Lagos has been in sleep mode since the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it was not until a few months ago that restaurants started opening for dine-in. It is a good time of the year to check out the newest restaurants in town to experience something different with your friends and loved ones. If you are visiting Lagos for the holidays, you might want to check out these cool restaurants. This would also do you some good if you reside in Lagos, we know you have been indoors for the most part of the year.
Here are our top picks for the newest restaurants in town. Be sure to go with a mask and ensure all safety precautions are observed. You might also want to make reservations before visiting considering the holiday rush.
1. Pitstop
Who doesn’t love a themed restaurant? Pitstop is relatively new as it opened sometime last year but as COVID-19 would have it, not a lot of people knew it existed up until now.
Pitstop is a cycling inspired restaurant owned by a cyclist. It has a bike shop, hosts a spinning class and a community of cyclists. From our findings, they serve an impressive menu with amazing service.
92a Younis Bashorun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+2348077498324
2. Woks Asian Cuisine
Now, if you are on the hunt for fine dining with a rustic ambience and Asian delicacy you are at the right place. Woks is the newest restaurant by the Blowfish Group who have built quite a positive reputation for themselves in the hospitality industry in Lagos. Remember Izanagi? La Taverna? Vellvett? All part of Blowfish franchise. Why they have decided to go Asian again is what we are not quite sure about although Woks also serves Chinese and Indian cuisine. It is actually a very nice restaurant where you would find lots of young and ‘boujee’ people in Lagos. So if you do not like crowded places you may not like it here because the compound also houses another restaurant and it is close to the poolside of the hotel.
17, Oju Olobun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+2347080070262
3. Stories Lagos
You know that stuff people say about beauty and brains, well you can describe Stories exactly like that. A nice restaurant with a very beautiful ambience and impressive food. Stories is located in Lekki and has both indoor and outdoor sitting both of which are quite exquisite.
19, Da Silva Sreet, Lekki, Lagos
+2349036499010
4. Buttermilk
If you live at the end of the Island, anywhere after the second toll gate then you should start considering this restaurant as your go-to spot. Located at Atlantic Mall, Chevron Drive, Lekki. Buttermilk serves up all forms of ‘American breakfast’ all day, talk about waffles, pancakes, toast and the rest and the menu is quite affordable. Safe to say its the Lekki version of The Cafeteria especially considering the similar ambience. You really should check it out plus they’ve also got that ‘instagrammable’ vibe you would like.
Atlantic Centre, Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos
+2348032522100
5. CCX restaurant
Another relatively new restaurant, CCX opened in Lagos sometime last year and its premier branch is in Abuja, popularly known for live entertainment. We have not heard a lot of tales about them but our thought is that it serves the purpose. Good music, good food, cool people. We also hear it is owned by the good folks at Chocolate City Music so you might run into one or two stars while you are there.
273 B, Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+2348096751110
6. Live Lounge
Live Lounge literally crept on us like it has been here for a long time but its also ‘Post COVID’ new. As the name implies, LiVE! Lounge is known for live entertainment and is ‘inspired by the soul-prints of the greatest African entertainers’. Since opening, they have played host to a number of artistes including Perruzi, Basketmouth, Alternate Sound and others. So, if you want to enjoy good food served up with good live music then you really should visit. You should also look out for their live shows happening this holiday season.
15, Idejo Street, Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island
+2349021106225
7. Soul Food
Mainland folks, we’ve got you on this one. You would not believe this pretty space is tucked somewhere in Yaba. Never mind that they do not serve proper ‘Soul Food’, it is a feel-good location. The pricing is also very affordable but more focused on light food rather than proper mains which are just pasta and rice.
51, St. Finbarr’s Road, Akoka, Yaba
+2347041585082
8. Koi Lagos
Apparently, it seems Lagos is beginning to play home to more Asian restaurants. Koi was actually supposed to be opened earlier in the year before the COVID-19 lockdown after restaurants were opened for dine-in, it was top on our list to visit and quite frankly they did not disappoint. Its a fine dining restaurant serving unique traditional Japanese cuisine. They actually did put more than an effort into the space because everything speaks Japanese, except the waiters of course.
Visit Koi if you would like an Asian experience and feel like splurging a little.
1, Alhaji Babatunde Jose, Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+2349130010001
9. Café de Flore
Talk about ‘Spanking New’. As at the time of writing this article, Café de Flore just opened for the first time and we are giving you that tea already. Remember Tearoom? Café Flore is pretty much an offshoot of Tearoom, by the same owners. It is inspired by the beautiful and iconic city of Paris and it is another themed restaurant we are super excited about. There aren’t a lot of French restaurants in Lagos so this is a really great idea and absolutely love to see it. We are looking forward to visiting so we can do a proper review of the restaurant but from what we can see right now, it looks really beautiful.
12, Glover Road, Ikoyi
+234909597434
reservations@cafedefloreng.com
10. Casamia
Our first visit to Casamia was for a brand launch earlier this year and the lights up in there are just so beautiful. The restaurant opened its doors sometime in December last year but has not fully enjoyed the Lagos hospitality scene due to the pandemic. The menu is actually quite impressive and tastes really good too. Here’s a hint, remember to take a bathroom selfie on your next visit, it is so pretty in there.
865, Bishop Aboyade Cole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
+234812300800
