Ikoyi Restaurant St. James's London Yelp Reviews - Ikoyi Restaurant St. James's London - Buy Reservations
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13 Reviews
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This is a tough one.
As I am now living in Los Angeles since 1997, I have been eating West African and Ethiopian food for years. These cuisines are everywhere here. And they are delicious, and ancient, and complex. But they are also the food of the poor and cheap as hell. No matter how good the chef is at Ikoyi in London, or how "locally foraged" the leaves and twigs are that you use - the food you serve is still just simple Rice and Beans and a starving Chicken. What I see in this video are great authentic Nigerian dishes like Jolof Rice and Pounded Yam that are traditionally served as hearty portions in a plastic bowl at a curbside food stand on a noisy street, but now served here at Ikoyi as a dollop on a plate and then covered in caviar or truffle shavings just to make it seem high end. But it's still just beans and rice. It's still just yam starch paste shaped in a ball. If you walked up to a food stand on a busy street in Lagos and threw a handful of truffle-shavings on top of some local working-mans lunch-bowl of Jolof Rice & bean-paste-Moin-Moin, and then tried to charge him extra for it, he would either laugh or he'd kick the crap out of you. This stuff is street-food, it's family food, it's sacred traditional survival food that is delicious as it is - and no amount of Sevruga Caviar or Gold-Flake sprinkles is going to improve on that. It's just sad that those wealthy Brits need the permission of a Michelin Star before allowing themselves to try this cuisine. I've been to Africa many times, and believe me, the traffic sounds and the plastic bowl doesn't take an iota of the original flavor away.
Be the first to ReplyGreat first stop in London recent bday trip.
Walking distance to Tralfagar Sq. Small intimate space. We loved most of what we had. Very distinct flavor palettes ..West Indies w a British mix. It gave us spice trade vibes lol. I was not expecting this at all. I will say some were liked and understood better than others. Enhanced our experience and Minds were opened. Thats the whole point right?
Be the first to ReplyContinuing my conquest of London, I wanted to explore great
Continuing my conquest of London, I wanted to explore great food that was well-rewarded, and not just the same old boring fancy food that you find everywhere. So I found Ikoyi, a Two Michelin Starred joint that specialized is sub-Saharan, West African food. Um, easiest decision ever. The restaurant I went to was very small and intimate. Room for maybe a dozen parties, so it was very nice, and you felt very well taken care of. They have since moved to a new location, since my time, so I'm not sure what it looks like now, but it has to be an improvement. Anywho, so you get a tasting menu. That's your only option, which I love. Just tell me what to eat, and I'll eat it. I couldn't find a menu online, so I don't have any accurate description of what I ate, but I can give you high points and low points. But, there were no low points. The first course was three small plates, and you're already deep in the thick of things. A black rice encrusted, fried octopus tentacle was Amazing. Not chewy, crispy from the crust, served with a nice sauce. A couple other small bites take with it, not sure what they were, but one of them was definitely slathered in caviar, a nice treat. This was also one of the two or three places in London that served me sweetbread. If you don't know what that is, go look it up, be surprised, and then take my word for it that it is delicious. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. You can tell that this is a true delicacy. Their mascot is obviously a fried plantain that is coated in a blueberry salt. That big red smear looking thing you see in all the pictures, that's it. It's a nice plantain that's cooked all the way through, and coated in a coating that would be way overpowering on it's own, but it's served with a side of some yellow sauce, I forgot was it was, but I know it was necessary and created a very nice balance. Scrolling through my pictures. There was a very nice fish, an squid omelet with some truffle, an amazing rice dish with some sort of deep, earthy sauce. Gosh, it was all just so good.We finished up with three dessert courses. A matcha ice cream with some black garlic sauce. Black garlic does Amazing things to ice cream, and I recommend you play around with it. The very last plate was a trio of single bites that were fun. There was a jelly; a burnt once that was bitter on the outside and sweet on the inside. Overall, this place definitely earned its two stars. It was quite a ride. It was a lot of food. A lot of things I haven't ever eaten before. Yes. Just yes. Come here.
Be the first to ReplyIkoyi offers an absolutely spectacular pre-theater tasting
Ikoyi offers an absolutely spectacular pre-theater tasting menu. I was blown away by how fresh and flavorful all of the dishes were. Definitely want to come back and try to full 7-course tasting menu.
Be the first to ReplyBeautiful meal from start to finish.
Note this meal was from pre-pandemic times and in person dining at the restaurant. It was delicious enough for me to remember it 11 months later. Simply beautiful.We got the multiple course menu and wine pairing. Each dish was like an adventure with a palette of flavors unexpected from each. The fried chicken was standout, as was the spicy plantain starter. The food's appearance was architectural in nature. I especially appreciated the plate / bowl pairings which visually accompanied each dish. One thing I appreciated was this seems like a place where single diners thrive; multiple individuals plopped down solo, savoring each dish and the service.Post pandemic I hope to be able to travel back to Ikoyi to revisit one of my most memorable meals.
Be the first to ReplyAbsolutely wonderful.
One of the best meals I've had in a year's span.Ikoyi represents a new evolution in the restaurant space. What you'll find here is all the elements of quality, service, and atmosphere seamlessly met as if it's an obvious accomplishment. They do all of this in a refined yet casual approach, making it seem so easy. Where they make their mark is by being bold, creative, and interpreting things in ways that surprise - especially when it comes to re-imagining spice. Their modern and sophisticated approach daringly plants a flag that shows that 'ethnic' cuisine doesn't have to be cheap and made with the loving hand of an old aunt, but rather it can be elevated, refined, and has an equal footing amongst the best. As someone familiar with African cuisine, there were many moments of surprise and delight for me, and the meal marked an indelible place in my mind's 'creative food bank'. The food was deep and it had moving moments.
Be the first to ReplyBeautifully deconstructed and reimaginings of West African
Beautifully deconstructed and reimaginings of West African dishes cooked to perfection. You can taste the the preparation, the attention to detail in every plate served. I appreciated the creativity and risks they took pushing spices to the limit without completely overwhelming the natural flavor of the high quality ingredients. Excellent service, clean tasteful interior, extra comfy seating. Best meal I had in London, not really close.
Be the first to ReplyReally off the charts - they managed to make a five star
Really off the charts - they managed to make a five star eating experience with flavors and styles that you would not expect. On some level, you cannot compare them with any other five star restaurant because its almost apples to oranges. Ikoyi is really operating in its own sphere - make the effort to get here, really cannot over emphasize how much its worth the while.
Be the first to ReplyWe had hibachi.
... The food was very salty, puts the cook didn't clean the spatula after scrapping off the burned food from the grills and moving it into the pit. Using the dirty spatula, he to continue cooking... the waiting staff was great and tried to help with the issues but, I will never go back again.
Be the first to ReplyThis was my first time eating African food & I loved it! I
This was my first time eating African food & I loved it! I got the 7-course tasting menu, which they change up frequently, & was so impressed with each dish & the concept! They were all unique, yummy, & I would love to try African food again - skillfully cooked, beautifully presented! Wonderful service too!Courses:Plantain with Raspberry Salt & Smoked Scotch BonnetI feel like the restaurant is known for this dish - very strong way to start off our meal, but definitely a highlight!Cassava & Corn GazpachoThis was a refreshing dish after the first one. It was much lighter - the cassava was crisp and the corn gazpacho went down smoothly (loved this btw)Galician Octopus & Coffee ShitoI don't eat that much octopus, but this one was just so delicious. It's chewy, nicely cooked, and the sauce paired really well. Pink Fir Potatoes with Groundnut & BerriesI remember really enjoying the sauce of this dish, and the potatoes were super soft!Aged Beef with Ndole & AubergineProbably my favorite dish of the night - unbelievably flavorful & cooked perfectly!Smoked Jollof Rice & CrabOf course we need some carbs to end the night! Mixed it up and found it well-seasoned & smelled oh so good. Peach, Buttermilk & White ChocolateThis dessert was a bit too sweet for me, but still a good way to end the night!Drinks: Both a little strong, but still very refreshing! Ogbono Bush Mango GimletGuava & Apricot
Be the first to ReplyWow. If you are anywhere near London you will truly be
Wow. If you are anywhere near London you will truly be missing out on a culinary experience if you do not visit Ikoyi. I was sooo impressed by this place it deserves all the recognition and accolades it gets. The flavors were unlike anything else I've tasted, very bold but pleasant. My favorite off of the blind tasting menu (4 course) had to be the plantains. They were so perfect! I want to go back already. The smoked jollof Rice was also a delight. The unveiling of the rice with smokey aromas is a nice touch as well. The staff was very friendly as well. I went for a late lunch with my boyfriend and we were seated right away. The restaurant wasn't too busy and the 4-course tasting menu (+dessert) was perfectly sized. Next time I am in London I will be back!
Be the first to ReplyThis was one of the best meals I've ever had.
Not only because the food was great, but the experience was really unique. As far as I know it's the only African restaurant in the world with a Michelin Star. I tasted things I've never tasted before. I saw things I've never seen before. The aromas were amazing and all off the dishes were visually appealing. I can't say enough about Ikoyi. We had the 4 course lunch tasting menu for 35£ each. The highlights were the plantain with raspberry salt & scotch bonnet emulsion and the smoked crab jollof rice. The smell of the jollof was amazing. The cocktails were great and the dessert was very good as well. You can tell a lot of thought is put into the menu and very skilled chefs are executing the dishes. Ikoyi deserves more than 1 Michelin Star. This is a must visit restaurant for anybody who loves food. You will be hard pressed to find anybody in the world doing what they do.
Be the first to ReplyAmbience was great and the service was awesome.
I have a big problem with the fact that this place comes up as a Nigerian restaurant. I thought it was an upscale Nigerian restaurant but the food definitely was not. For £35 standing supposedly 4 course meal as advertized, I received a 3 course meal of one piece of heavily coated plantain as an appetizer, something with asparagus with a chocolate looking delicacy, and a small bowl of supposedly Jollof rice, not more than three table spoons of burnt Jollof. The meat was not well cooked like home food - the pieces still had blood on it. If you are looking for a Nigerian restaurant, please look somewhere else. The place and the food looked more like a Japanese restaurant with a fusion of wannabe west Africa flavor. The food was tasty but I went with the intention of eating a Nigerian food. Nigerians know that Ikoyi is an upscale neighborhood in Nigeria, and the fact that the restaurant comes up under a Nigerian restaurant is quite misleading. The three star was really for ambience, service, and location.
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