The Best African Restaurants in London

You’re never short of places to eat in Borough Market and among the many world cuisines to choose from is Akara’s West African offering that blends in some South American elements for good measure. The restaurant is a tribute to the titular black-eyed pea fritter that is popular in both West Africa and Brazil. It comes with fish, meat or vegetable fillings and is likely to be one of the highlights of your visit. It’s not all about the akaras though, as there are plenty of other well-judged dishes to choose from.

An older sibling to Akara, Akoko is undoubtedly one of the most successful African restaurants London has ever seen. Receiving One Michelin Star in 2024, it’s doing a brilliant job of fulfilling Founder Aji Akokomi's dream of bringing West African cooking to a wider audience. Cleverly combining British ingredients with familiar African dishes and flavours like jollof rice and suya, the cooking proves to be refined, original and beautifully balanced. Outstanding technique and precision are on show throughout, and everything is delivered with palpable pride.

When Adejoké Bakare’s Chishuru won its first Michelin Star in 2024, it was the cherry on top of the restaurant’s rapid rise over recent years. Propelled by the talent of self-taught Adejoké, the restaurant is a fun and welcoming place underpinned by delicious West African cuisine. The set menus offered at lunch and dinner deliver an array of well-balanced, confidently judged and easy-to-eat dishes. There’s an abundance of enthusiasm from the whole team too, making for a very happy house indeed.

Jeremy Chan has an energy that knows no bounds; he’s very much a chef who cooks with passion and intent. As time goes by, he continues to refine and develop his repertoire, seeking out the best seasonal produce the UK has to offer, then combining it with lovingly sourced West African spices. The surprise menu is a journey indeed and whilst there is notable spice and heat to the dishes, it never masks the true flavour of the main ingredient. This is cooking with both style and substance, providing creativity and satisfaction in equal measure.

Discover more on what the Michelin Inspectors think of Ikoyi.

We shift our attention now to South Africa, or rather a small slice of it in the streets of Peckham. If you’ve ever visited Africa’s southernmost country, you may already be familiar with ingredients like biltong and rooibos; if you haven’t, then this is your opportunity to get acquainted. Elements of other global cuisines are incorporated here too, but owner Patrick Williams ensures that there’s always a South African heart beneath it all. An added bonus is the concise yet quality wine list spotlighting bottles from in and around the famous Stellenbosch region.

Hot on the heels of Kudu’s success came Kudu Grill, focusing on the famous South African braai, a close cousin of the barbecue. Gathering around a wood-fired grill is a South African tradition, and you’ll certainly need a hearty appetite and a few friends when dining here if you want to sample the full range of dishes. Pork chop, monkfish and hispi cabbage are the kind of ingredients you can expect to see getting the open-flame treatment, plus the likes of prime rib as a ‘feast’ to share. On Sunday, the kitchen adopts a British accent and offers a roast dinner.

We’re off to North Africa now and the former Barbary Coast, which provides both a name and plenty of culinary inspiration for this restaurant situated in the perennially pretty Neal’s Yard. Cooking over coals or in the tandoor oven is a feature of the menu, which also incorporates Middle Eastern influences and comes in a sharing plates format. All diners sit at a zinc-topped counter and watch the chefs at work, bringing not only a touch of theatre but also an abundance of tantalising aromas to proceedings.