Ikoyi Restaurant and Lounge

I recently visited a modern, upscale West African-inspired restaurant, bar and lounge on a Saturday and had a great overall experience with a few minor issues. The ambiance was vibrant and cozy, with lively Afrobeat music and a smooth transition to classic hip hop/R&B by the DJ, along with live performance from a guy on a saxophone, creating a fun and energetic atmosphere. The food was flavorful if you a person who like spicy, with bold, distinctive flavors. My sister had the rasta pasta and said it was good but the chicken was super dry. She also had me try the Miss Montana frozen style that I personally like. My other sister had jollof rice and was pretty satisfied. The minor issues was the utensils were not clean, just make sure you request another fork and knife with a cup of hot water to disinfect yourself. I ended up eating the Efo Riro (Vegetable Soup) with my hands so when it came down to me going to the restroom to wash my hands, the water pressure was low and lukewarm. Despite these small setbacks, the vibe, music, and food made for a fantastic night out with the family and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great combination of ambiance, entertainment, and tasty food. Sidenote: They serve Hookah! ($45 cash and $50 card). Major shout outs to security and all the staff there! Most of them very welcoming and friendly.

Let's start with the Cons. 1. Music was obnoxiously loud for a restaurant. Unable to hear or talk to others at table 2. We asked for water while deciding on what to order and they gave us 2 glasses of water. Then the server told my friend they would not provide tap water after this and only would provide Fiji water going fwd. So don't expect complimentary water while waiting for a server to come to take your order. 3. Servers were not attentive. Had to summon for our server or any server to ask to finish putting in our order, plates, and paper napkins. We received 3 paper napkins, btw. Where are the wet wipes for sticky wings we ordered? 4. Hostess became upset because I didn't know the drink she was giving us. And then dropped my drink on the table rudely. 5. Plates received heavily chipped. 6. 16% gratuity automatically added for a table of 2 7. $95 for wings platter and 2 drinks 8. When it was time to pay, the server stayed at our table and never left. Just hoovered over us until we paid the bill. Where was this attentiveness when we needed to order, ask for plates or napkins? Now for the Pros. 1. Wings were delicious 2. Dj, music was enjoyable but way too loud for a restaurant that has a separate lounge in the back. All on all, I would not go back or recommend. Prices are definitely not reflective of the service received nor the vibe this establishment is giving.

Overall: Recommend 1. The food was delicious. The lamb chops (although small) were flavorful. Highlight was the jollof rice, coleslaw, fries and plantains. The tilapia was okay, only one side had sauce but overall the fish itself wasn’t seasoned enough (I would pass on the fish for $50+ and not be seasoned properly). 2. The place was cozy, music was a vibe and not too loud, would recommend for family or date night. 3. The hookah was smooth and overall service was good. I’d definitely visit again!

Daniel was absolutely great and accommodating to our request. Food is amazing though the corn on the cob could definitely use some seasoning and butter for sure! and drinks took awhile longer then anticipated. Overall a great spot to chill and catch up on things to talk about.

I went here after a concert at Prudential Center and the vibes were immaculate, the food was so tasty (we got jollof rice with goat meat and the vegetable soup), and everyone was so nice. The DJ was on point, though like any other hookah bar, it was hard to hear anyone trying to talk to me. But we figured it out through non-verbal communication or having them repeat the question three times (the stew comes with fufu, are you ok with that?) and even the guards outside were super kind. I would definitely come back to eat here again, especially because the portions were too filling and I didn’t have the appetite to order more than one dish per person but everything on the menu looked so good. Also, the bathrooms have gold sinks and are very clean!

Definitely enjoyed my experience at Ikoyi. 10/10 would definitely recommend. Ikoyi restaurant offers such a unique vibe along with great customer service. Thank you Diamond and all the servers for going above and beyond to accommodate us. Every encounter with an employee was pleasant even the security guards. Great food, great drinks, great customer service

I have been wanting to support this restaurant, and I have been there a couple of times. One thing I hate about it, though, is how expensive their alcoholic drinks are and how little of alcohol they put in their drinks. Last time, we ordered margaritas and mojitos, and they tasted like juice! Literally, it barely had liquor! We were so annoyed and asked the waiter if the drinks had alcohol and he said we ordered basic drinks. Lol, basic drinks and that we needed to order shots if we wanted the drinks made with enough alcohol! That turned us so much because, really, how are your drinks 15 to 20, and we could barely taste the alcohol? We then ordered 2 shots, which we were told were $13, but the bull said $36! Smh. Sometimes, we do want to support our African establishments, but being treated like this, how can someone even come back?! Anyway, the 3 stars are for the food! And their $50 hookah. I don't even know why basic hookah is $50. Are y'all really over doing this with the prices. So over night life, someone is always just trying to finese someone 🙄🙄🙄🙄

I gave 4 stars for the food but the service was mid at best. Parking is an issue. There is a lot around the corner from what I understand, but I parked on the street and risked getting a ticket and towed. I ordered a $20 margarita (separately from my food) which already had a gratuity included on the bill for one single drink.

Great place interesting staff. Had a great time there with family!!! More options for gluten free people

My wife and I recently dined at Ikoyi on Clinton Street in Newark--a West-African-inspired restaurant with a cool concept but poor execution. The ambiance was decent and our seating area was clean, but the table we were given was small and wobbly, and the music was unbearably loud. We literally had to text each other to communicate--definitely not ideal for a dinner date. Food-wise, it was underwhelming. I ordered the wings with Honey BBQ sauce--dry, hard, clearly reheated, and smothered in sauce. Honestly, my 19-year-old makes better wings at home. My wife ordered the "Suya Suya Suya," which should've been full of bold flavors and spice, but it was disappointingly bland. The highlight? Their Piña Colada--it was actually really good, no complaints there. And our server was polite and attentive, despite the noise. I wish I'd caught her name, but the music made even that difficult. All in all, we left wishing we'd gone to Lélé in NYC instead--better food, better experience. Ikoyi has potential, but until the food and environment improve, I can't recommend it--and we won't be back.

Omg!! This place was amazing!! As soon as we walked in I loved the vibe. I never been to an African restaurant but it was an experience for the books. It is a cross between a lounge and a club. We went around 10pm and the DJ already had the place jumping. They offered hookah, drinks and great food. I ordered the Rasta Pasta with Chicken which was delicious. It was very spicy but not overbearing. I also tried their Hennessy martini which was great and strong. The service was impeccable. The staff was very friendly and accommodating considering it was a big party of 10 people. I will 100% visit again. I recommend visiting if you are in the area.

On December 5th, around 6:00 p.m., I called to make a reservation for five people for our annual end-of-year get-together. When I spoke to a woman on the phone, she was very rude. I explained that I was having trouble making a reservation online, but she insisted I needed to do it online anyway. After I tried to explain further, she sighed and put me on hold for over 20 minutes. Frustrated, I hung up and called back. Again, she picked up, but before I could finish explaining my situation, she hung up on me. I called a third time, and when I mentioned my previous hold time, she sent me back to hold again. I hung up once more and called back, only to find her answering again. I expressed my frustration about her rudeness and said I would like to speak to a manager, but before I could finish, she hung up again. This restaurant has lost my business. It's disappointing when you try to support Black-owned businesses, only to experience such poor service. Additionally, I suspect the person who answered the phone may not have even been African American. It's a shame to see this kind of treatment toward customer. Trying to support Newark but we will never come back.

The food was great. I had the Native Village Rice with the shrimp the goat, fish. We also had the Suya suya suya appetizer. That was good too. I absolutely live love the way the decorate, love the ambiance. Nice hangout spot. The service at the bar was good,

The food was sooooo good! It was my first time having this type of cuisine and everything was sooo flavorful. Even the drinks hit! I will definitely be back. The night I went which was a Thursday night it was dead. I want to go back on a more lively night I heard the weekends are better. The waitress was very nice as well. Price point seemed ok from what I remember on the menu nothing looked out of the normal... Place was clean and bathroom was clean. We were the last ones to leave.

I wouldn't recommend Ikoyi. I went with a group, and almost everyone had an issue with their food. In my case, the traditional dish I ordered was missing the meats that were clearly listed on the menu. When I asked about it, the chef came out and tried to explain that they use beans to replace certain meats and that the meats are "cut up" - essentially trying to pass off an excuse. What he didn't know is that I'm Nigerian, and I cook and eat these dishes regularly. There was no tripe, and it was obvious. Same thing happened with another order - the Ayamase came out without any meat, and they had to take it back and add it. While I was extremely disappointed, I will say the Egusi was tasty - very good, actually. But again, it didn't match what the menu described. The Rasta Pasta was overly spicy, despite the person who ordered it specifically asking for no additional spice. The Efo was bland and lacked flavor. The only upside? The vibe is nice. If you're looking to go for a drink and apps at the bar, that might be worth it. But if you're coming for authentic food and good service, this isn't the place. Also, worth mentioning: the security guy at the door had a terrible attitude. He came off rude, sarcastic, and on a power trip - the kind of person you can tell is just looking to escalate a situation. I was honestly embarrassed I brought people here.

This review is for service we had a couple of months back in 2024. Realized that I never pressed post for it. Service needs work and attentiveness. The restaurant was not full - only three tables required service but we couldn't get consistent service and had to bring up our initial requests to remind them. For example, we ordered sauce with wings - never got it. Cellphone reception is poor - you need wifi to use your phone. Told us we'd get the WiFi - had to ask again. Told us they would get straws for drinks - never got them. Gave us soup with no spoons had to ask again. Waiters could see we were done with our meals but never cleaned our table off. With the appetizers, drinks, and entrees, all of the plates all piled up on our table. We literally had to make space because they kept adding dishes but never took them away. The suya wings were good, only two or three pieces of chicken in the chicken rasta pasta, and the overall entrees were just okay. We had to ask another server where our sister's food was since it was taking really long. A waitress went to the back and brought it to the table. Almost as if it was just sitting there for a while in the back. By the time we finished our entrees she just received her food. We had to chase someone down for our check. If service improves, they can go a long way but for now we're okay on not returning. Not worth traveling out of town for. Another time we went there and it was relatively empty and the wanted us to sit behind the hostess until our friend parked the car. Why would we have to do that and it's empty?? Plenty of tables were available and set.

Went on a Sunday night with my friend. Here are my thoughts... Atmosphere: buzzy, lively Decor: glam speakeasy vibe Music: dj playing Afrobeats, great song choices, high volume Food: beef suya (tasty), ayamase (tasty and very spicy. Don't get if you can't handle LOTS of spice), jollof rice (it was just okay. I've definitely had better) Drinks: Lick Me Mojito - strong in a good way, a tad too sweet Service: My friend got hookah. He said the hookah guy didn't check intensity of hookah when he brought it to the table and that's usually what's he's used to. We didn't get utensils until I asked but other than that, they were attentive. The chef came to check if we liked our food. The hookah guy brought the fan near us as we weren't feeling the AC. Good for: date night, late night dinner, girl's night out I loved the decor of the place and the DJ was really good. The food was tasty and portions are good. One thing I would say is that the meals are quite expensive. I feel like we are paying for their overhead for being Downtown.

The ambience and music was really good! The waiters (2 young men) were pleasant as well. We got the jerk wings and fries which both were good(wish I got a picture). The jerk wings did have a lot of sauce but overall was good, especially the next day. The menu doesn't have alot of food options but just enough. I would give the drinks 7/10 but I do like their $28 drink deal which was 8 drinks for $28. However, having a time limit on it sucks especially if you want to get food in you before drinking all 8 within an hour. I would come back though to experience the vibe on a weekend instead of a weekday.

My friends took me as a bday surprise dinner and I have to say the food ambiance and service was good they made us feel comfortable like the place

I DID NOT ENJOY. The food is spicy and they take long to prepare your food and then when your food come out it's warm and not hot . I ordered the Branzino fish jollof rice and Nigerian salad. It was terrible ! ( not pictured because I sent it back ) WASTE ! The manager lady THEN HAD A attitude and did not want to take the fish off the bill because I sent it back... she stated " just because u didn't like the fish is NOT a good reason to take it off the bill" So ma'am you are going to charge me for a meal I did not eat . She said " yes" . So my bf continued to talk to her because I was over it!! She eventually only took 30 percent Off the total bill but the fish was still on the bill ! This was truly a Waste of my time and energy! If you enjoy pricey spicy moist mushy African food this will be your restaurant . no thank you for me !! However my bf ordered the turkey wings (pictured) and he liked his meal . FYI : 1. parking is horrible . Highly suggest to take a Uber 2. No alcohol : no byob : mock tails and palm wine only . (for now) still in process of liquor license 3. There is a dress code

The ambulance was very nice. The food was okay. The service was horrible. We had Tiffany for our waiter. She making the all the drinks, which were horrible and she was also taking the orders. She was not attentive at all. She had the worst attitude and my two girls and I were the only ones there. She doesn't have to be attentive or a good server because the gratuity was already included. Restaurant owner should not automatically add the gratuity because the servers will not provide good customer service. I will not be back.

It's just a HUGE no! Food cold , Staff & Owner RUDE, Parking terrible, Drinks mid. Unprofessional and Huge lack of communication with group reservations! ZERO STARS

Just was looking for a drink and food after work and was like I haven't had rasta pasta in a min and boom this popped up near my job so why not ? And it was amazing . Perfectly excuted with the spicey and blends.

I visited this restaurant on Friday February 9th before my show at The Prudential Ctr with my friends. First of all, this establishment is really cute, however they DO NOT HAVE A LIQUOR LICENSE and this information was not disclosed on the website. So we were very disappointed when we sat down to order. The food was subpar and overcooked and overpriced. Unfortunately they need to do better.

I went to this restaurant for my birthday and was excited because it was new. When I arrived I parked on the street nearby. I walked in, and the restaurant is gorgeous! We were sat and served by Shamsiyat and she was very nice! This restaurant is dry, so no alcohol is served and no BYOB. I had the San Francisco Sunrise, and it was very tasty. For my meal, I got the turkey wings with jollof rice, and my friend had the spaghetti. Both were very tasty but really spicy, especially the spaghetti. This place was really nice and I had a good experience!

Came for my sister's birthday. Service was good. Food was good. Food was a little pricey, but would come back again. And they do add on random fees to the bill. They don't serve alcohol, but it's BYOB.

Customer service is horrible food is very delicious greeting was very rude and waiter was so bothered before you can even place your order the food made up for the stress but the definitely didn't get a tip but I'll order takeout from this place

worst restaurant i've ever been to. it took us forever to get some drinks or even some water. i couldn't even eat my food because of how much pepper there was. went for a birthday and the check was slammed on the table before we got our cake that we brought in. overpriced drinks and only 2/5 were correct. drinks were so strong we couldn't even. don't waste your time. birthday girl was upset on her day with a ridiculous bill that we had to split. also $15 for 5 wings that weren't even that good is just plain robbery. just reach into my pockets and grab the money bro. whole restaurant made a mockery of being Nigerian. cute restaurant, mid food , absurd prices and a server who took 30 minutes to bring pineapple juice. i also don't appreciate being ignored half the time i was there . will never come back again, don't waste your time or money.

What a place! Aishat was so helpful. great service hookah and food. & for ambiance, the afrobeats music is off the hook!

Appetizers were ok. We had the turkey wings. It was to spicy and NOT falling off bone, it was tough! The servers were nice. But bar slow and drinks too sweet. Ambiance was cool.

I wanted to like this place so bad but I'm sorry I didn't . Food was mid and warm took forever to even receive our orders . The ambiance is nice and the dj was good . That's about it . The drinks were okay but just over priced . Our waiter was busy hiding in the bathroom on his phone . You barely can find your server but when it's time for you to almost be getting ready to leave here comes everyone coming to your table smh TACKY. I won't be returning . I was looking forward to eating GOOD Nigerian food not like warm food that's basic . This place need Ramsey help or something. Restaurant Rescue or something

Food was decent ! The nigerian salad was missing the baked beans ! Secondly the wings why did I get two wings like and not the whole turkey leg. The turkey was hard too. I only enjoyed the rice. The drinks were terrible. I sent it back cause it didn't have passonfruit, by the time the drink returned it was extremely salty. I was over to send it back. With little improvements things can be better. Also the bathroom was different, I did inform the host that it was dirty.

The food was good the service was good and the ambiance was amazing. What took away points for me is the fees. $10 to open a wine bottle at a BYOB is a bit much, $5 max ok, but $10 !!! While the flavors of be the doos was good, the portions could have been better for the price.

Everything was absolutely horrible. The food and the service. The waiter we had continuously got smart with my party of 19. They were acting as if they were so irritated. It gave that they have never accommodated a party of such people. ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. They overcharged us on the bill 3 times!!! Maybe they thought that it was a lot of us and that we wouldn't pay attention to the bill and just pay. Tiffany was the bartender that told me she was a manager. She did not advise her managers of any of the things we spoke about so when we got to the restaurant for my event the manager was confused.

The staff was very rude, food was cold & not fully cooked. It was a lot of miscommunication within all of the staff (VERY unprofessional). Can not handle large groups of people causing chao. The room was very small for the amount of people they said it could fit. Don't recommend.

Just left Ikoyi Restaurant and was not impressed. The vibe is everything and has a a beautiful atmosphere, great music, but the food is not it. We ordered suya, Rasta pasta and the Ikoyi spaghetti. Ts tasteless and hard, it appeared that the meat hadbeen cooked earlier and the day and reheated and Suya powder thrown on it. When I think of Nigerian food, suya is what comes to mind so I was disappointed. The Ikoyi spaghetti was way too spicy, don't get me wrong, I am also African and I cook with a lot of pepper but this seemed like a scotch bonnet accidentally burst inside the sauce, I was not able to eat it.Pasta also was over cooked. The Rasta pasta actually wasn't bad but the shrimp wasn't peeled so it was very challenging to eat. I don't mean that the tail was on I mean the shell was completely on the shrimp which makes me wonder if/how the shrimp was cleaned. Service was not bad but I was not wowed, staff did not seem familiar with the menu. They have shisha but no alcohol at the moment. Gratuity is added to bill automatically. I did enjoy the Lekki ginger drink but I'm unsure if I will go back.

Two stars bc the food was delicious, I'll give them that. But the service? Where do I even start. Firstly, I paid 24$ for a reservation fee that they didn't even initially take off the bill, I had to tell them but I feel like that was pointless bc the place was empty (it was a Wednesday). We were given no napkins, no utensils, not even water. First they said they didn't have fries after we ordered.. and then 20mins later they had fries ? And when they told us they didn't have them initially, they wasn't even trying to accommodate us any other way. Split the bill into two and they didn't have any change so they just offered to apply the change to the rest of the bill like huh? We split that bc one member of our party was leaving earlier than everyone else. Now you don't have her change? How do you not have singles? Honestly, it was all over the place and I really hope they do better bc the food has such potential and the place is decorated so beautifully as well. And our server, bless his heart, (Daniel) seemed like the only person working in the whole place. Two people who passed by us admitted to be trainees. We saw our server once every 30 mins. He was kind, but he wasn't ready to handle a party of 8 (plus whoever else walked in after us) clearly. But I just feel like they should have been better prepared, especially since I had a reservation .. you knew we were coming days in advance so like ..prepare, you know. Anyway, I probably won't return unfortunately.. and if I do, it'll be a while to give them time to get it together.

This used to be a fine establishment. Food is still good but running or not having items on the menu during early part of the day and evening was unacceptable and disappointing. Service was fine because it was their fault that the kitchen was not on point. The decor was great but the music was either too loud or inappropriate with foul language when some patrons had small children or senior citizens with them. Hope it gets back to the original vision when it first opened. Please do better.

Khaled was amazing!! Today was my first time coming to this establishment and I was floored! great ambience and the food for happy hour was astonishingly delicious. will highly recommend this place for any occasion.

Such a fun place. Food was amazing. Mocktails were so pretty AND delicious. Service was awesome. Great place for a date night!

Everything was beautiful the food the service and the atmosphere was one of comfort and delight I'd suggest Ikoyi for all the above reasons plus more

I was so ready to leave a 5 star. This is a great place so close to the prudential center where my friend and I were in town for a concert. Beautiful decor, the food and drinks were great! But I was overcharged after the bill had gratuity included on a two person party. we even left the waitress additional cash tip on top of the gratuity added to our bill. They over charged my card $50! Enjoyed myself but will not be back.

This restaurant is awful. It smells of recent fumigation. The food is terrible. I ordered the branzino and jollof- just didn't taste fresh or flavorful. The drinks could not have been worse, I left a $20.18 drink on the table. So terrible it wasn't worth drinking. Overall, disappointing. High prices, poor service, terrible food. Skip this place.

Im warning you if you dont like spicy food please don't go here. You will still be charged unlike any other restaurant the manager takes it back to get something to your liking not here i still was charged for the full meal tax and gratuity . These prices were ridiculous and these such things should be listed on their business page/website. The waitress didn't explain to us we ask her for recommendations on dishes she told us what we ordered wasn't spicy just a tad kick she lied. She kept saying what can I do for you we replied just give us a order of wings. Thinking everything was fine. Not to still be charged for a meal we only tasted a spoon full of rice. After speaking to the manager his attitude was very nasty. As a resident of newark nj born and raised Im am upset.

This place is BYOB. No thanks. I'll pass on this. The ambiance is nice and it's a decent amount of space.

It's okay. Food tasted well but for the portion and price it didn't make much sense to me. Besides that service was great. Place itself is very nice. I probably wouldn't go again but I enjoyed my time.

Excellent food and great service. No alcohol yet however did not deter from the experience.

The food is great and the service is superb, amazing drinks too also the atmosphere is beautiful and conducive.

I overall enjoyed this eating establishment. The restaurant has hookah options and BYOB, for now (it states it on the website). I arrived with my boyfriend and we were seated by a very nice staff. I guess i'll start with the good parts. The ambience is very nice, the music was really good, the food is pretty tasty (this is my first time trying nigerian food), and the mocktails are very good. I ordered the tilapia plate, a side of jollof, the escargot, two mocktails, and hookah. The fish came out very fresh and was so good, the jollof was pretty good, and for the escargot I thought the spices were good but the texture was insane (which is on me, I should have looked it up before ordering, but wanted to try something new). The mocktails were pretty good as well. For the negatives to start I would say, there is no free water, which is insane and greedy to me. Next, they charge for a bunch of little things, like opening your wine bottle. Insane. Also the wait for the our main dish took about 40-45 minutes, but the food came out fresh, so not bad. The hookah was $40, which I think is pretty average in pricing, and they have a large variety of flavors. I think we ordered skyfall, it was really smooth. Overall, I enjoyed my time at this restaurant and would come again! I would probably bring my own water, a bottle opener, and skip over the escargot lol.

I traveled from S. New Jersey ready to celebrate two of my friend's birthday. Upon arriving I was greeted nicely by a gentleman who asked to search my pocketbook and ID. Once inside again greeted nicely by the hostess. I gave her my reservation information and she indicated I couldn't be seated until the rest of my party arrived. Understandable. I proceeded to sit at the bar, which was 100% empty .I was told I couldn't sit at the bar and to sit on a bench behind the hostess window pressed up against a cold window. I didn't question this at the time but I definitely wanted to know why I couldn't sit at the bar . This clearly was a way more comfortable area and also a beverage would have been great while I was waiting. I then learn that one of my friends were not allowed to come in because of corkscrew he had in his bag with his bottle of wine. I wouldn't be upset about this if the doorman hadn't seem him get out of an uber in the rain. Where was he to put his corkscrew that prevented his entrance? A little compassion would of been appropriate at this point. Perhaps take the corkscrew and return it upon or departure but to deny him entrance?? A little harsh. I then had to come outside in the rain so that we both could wait for another friend who was driving to pull up to put the corkscrew in her car. Once this was settled we were now 4 of a party of 6. Unfortunately 1 person had an emergency and said she was late. The other was in route. We explained this to the hostess and she said she couldn't Seay us. Here we are 4 people waiting..2 sitting on the bench and 2 standing, unable to sit at a bar and unable to get seated b/c of circumstances beyond our control. At this point everyone was hungry and upset. Its unfortunate that we were placed in an uncomfortable situation and there was just no compassion from anyone. We decided to make reservations at am establishment less than 2 minutes away whom seated immediately although we were waiting on 2 other people. I will say the Ikoyi ambience was very nice and warming. This clearly is a case of looks can be deceiving. I won't recommend out of towners to patronage this business. A few things are unclear on the website but we learned the hard way. I truly hope they do better.