7 New Restaurants To Check Out Now That Outside Is Officially Open
Editor’s Note: Every quarter, we at EDL compile a list of new restaurant openings in Lagos, detailing what to expect, the menu offerings and reviews, if available. Unfortunately, the spread of COVID-19 has significantly slowed things down, with many upscale restaurants pivoting to delivery services to keep business afloat.
On the bright side, restaurants are now open and taking dine-in guests at 50% capacity per the government’s direcctives. To this effect, we’re sharing a list of new restaurants that should be on your post-corona hitlist now that outside is open again..
What to expect:
The first thing you’ll notice about Stories is the well-curated Instagram page and quirky interior design. The menu at Stories is extensive, offering meals like pasta, appetizers such as the peppered guinea fowl and a dedicated tortilla pizza section. The drinks menu is also impressive with cocktails like Soraya Baby and more.
What to expect:
This list would be incomplete without a Casa Mia mention. The launch was a big celebrity affair in Lagos, and it just might have something to do with their shisha and signature seafood salad. With a great view of the Lagos skyline, Casa Mia might just be the spot to check out for your first post-COVID-19 rocks.
What to expect:
A rough English translation of “Túraká” can be “to relax”. The restaurant is one of the food services at Mo Abudu’s recently-launched EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island.
At the open-air, rooftop bar and restaurant, you get a view of Eko Hotels, and other tall buildings in Lagos, if you’re into that sort of thing. The menu features a diverse range of dishes, from hummus to pepper soup and Ghanaian Groundnut soup. Túraká wants to be the next spot offering traditional Nigerian meals, so you should try the amala as soon as you get out of quarantine and share your experience with us.
What to expect:
Will Norma be the northern grill Lagos deserves? Looks like Sooyah Bistro finally has competition, as Norma also offers northern Nigerian-inspired meals like suya burgers, masa, chicken suya and suya wraps. There’s also a breakfast platter and rice dishes on the menu, because what’s a Nigerian menu without rice?
What to expect:
It seems there can never be too many traditional Asian restaurants in Lagos — thanks to globalization. Pondicheri is the newest spot offering authentic Indian fare in the city. Earlier this year, the restaurant hosted an Indian street food festival, and this alone earns Pondicheri a point for authenticity because only real OGs know the tea about street food.
What to expect:
Expect to see a stunning restaurant reminiscent of Accra’s Coco Lounge here. The concept here is all about sharing plates, and so you should consider going here for your post-COVID squad link up. Additionally, the drinks section also has a dedicated gin & tonic menu. The herbs are all grown on the roof, an interesting develpment in this part of the world, if you ask us. They’re currently offering delivery and takeout services for safety precautions so you can still check out their menu if you can’t wait for them for the official opening.
Ed note: Slow had not officially opened to the public at the time of the COVID-19 outbreak in Lagos. While they were open strictly on reservations basis a few weeks ago, Nosa visited and described it as a “really pretty spot with lots of natural lighting’.
7. Koi Lagos
Alhaji Babatunde Jose Road, Lagos, Nigeria
@koilagosofficial
What to expect:
It’s hard to determine if this Koi is related in anyway to the other Japanese restaurants of the same name in Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, South Africa, and the US. If this is truly a franchise restaurant, then you should quickly visit for Japanese cuisine before it the Lagos struggle catches up to it, like it has with other franchises in Lagos - we didn’t mention any names sha.
Which of the spots are looking to visit when this is all over? Share your top pick in the comments section.
Stephanie is a British-born Nigerian novelist, poet, journalist, editor, essayist, and activist who obtained her first degree in Mass Communication, majoring in broadcast journalism at Covenant University. Stephanie writes fiction and non-fiction, enjoys performing arts and exotic food, as should all people with impeccable taste. Her debut novel—Deafening Silence—is the 2019 1st runner up of the Association of Nigerian Authors Prize for Fiction.
Update: This article title was updated to reflect the current reality of restaurants reopening for dine-in services. The first version read 7 New Restaurants To Check Out When it Gets Safe To Go Outside Again