This year for my birthday, I treated myself to an extended stay in Lagos, past the typical departure period of the average 'IJGB' that spends time in Nigeria's capital for the holidays (appaz, if you're not from Lagos you can't call yourself an IJGB, but for all intents and purposes, here we are). Anyway, I stayed in Lagos, Nigeria till around February 8th , essentially meaning that I spent all of January and first week of February in one of my favorite cities, and got to slowly try many great food spots along the way (thanks to the exchange rate that was very much in my favor up until a few days before my departure, my pockets did not feel it as much even as the price points of the restaurants visited have risen).
I really enjoy slow travel and take every opportunity to do so when I can.
Doing so for Lagos via my extended stay was a no-brainer (read: there was actually alot of internal back and forth regarding this decision, but I'm glad I decided to stay in the end - typing this as 3-4 inches of snow has fallen in Chicago, IL).
How was my experience? Words truly cannot express how much I enjoyed myself. Waking up most mornings to run with my friend Veno and her dog at Eko Atlantic Boardwalk, having slow mornings (due to the time difference, I worked in the evenings), the weather, the interesting environment, and of course, the food.
Which is why we are here.
I wanted to take time to share the restaurants, eateries, food delivery orders that I tried while in Lagos that deserve mention due to the quality - especially those where the meal and/or dining experience matched the price point (or even at times where I felt as if I underpaid). This discussion is worth having because in Lagos, there are equally as much terrible low quality, low experience restaurants as there is high quality, high experience. A few conversations and reading online reviews would allow you sift accordingly, which is what I did. Here are the top food experiences I had while in Lagos, in no particular order and not limited to a specific dining type:
Stories Lagos (Lekki)
Their drinks are amazing. Probably one of the best drinks I had in Lagos. I had to message my friend that recommended the spot to me that I was having a great time, because literally that's how I felt in the moment. I had wings and fries, and that was also good but the kicker, literally, was their very tasty slow burn drink, the Zombie.
Grey Matter Social Space (Victoria Island)
I kid you not when I say that I planned a second visit simply to get the same meal I ordered the first time I visited, because it was that good. A big kudos to the chef. Grey Matter offers a (what I would consider) Michelin rated food menu at a quarter of the price. The meal I had to circle back for was the Suya Prawns and battered fries (p.s. don't get the plantain fritters - it is not as edible as the creatives that came up with the dish would think). The jumbo prawns came in a very healthy serving size - tbh they were quite generous with the size of the prawns, I felt like I underpaid. & Their drinks? having a standard tasting pina colada (or two) was not a bad way to top off my experience.
Slow
Anyone that knows me knows that this is my go-to spot. My baby. I have an affinity for Slow because if you're looking for a standard meal, at standard price, without the frills and thrills (annoying service, crowd, etc), SLow is your spot. Plus they have a great menu, tempting you to get all parts of a course lunch or dinner. I did this with a friend, and it was the best money I've ever spent on a three-course dinner. Try the Cocoslow (it's even nonalcoholic!), you will thank me later.
Ofe Uto
Given my diet, I primarily stayed away from swallows/heavy foods this Christmas/my extended stay, but since I heard so much about Ofe Uto, I had to try it. I am a novice to the eastern soups/dishes so I was a bit lost with the menu, but thanks to Google, I ended up with the Ofe Owerri and eba. I told myself I'll just have a few bites once my food arrived but ended up almost finishing the dish. It was that good. I had to force myself to take the rest home to avoid overfeeding. pro tip: order to-go, because the dining experience was not that great.
Bature Brewery
Great spot for after work drinks and a great vibe. Their grilled fish is lovely. Not too spicy. I don't have much to say about their drinks though, but dining experience is great if you are the outdoor lounge and vibe type.
Salmas
Their hummus is mad. Also a great outdoor lounge and vibe dining experience, as they are located by a body of water. Good luck getting a seating by the water during peak hours, though, as they are always reserved.
Their Salma Colada is great.
Indomie Cafe
One of my favorite fast-food spots in Lagos. I love their variety of Indo-Mie. I put my friend on to it, and she really enjoyed her meal and was happy for the recommendation.
Definitely try the Prawn-Mie.
Can I stop here and say that the amount of seafood options readily available for consumption in Lagos (goes without saying) is every pescatarian's dream
Gourmet Twist
Their banana bread lured me in, but their jollof rice and turkey meal pack kept me a loyal patron. Another "fast food?" spot (I put the question there because there are a lot of restaurants that kind of fall in between - meaning they are not low quality enough to be considered fast food but are also not on the fine dining level. I actually love these kinds of restaurants in Lagos - I believe they are called pick and go canteens (Black Bell, Foodies, My Food by Hilda), where they offer an assortment of Nigerian dishes at market price. Gourmet Twist is great addition to these (although I think their menu is not as expansive). Their meal packs are time friendly, affordable, and delicious.
Papa's Grill
small chops heaven. I need the puff-puff recipe.
500 Chow
I ordered from here 3 times a week for their akara and pap. They made the best in the city, and that's from me trying two to three other vendors.
I love akara and pap, so thank you, 500 Chow.
Fresh County
I primarily patronize them for their juices. They had great juices.
Brisk Lagos
Enjoyable dining experience. I have them on my list primarily for their bread and butter.
Altogether, the Lagos food scene is quite the experience. It always gives not here for a long time, but a good time, so hopefully by the time you decide to try a few options from the list, the spot is still thriving and hasn't decreased in value, cut their quality, or is not altogether shut down.
Funmi Oke
