African Kitchen Gallery

Highly recommended. The extremely friendly owner served us even though he was supposed to be closed. Excellent food, and the home made ginger beer is stupendous.
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Paul Sullivan
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, April 08, 2011

Four of us went for a meal here last night and it was simply wonderful. The guy that served us was really lovely and was very knowledgeable about what he was serving and made recommendations for those of us who'd never tried this cuisine before. Its a small place, not flash at all but down to earth and friendly. So if you want somewhere that makes you feel welcome and gives you great honest food at a great price then this is the place for you.
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9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Thursday, March 24, 2011

Such a quirky little place with fantastic African artefacts on the walls, which you can buy. We were warmly greeted and seated and the owner was a very nice guy. The food was absolutly fantastic and reminded me very much of my trips to Ghana. It was promptly served and of very good standard. The atmosphere was very nice and relaxed. Would highly recommend if you are looking for a genuine west african meal or if you want a taste of africa! Excellent, would go back over and over again!
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, October 31, 2010

African kitchen Gallery is one of my favourite restaurant.It is a tiny venue and from my understanding it sets out to create cuisines out of our stable food.

I realise that many may not get what this entails as all they expect is what they are accustomed to. I have travelled a bit and seen such progressive dynamic places in the states

The essence of eating out is a liesurable experience and one should not expect to find everyday stable food at a restaurant. Food is dynamic and that is what I observe with african kitchen gallery..Food, music, fashion , lifestyle are art form and are all dynamic and from my understanding that is what this restaurant is all about.

The fact that food is heated in our presence is neither here nor there as almost all restaurant use microwave in their kitchen.

The olfactory organ decides for one if the food is tasty or not..I have sampled most of what is on their menu and I have yet to find any of their cuisine not palatable or tasty.

The service is great and the artifacts actually adds to it's character.I am a .Nigerian and I am proud of what african kitchen have created with our food..taking it from basic state to a higher plane.

I have taken collegues from America there on so many occassions and they still talk of their great experience at the kitchen

.

I will recommend it anyday to anyone of my friends..
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M,SOETAN
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, October 03, 2010

A true gem of a place! I ate here recently with a friend as we were looking for somewhere small and quiet to have a meal and informal chat. We were blown away by the ambience and the wonderful african themed decor. The food was excellent too. We opted for Jerk chicken and it was perfect. Akin and Antonio were perfect hosts and catered to our every need. I would recommend this place highly for everyone who is just looking for a quiet place to eat away from the busy places in town. I will definitely be visiting here again. Very well done guys and keep up the great work. Thanks. Kevin.
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Kevin Beckford - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, October 02, 2010

My husband and I visited the restaurant tonight and were that impressed we had to write trhis review when we returned to our hotel. I had the Jerk chicken with rice and peas which I have to say is the best I have eaten in a long time. My husband ate the Egusi with Jollof rice which he thoroughly enjoyed. The most enjoyable part of this experience was the wonderful host Antonio, who is a lovely man and made us feel very welcome. If you want to eat lovely food in in intimate surroundings then I strongly recommed that you visit the African kitchen.
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Lindsay Oziabor
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, September 27, 2010

Avoid eating at this place!

I was fooled into thinking the place would be wonderful after reading such good reviews, even on timeout. I went with my family thinking they would be serving 'proper' African food. There's nothing African about this place except for the masks and ornaments.

The food was not fresh. Everything was brought from packages of pre-cooked food and microwaved. We ordered a platter of yam and plantain balls which was 'okay' and 2 servings of coconut chicken with rice and the tilapia to share. God knows how long ago the dishes were cooked, because they tasted old and bland. We were so disappointed and dissatisfied with the food, we went somewhere else to eat.

Sure the decorations give the place a nice feel, but I don't care about that. I care about what I'm putting in my body! The owner would be better off marketing this place as a small African inspired touristy cafe to have a few drinks, NOT an African restaurant!

Anyone wanting to get a real taste of West Africa would be better off heading to Mama Calabar in Wembley.
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1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Sunday, September 26, 2010

This is a very small and very cute restaurant to have a great time with close friends, offering a very intimate atmosphere with about 5 tables and being completely unpretentious.

The host is very knowledgeable and gives good tips what to eat - Savannah Chicken is becoming one of my favorites already! All the food has been very tasty and displayed a lot of flavour. Overall a great meal, excellent value for money and a pleasant atmosphere.

I have to warn however that this restaurant is not necessarily good for first dates, business dinners etc. - it can be better described as an extended take away with a fridge filled with juice and beer next to one and the "kitchen" directly in the same room. Mind that most of the food is ready made and will just be heated up.

Therefore a strong recommendation and the excellent score based on quality of food, friendliness of the host and value for money - all outstanding.

A nice touch: The "Gallery" in the name hints to all the African masks, sticks etc. which are on display in the whole room and can be bought for reasonable prices.
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Christoph - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Sunday, December 27, 2009

I visited the African Kitchen Gallery with my boyfriend on Monday 12th December. This is my review.

This restaurant is a true hidden gem. With just a few tables and one other couple dining, we were made to feel immediatley welcome. What I found wonderful about this intimate little place, was the hospitality and genuine care and consideration shown by our waiter, who was also the owner and cook for the evening, Antonio. The atmosphere was so relaxed and welcoming, it was almost as if we'd been invited into Antonio's own home. And the food instantly matched the atmosphere. Homely and comforting - and extremely tasty!

After taking our coats, bringing our menus and serving the smooth and sweet Nigerian beer we had ordered, it was then time for our food order to be taken. As an African food virgin, I asked Antonio to bring us his own recommendations and after discussing the types of food we usually enjoyed, he recommended the fish and lamb dishes. The food was brought to the table promtly in serving dishes accompanied by rice and beans, in order that we could share the food between us. Antonio kindly removed the bones from the fish for us, before wishing us an enjoyable meal... and boy was it enjoyable! The rice and beans were a lovely accompaniment with aromatic flavours and sprinkled with cinnamon, they were sweet, but not overpowering. The fish was cooked to perfection, soft and light and full of flavour - just be weary of the extra bones. The sauce and the beans worked extremely well with the dish, powerful in taste yet not too rich or heavy on the stomach. And last, but certainly not least, the lamb. Oh the lamb! Cooked in a delicious savoury-sweet sauce with soft red and green peppers, the meat fell from the bone and melted in my mouth and I couldn't help but groan with delight! It was truly scrumptious and I would have eaten a bucket load of this dish if my body would allow it!

Once we had eaten every scrap of the main courses, we then ordered a dessert - but only one as we were already pretty full! We chose the banana flan and Antonio brought us two spoons, so we could share it. The taste was quite unusual. It had an almost smoky flavour, which hit me straight away, with the lovely banana flavour coming through and was served with a deliciously sweet treacle sauce.

Throughout the meal Antonio made sure we were happy and enjoying ourselves. When we had finished and asked for the bill, he brought us some wonderful mango and coconut balls, with cinnamon to roll them in if we so desired. I thought this was a really nice touch and finished off the whole culinary experience very well.

I would definitely say this was one of the nicest meals I've eaten in a long time and with a total bill of only £33, you couldn't possibly ask for more. An incredible place, with delectable food and impeccable service. 10/10
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Catherine Bebbington
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

I ate here on two separate occasions a few months ago when I was on a weekend vacation. Both times, the meals were fantastic and the staff were truly exceptional. The second time I ate here, I was the only person in the restaurant, and one of the owners sat chatting with me for hours and gave me extra portions of his fruit/coconut dessert (which is delicious) and wine for free. Outstanding service!

They have a great range of African dishes; the various stews and savannah chicken were particular favorites. They also serve excellent home-made ginger beer, and they sell Star Beer from Nigeria, which is good as well. Although the dishes are pre-made, they tasted very fresh and I probably wouldn't have realized this fact if not for the intimate environment where I could see into the kitchen.

The atmosphere is truly unique; there is art everywhere and it's all for sale; they sell it on behalf of African artists, or so the owner told me anyway. It's very good quality and the prices are reasonable -- I bought a marble hippo for my girlfriend, made in Kenya (possibly), which was a nice and quite different kind of souvenir.

I think a restaurant like this needs to be supported as much as possible. It's rare to find such a unique place, with such character and warmth, not to mention great food. I'm planning a trip back to London in a few weeks, and the top item on my list is to go for another meal here.
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Ryan
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, October 03, 2009