Southwark, West African Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: African cuisine has come a long way in London since Calabash – the capital’s first African restaurant in the basement of the former Africa Centre in Covent Garden – opened in 1964. On the site of the new Africa Centre, in a repurposed Southwark office block, this Summer 2022 50-seater is run by Ghanaian-British restaurateur Akwasi Brenya-Mensa. Named after a form of plantain pancake, it aims to reflect the spirit of busy African roadside ‘chop bars’. On the menu: omo tuo nkatenkwan sesame (mashed rice with groundnut, peanut soup); and buttermilk chicken burger topped with shito chilli, citrus yogurt and basil oil.

“If you like Akoko you will like Akara” – Aji Akokomi’s more casual (and much more affordable!) new spin-off to his increasingly famous Fitzrovia HQ occupies a shiny new unit in Borough Yards and opened in October 2023. Like the mothership, it‘s dedicated to putting a “refined” spin on West African culinary traditions. “The akara dumplings [for which it’s named] are a must” and contribute to a menu of dishes which “whilst carrying some West African spice still remain delicate”, (although some of the accompanying sauces are pretty fiery). The tasteful, upbeat interior is “open and airy with good table spacing, and service is very attentive”.