I had the most incredible dining experience at Ikoyi Restaurant, making it the best meal I've had this year. From start to finish, everything about this restaurant was exceptional.
The ambiance was enchanting, with a perfect blend of contemporary elegance and a touch of African flair. It set the stage for an unforgettable evening.
The menu was a culinary masterpiece, offering a unique fusion of West African and European flavors. Every dish was a work of art, both visually and in terms of taste. The flavors were bold, innovative, and utterly delicious. The use of rare ingredients and spices showcased the chef's remarkable talent and creativity.
The service was impeccable, with a knowledgeable and attentive staff that enhanced the overall experience. They were more than happy to explain each dish and even made personalized recommendations based on our preferences.
Overall, Ikoyi Restaurant provided a culinary journey like no other. It's an experience that I'll cherish, and I can confidently say it's the best meal I've enjoyed this year. If you're looking for an unforgettable dining experience that pushes the boundaries of flavor, Ikoyi is a must-visit.
Really special food, even though plates look small we were so full at the end!!
Every dish was well thought off in every small detail, and all dishes were delicious!! Some plates are spicy, but overall super special food and experience!!
The staff were also great! They made sure we enjoyed every meal and were super kind.
i made the reservations with no expectations, but the west african influenced cuisine and lovely tea pairing blew me away. service was impeccable - they had the right balance of professional & friendly. we had a lunch tasting menu that was paced well. i think the non-meat dishes definitely shined more than the meat dishes, which was really surprising in a good way.
the restaurant also emailed me shortly after i made my reservation to confirm & ask about dietary restrictions, which was appreciated.
would love to be back someday!
A really amazing tasting menu and wonderful service - fusion fine dining - West African, Japanese and modern European - a globe-trotting holiday for your tastebuds without leaving London.
Gola Pepper Broth
Smoked Sirloin & Shishito Pepper
Pink Daikon, Smoked Potato & Vadouvan
Drunken Chicken Toast
Mussel & Saffron Crème Caramel - topped with caviar, mackerel and pumpkin - another standout dish
Pigeon Suya - this was amazing - delicious scotch bonnet spicing on the pigeon breast and a lovely crispy sweetbread on the side
Moin Moin & Pine Nut - this also had octopus and pork belly
Turbot & Egusi Miso - the aged turbot was meaty and delicious
Native Breed Rib, Roasted Cep & Sauerkraut (no photo)
Smoked Jollof Rice (no photo) - this was one of the standout dishes and something I was fascinated to try and it didn't disappoint
Green Yuzu & Rye Amazake (no photo)
Black-Eyed Pea & Caramelised White Chocolate - with Austrian honey truffle and caviar - a funky sweet/savoury pudding - with earthy flavour working really well together
Black Fig Tatin (no photo)
Verbena Berry & Wasabi (no photo)
Very cool, chic fine-dining restaurant with a very interesting tasting menu. Fine dining West African makes for an unusual and interesting eating experience. The service is impeccable and some of the wines are stunning.
Very simple, paired back, elegant design.
A good place to go to impress, of you have the budget.
May 2023 lunch tasting menu:
I think there is a big difference between lunch and dinner tasting menu (base on pictures I saw on social media). If you have had lots of fine dining, go with the dinner menu.
Starting with my disappointment:
My biggest letdown and I’m still thinking about till today is, the signature plantain dish was taken off the menu. I understand restaurants and Chef like Jeremy probably don’t like to be defined by one or two dishes and continue to innovate, however, as a visitor, the first thought about ikoyi’s menu is the plantain dish if you are not in the industry. If possible, would love to see it as an option or add-on. (Ps: the plantain ice cream with caviar is definitely a hit. One of the best veggie/savory inspired ice cream I had in London.)
Everything else:
I would say this is probably one of those super innovative restaurants in Europe. Even Jeremy was not in for lunch, the execution was flawless. I’ve learned couple cool interesting techniques and ingredients that I’ve never seen before at other Michelin restaurants. I’m still thinking about the squid ragu and the plantain ice cream!
Overall, it deserves the recognition, and I will definitely come back again for the dinner menu.
Food was very good and creative. Loved being able to watch the brilliant chefs at work from our table. Loved all the fish courses and jollof rice!
Thank you Ikoyi for an outstanding dining experience. We were very pleased from the start of the course all the way until the end. They were exceptional and the flavours were exhilarating. I am a chef myself and I can see how every dish was thoughtfully executed. The star of the night for me was the Black eyed pea ice cream and caramelised white chocolate with caviar. Worth every penny and the effort to travel from the other part of the world to this restaurant.
Beautifully designed and comfortable space with tables enjoying views of the prep area. Discrete and attentive service. Exceptionally good marrying of unique flavors around a West African bent. Delightful. Recommend the wine pairing too.
An absolutely amazing meal! Had the tasting menu and every dish was pure deliciousness and left you thinking about what flavours you were tasting. The stars for me were the octopus and sweet bread - flavours and textures in each of this dish were unlike anything I’ve had before! I could not recommend this place more!!
I had to book IKOYI one month in advance, the booking system is tight due to the high level of requests but easy to catch a spot. We preferred the lunch (which is available only on a few weekdays) because the dinner is too expensive. The brand-new location is amazingly designed with the bronze walls and the furniture tone but there is a bit of disappointment in some details that spoil the nature of the place compared to online pics, for example, the metal ceiling mesh raped by a smoke detector and fire sprinkler. I know, it's mandatory, but I’d use a different solution to keep shapes clean. The open view of the kitchen is very nice and entertaining, so if you can ask for a table overlooking it. The welcome from the staff was nice but maybe slightly cold and ritual, we'd prefer a bit more friendly.
The lunch tasting menu (9 courses) was not on display, but they asked anyway for allergies or intolerances and the wine list is well selected. The first course was a warm broth of caramelized chicken wings with citrus and it was tasting nice with a very interesting fat touch. The second entre’ course was a small but very tasty tart with beef reduction with delicate caviar on top. Afterward, we moved on to the “real” course: the first one was an octopus tentacle with potatoes, beans, and seaweed. The general taste of the dish was very nice and delicate, with the crunchy octopus well-cooked and the potato which was a very cool surprise. The next one was Jeremy Chan's signature dish: the plantain with roasted peanut, maybe the funniest and most surprising dish on the menu for taste and texture. The next dish was a sea scallop with tarragon, coffee reduction, and gelatine that was looking like pink salt grains. The coffee reduction and the gelatine seemed a bit forced into the dish but the spicy tarragon was a perfect match with the sea scallop. Next one: the turbot…please bring me back there to eat it again! The flavor and texture of the flesh were insane, the smoked pumpkin cream was emotional, and the pumpkin foam had a very cool intuition to complete that masterpiece. The beef with Morchella mushroom course was probably in second place after the turbot, probably even above for the initial taste. What I didn’t understand about this course was matching with the smoked pilaf rice and lobster cream on top, which was tasting good but maybe so spicy to cover the delicate taste of the beef. After the lovely beef course, the direct dive into the dessert was a bit shocking, we would rather prefer an intermediate course to calm down your palate before the sweet. The Suya ganache dessert was amazing though, with the crunchiness of the disk breaking on top creating a perfect match with the softness and the rest. We enjoyed also the final three treats before the ending as a nice surprise of taste. We had 1 glass of champagne Val Frison Goustan Blanc for the first part of the menu and a Barbera Rossore Iuli when we switched to the beef.
For me and my lunch partner, it was an amazing and surprising experience that I would kindly suggest doing once in a lifetime, even if the bill is busting your bank account (something fully comprehensive around 200£ per person would be perfect!). I have to say that the spicy touch generally tends to drift sometimes, but you can feel the great research and development behind the dishes and the restaurant staff is very well-prepared. I hope to be so rich one day to get back there for the dinner menu (300£ per person!!!!).
On my personal podium of London Michelin-starred restaurants. Finally something exciting! Completely different from the usual, boring white-fish-with-foam stuff most fine-dining places offer. Ikoyi has character, a surprising menu, great decor and truly lovely, smart staff. The spring tasting menu, the sweetbread was incredible as well as the rice. Absolutely recommend.
It's definitely an experience that you have to try once !
It's something different a d completely new,far from every other restaurant I've tried (Michelin stars and not ).
The place is austere ..but the atmosphere is warm and welcoming.
Staff and service excellent!!!!
Food is from another country ..an unknown one !!!it's complex, spicy, bitter and soft... there's definitely love for food.
Well done
I agree with a few of the other reviewers that it is the service that stands out the most. We had the lunch tasting menu. I would say it was good but not anything amazing. The marinated melon was to me a bit pointless... The cocktails were just about average, the wine list was better. The service, I had to say, was spot on. Friendly yet professional. I love the interiors, so cosy and not imposing. A lovely, chilled lunch spot, albeit slightly overpriced for what they offer.
Food at Ikoyi is a treat to taste buds. What an amazing combination of carefully chosen spices and fresh seasonal British meats and vegetables.
Tasting menu is always a surprise as you don’t get to see it till the end of the meal. This is perfect as each course is then a mystery. Smoked jollof rice and caramelised plantain are marvellous creations.
Staff is friendly, attentive and courteous. We have had a great time every time we have visited.
Highly recommended!
One of the top London restaurants, but that you can tell from the recent promotion to two Michelin stars already. Here is what I can add:
Came for a solo dinner on a weekday night. The dining room is rather small and feels a bit stale, which I found surprising. The service was sort of minimalistic, friendly and professional but rather contributing to an indiscriminate atmosphere.
But then the food started. The first barrage of amuse bouche, including some nibbles of octopus and lobster, already pointed into world class territory. What followed was a superb menu clearly showcasing a kitchen that is at its heights. Trailblazing cuisine, very distinct while at the same time approachable. The level of product quality here easily justifies the 185 pound menu price, some of the stuff was world class. Such as a dish of scallop with a luscious dollop of top of the line N25 caviar. But then again it is the dishes like the Jollof Rice or the plantain that will stay in memory forever. This is food of almost emotional quality and indeed some of the best I had in 2022.
My only true point of critique would be the wine list. It's kind of erratic and seriously overpriced. Most bottles that tickled my fancy came with ludicrous markups somewhere north of a factor of four over retail price. It almost feels like they dont want you to drink wine by the bottle. That worked on me at least and I went with some good cocktails and one (sic!) glass of arguably nice wine. Next time, BYO!
I’ve never had any west African food before, so really didn’t know what to expect with Ikoyi. The dinner tasting menu was definitely unique and delicious. A lot of surprising combinations and the food always seem to have a bit of a heat of spice which I appreciate . My favorite is definitely the Jollof rice with beef, and the fish with the brioche.
The service was also excellent. I do think the price is a bit high considering some of the dishes are just cabbage and plantain ( they both taste excellent though)
Will definitely recommend this to my adventurous foodie friends
I was looking forward to this meal for quite sometime and the unique African fusion fair did not disappoint.
For the £75 lunch set, a menu was not given but I loved the surprises. The standout was the scallop with chilli and pepper oil. HUGE piece of meat cooked perfectly with a nice heat on top. Not spicy for the London palate. The meat and smoked rice were unique and got spicier with more rice consumed.
The rest were good. Not michelin-mindblowing. The cocktails were tasty and light. The beer / IPA was average and overpriced.
Overall a decent meal in a fancy location. Lunch was a little more worth the money.
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