Nigerian food, done properly
Yellow Chilli in Victoria Island is still the go-to for polished Nigerian — $25 to $40 a head, get the goat pepper soup and the ofada rice. Sky Restaurant in Lekki Phase 1 is the everyday equivalent, more casual, $10 to $20. For street-level jollof and suya, roadside grills around Elegushi and Admiralty Way from 7pm onward at $4 to $8. Terra Kulture at VI does jollof with art and jazz for $15 to $25. Skip hotel Nigerian restaurants — they cook to expat expectations, not to actual flavour.
International and neighbourhood picks
Cilantro (Ikate) for pan-Asian, $20 to $30 head. Zagat for Lebanese at Cocktail Village, $25 head with mezze that beats most in the city. Nok by Alara for high-concept ($60 with drinks) in an art-gallery setting — worth it once. Craft & Draught (Ikate) for burgers and craft beer, $15. Bature Brewery (Lekki Phase 1) for pizza and pints in a garden, $12 to $18. For Indian, Cactus and Sherlaton do serviceable curries; nothing spectacular.
Coffee, brunch and the sweet stuff
Café Vergnano in Ikate for proper espresso and pastries ($5 to $10). Ile Fine and Butterflys for weekend brunches with eggs benedict done well ($12 to $18). For dessert, Hans & Rene ice cream is a Lagos institution, $4 a scoop. Hard Rock Cafe Sunday brunch is a scene more than a food destination. If you eat one thing in Lekki, make it fresh grilled fish and jollof at a roadside grill after dark — nothing at $60 beats it.
Bon à savoir
Is street food safe?+
Yes at busy stalls where turnover is high — suya, jollof, akara, puff-puff. Avoid pre-cut fruit and salads at street level. Bottled water only. A course of prophylactic probiotics for the trip isn’t a bad idea if your stomach is delicate.
Where do locals actually eat?+
Mama Put buka stalls at lunchtime (find one with a queue of office workers), Bature Brewery Sundays, Craft&Draught midweek, and any of the suya joints on Admiralty and around Elegushi late night. Not the hotel restaurants.