Globe Tavern. The two-month residency, Joké & Friends, will act as something of a taster before the opening of her new Chishuru restaurant in Fitzrovia, which ...

• Isibani brings West African dining to Knightsbridge

  

  A Hot Dinners exclusive

  London's growing West African restaurant scene is getting bigger with new restaurant Isibani, heading to Knightsbridge. Set up by Anthony Douglas Chuka and Abdul Malik Abubakar, the duo are describing it as "a love letter to West African cuisine".

  Leading the restaurant's food will be head chef Victor Okunowo, previously at Talking Drum

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• Tatale to open first permanent restaurant at the Africa Centre in Southwark

  

  Updated 10/6/22 with interior pics

  He's already been popping up around London with his supper clubs, but now chef Akwasi Brenya-Mensa is getting ready to open Tatale as a permanent restaurant, housed in The Africa Centre in Southwark. 

  With a menu focused around Pan-African cuisine, Tatale takes its name from a Ghanaian dish, the plantain

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• Test Driving Akoko - William JM Chilila has a winner in Fitzrovia

  

  William JM Chilila explores West African cuisine with his new restaurant. We headed to Fitzrovia to try it.

• West African restaurant Akoko to launch in Fitzrovia with a MasterChef - The Professionals finalist in charge

  Akoko is the first project from last year’s Masterchef: The Professionals finalist William JM Chilila. He'll be opening this West-African influenced restaurant in Fitztovia