Ikoyi

3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

Jeremy Chan has settled into his new surroundings in a tucked-away corner of the huge brutalist building that is 180 Strand. The entrance is discreet and the dining room dominated by an open kitchen that runs down one long side, while the decoration is nothing more than earthy colours, some golden wood (including the well-spaced tables) and the ambient dusk of a hip restaurant. Without design, fireworks or ornamentation, it is what it is: a space devoted to the service of food. The previous location in St James’s Market was known for its Nigerian-inspired cooking – Ikoyi is the name of a well-to-do Lagos suburb. The kitchen still takes its cue from West African cuisine, but this is merely the jumping-off point for a repertoire of precise, produce-led westernised dishes with prices very much in line with the international clientele. From the three-hour-long tasting menu at dinner, a veal sweetbread with pea purée, pork cheek and black garlic was the undoubted standout, closely followed by dry-aged turbot with a frothy crab bisque and umami-rich egusi (melon seed) miso – though the tiny accompanying honey-glazed brioche filled with veg added nothing to the dish and was not well thought through (it was so sticky, we had to ask for wipes). What tantalises is how Chan blends each flavour with the one preceding it, and the one about to come. His careful use of chilli, a subtle hint of heat that lingers gently on the palate, infuses snacks and early courses, building to a crescendo with the final beef offering where two dabs of purée (agrodolce and curried courgette) pack a real punch. Look a little deeper, however, and some flaws are evident: that beef (dry-aged Belted Galloway) proved surprisingly chewy, and the accompanying jollof rice – the classic West African one-pot dish that is a regular fixture on the menu – was made slightly too sweet and creamy with a lobster custard. And while a palate-cleansing timur pepper and rosé sorbet was utterly delicious, desserts are clearly not the kitchen’s forte. Service, however, is faultless. Wines are chosen with spice in mind – we drank an excellent South African Gabriëlskloof Elodie Swartland Chenin Blanc 2022.

Excellent cooking

Take it all in:Ikoyi burst onto the global gastronomic scene when it won theOne To Watch Awardat The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021. Since then, it has moved from its original, somewhat cramped location to a larger space on London’s The Strand, with exquisite interiors designed by David Thulstrup. The walls are clad in copper, the ceiling features a curved metal weave, furniture is made from oak and the floor from limestone – elements inspired by chef Jeremy Chan’s dual focus on spices and British produce.Free spirits:Friends Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale launched Ikoyi in 2017 with little formal training between them. They remain largely unconfined by restaurant conventions, with the gifted Chan creating a culinary style that defies categorisation; he gleans herbs and spices from across Africa and Asia, borrows techniques from around the globe, while sourcing proteins and fresh produce from the UK and its waters. The result is a singular dining experience which the Canadian-Chinese-British chef terms “a journey through bold heat”.On the plate:Ikoyi’s signature remains its smoked jollof rice, which has been a mainstay on the menu in myriad forms that vary depending on the time of year. It arrives late in the tasting menu and is preceded by the likes of drunken squid and fermented rice; turbot, crab salad and tonnato; and sweetbread and white flint grits. Desserts even include elements such as Scotch bonnet, reinforcing the unusual (and spicy) narrative. It’s definitely working, as Ikoyi is the winner of the Highest Climber Award 2025, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee.Subtle service:Led by Hassan-Odukale, Ikoyi’s service style is deliberately unobtrusive. The theory behind creating an arms-length approach is to allow the food to speak for itself, like a piece of art in a gallery. Then, if the guest wants to know more detail about any element on the plate, the team are perfectly well-versed to explain.