Why do we love African food so much? Well, it’s so diverse. In a continent so rich with different cultures, it’s no wonder that the food is so varied.
London’s African restaurants cover the continent pretty well, from homely African stews and Jollof rice to spicy tagines– London has a restaurant for every African food craving.
Ready to explore the many wonders of African cuisine?
The best African restaurants in London
Tagine
Located in the heart of Balham, Tagine cooks up London’s best Moroccan cuisine.
It might be a crime if you didn’t start your meal with hummus, Baba Ghanush and a vegetable mezze with five tasty dips.
It wouldn’t be a North African dining experience if you didn’t order a hearty, flavourful tagine with traditional chicken, duck breast and sea bass on the menu – you might find it a tough choice.
It’s not just the food that sets the Moroccan tone, Tagine’s restaurant’s Moroccan rugs and red draped curtains compliment the food well. To settle the stomach, sip on Tagine’s fresh Moroccan mint tea, or if you prefer your mint cold, mint sahara is a sweet soda topped with lemon.
Kudu
Kudu collective consists of a restaurant, a cocktail bar, a gallery and a private dining room – the signature, family-run restaurant in Peckham is a popular neighbourhood restaurant.
Kudu’s chef’s South African heritage inspires the cuisine at Kudu. Ingredients are sourced from local suppliers and the menu is a celebration of hunters and foragers– sometimes from the owner’s own garden.
Kudu’s seasonal menu aims to bring people together and share good food with small and medium plates available. Kudu’s scorched mackerel cucumber nori and braai lamb saddle with smoked tomato courgette and rosemary are sure to please your taste buds.
Azou Restaurant
Azou Restaurant takes our taste buds north, to tantalising Moroccan, Tunisian and Algerian cuisines– yum. Plates are filled with African colour, flavour and texture mixing sweet and spicy with bold and subtle flavours.
Atmospheric lighting and Moroccan drapes hang from the ceiling, Azou makes for an intimate dining experience.
Chow down on Tajine served in traditional earthenware dishes in Azou’s red-lit dining room. Slow Braised Lamb Shank with steamed couscous and vegetables really drums home Moroccan flavours, each mouthful is better than the last and you’ll be wishing for a bottomless plate.
High Timber Restaurant
Modern dining with a South African touch is what High Timber Restaurant is all about. The restaurant boasts stunning river views of the Tate Modern and The Shard from its terrace.
High Timber is the best South African Restaurant in London and behind its amazing food and wine are three things: London’s most experienced restaurateur, an award-winning wine estate, and London’s most exciting up-and-coming chef.
High Timber’s menu is pretty mind-blowing and the myriad of flavours are impressive – Lemon Sole with caper and parsley butter, jersey royals and crab mayo is a must try.
Being a South African restaurant, the wine menu obviously focuses on South African wine. But, not just any wine, some of which is from the restaurant owner’s award-winning Jordan Wine Estate– from the first drop you’ll taste exactly why it’s award-winning.
Chishuru
Aptly placed in Brixton’s Market Row, Chishuru is one of those restaurants that you’ll want to tell all of your friends about, and better yet bring them along next time. Chishuru only opened in 2020, although relatively new, you couldn’t tell. It’s like this contemporary West African restaurant has been going for years.
That’s probably because the head chef and owner has been hosting dinner parties for years before sharing her age-old recipes and techniques with Londoners.
Offering only set lunch and dinner menus, you can never get food envy. Chishuru’s three-course lunch menu has Ekoki made from fresh corn with lemon drizzled kale and flaky grilled fish as a tasty main dish, as well as other African favourites.
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