Ikoyi Restaurant
Fine dining restaurant · Temple ·
West African-inspired fine dining with bold, creative flavours
West African-inspired fine dining with bold, creative flavours
"There’s something quite thrilling about this place; named after a suburb of Lagos, it channels West African flavours alongside wider influences into a bold, exciting style London has seldom seen. Founded by former school friends Iré Hassan-Odukale and Jeremy Chan (who runs the kitchen), it earned one MICHELIN Star in 2018, two in 2022, and has recently moved to swish new premises on the Strand. The room looks like the bridge of a space‑age vessel, with lighting that cocoons you from the outside and a single spotlight above each table casting a warm, seductive glow on every enticing dish. The experience is a surprise tasting of around 14 courses—some just a mouthful, others more substantial—and you leave with a copy of the menu to relive the many delicious morsels. In a world of pigeon-holing, the cooking feels defiantly unique and uncategorisable, yet it’s anchored by intent, an instinctive grasp of ingredients, strong technique and complementary flavours. We stopped on the way out to gawp at the produce ageing in glass cabinets by the door—cuts of Wagyu, whole turbot, pigeon and mullet—which underlines the primacy of great ingredients here. Pacing is judged superbly: our visit lasted three hours and fifteen minutes; any longer and conversation would have started to flag, any shorter and we’d have felt rushed. Early snack-like courses included seabass with green strawberry—the only dish presented by a chef—and a delicious, one-bite fermented rice with ‘drunken’ squid topped with a single chanterelle." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team
"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
