Ikoyi Restaurant
Fine dining restaurant · Temple
180 Strand, Temple, London WC2R 1EA, United Kingdom
"Ranked No. 15 on the 2025 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list." - Erin DeJesus
"For my money, Ikoyi may be the choicest special occasion venue in the city. Chef Jeremy Chan and restaurateur Iré Hasan-Odukale’s venue has evolved since its inception in St. James’s in 2017. It now occupies a sleek location in the bowels of 180 The Strand and has matured accordingly, elevating the food yet further to match its fancy new surroundings. While it is still philosophically rooted in the culinary traditions and flavor profiles of Nigeria and the West African region, Ikoyi is now an archetype of the Ultra-Modern European genre. Recent meals have featured the seductive savory deliciousness of Chan’s signature smoked jollof rice, and the precise application of spice and chile heat to immaculately cooked protein will blow you away, whether it’s sweetbread suya, dry-aged turbot, or charcoal-grilled lobster. A special restaurant, deserving of its two Michelin-starred status. Best for: A true blowout dinner." - Adam Coghlan
"If you’ve been privileged enough to experience fine dining-style restaurants, it can be easy to disregard another starred spot. But Ikoyi is one of those restaurants, complete with a £350 tasting menu, that will make you wonder whether a higher power has been resurrected in the form of a bowl of crab custard. The Strand restaurant is global in influence and haute in style, with West African spicing playing a big part. The combination of these things—dishes like ginger and kombu caramelised plantain and irresistible smoked jollof rice—makes Ikoyi a truly unique eating and drinking experience." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley
"Ikoyi is one of London’s most consistently exciting restaurants. The food at this Strand spot mixes European cooking techniques with Nigerian spices and other West African flavours. Expect things like jollof and suya, but perhaps not presented in the way you’re expecting. Preened diners, all Japanese garments and statement glasses, slide into Ikoyi’s seats like fixtures in an Architectural Digest video while the staff coolly glide around." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak
"A tightly conceived, cerebral tasting-menu workshop where precise technique, adventurous seasoning and theatrical presentation create a singular multi-course experience. The kitchen juxtaposes familiar British ingredients with daring flavor treatments—tiny peas, caviar, finger-lime vesicles and sticky-rich emulsions—so that even an everyday combination like beef and carrot is launched into surprising, sustained bursts of salty, sweet and sour; the overall feeling is of thoughtful, boundary-pushing fine dining that lingers long after the meal." - ByAmiel Stanek
