I’m such a foodie, so not being able to go out to eat for 6 months was not easy. Before the lockdown, Lagos restaurants were already notorious for being inconsistent. You could go one day and have an amazing experience, only to go a few weeks later, confused as to why you didn’t just eat the rice at home. That said, all of my experiences should definitely be taken with a grain of salt! Here’s more about my mini-tour of Lagos restaurants post-lockdown:
Arabesque
I only went to Arabesque for drinks, which we really enjoyed. They have middle-eastern food which I’m not a huge fan of, but for what it’s worth, the food smelled amazing while I was there. We went with a carafe of Cosmo Rita, which gave both of us about 3 drinks each – not a bad deal. The ambiance is lovely and the bathroom is so pretty (perfect for mirror pics!). The vibe was pretty chill for a Friday night, so I’d recommend going for pre-drinks if you’re looking for a live night.
Ile Eros
I’d been wanting to go to Ile Eros for months, and was supposed to go the week the Lagos went on lockdown, so I was super excited to try it. The food was amazingggg! We got the suya barbeque wings, danbu nama spring rolls, jollof rice, and seafood ayamase. The jollof rice has a smoky taste and has plantain in it, which was just *chef’s kiss* delicious. The ambiance is really nice and the service was solid, so I will definitely be back sooner than later.
Pizze-Riah
I went to Pizze-riah shortly before lockdown and loved it. This time was really no different. We ordered a pepperoni pizza and a chicken pizza, which were both pretty good. There was no one else in the restaurant so we got our food really quickly. I tried the suya chicken pizza when I went in February and I really loved that, so I’d recommend it too.
Cactus
Cactus was super busy when I went (Saturday afternoon) so it might be best to make a reservation. Cactus is the only place I’d been to that has dividers between each table, which I loved. Wouldn’t mind that even after COVID is gone tbh. I ordered grilled prawns, which came with vegetables and a side, so I picked fries. The food came very quickly! Overall, the experience was pretty good.
Nok by Alara
This was my first time actually having a meal at Nok, as I’ve only been for drinks. Firstly, Nok/Alara is absolutely stunning – the architecture, colors, patterns, and overall ambience are unmatched. I especially love how it’s beautiful but still very African-influenced. We had the whole tilapia with kelewele and my friend got the abula. The abula was fantastic! The fish and kelewele were pretty good too. I got the “gidi scent” which was actually really good! (Good enough to order more than one). The customer service is amazing at Nok – definitely uncommon in Lagos. My experience at Nok was honestly a 10/10 and I will definitely be back soon.
Blowfish
Honestly, my time at Blowfish really wasn’t great, which was *really* upsetting me and my homegirls. Our drinks took over 30 minutes to come (after several reminders) and when we got them, they were the wrong drinks. It took another 20 minutes to bring the right ones, but I’m pretty sure they didn’t have a drop of rum in them so we had to send it back again. The food was actually pretty good, although a bit pricey. Also, they were very busy on that Friday evening, so a reservation is pretty much required if you want to be outside or by the pool. They recently renovated and it looks really nice. I’d heard so many good things about Blowfish so I’ll most likely give them another chance.
Regarding COVID-19 precautions, Cactus was by far the best. They check your temperature and have you walk through some sanitizing station (although that wasn’t working the day I went). Arabesque, Blowfish and Nok all require you to wear a mask and have your temperature checked before entering. Pizze-Riah did none of the above.
Comment below with your favorite restaurants in Lagos post-lockdown!
