Chuku’s: London’s Nigerian Tapas Restaurant

9 Afro & Afro-Influenced Food Spots in London: Spot 1 - Chuku’s

About This Spot

Chuku’s is known as London’s first Nigerian tapas restaurant, and it’s earned serious praise—including a spot on Time Out London’s Best Restaurants list in 2024. 

It’s a family run affair by sibling duo Emeka and Ifeyinwa and it serves creative, London-inspired twists on classic Nigerian dishes. 

The space is warm and cosy, and for me, their tapas were the perfect introduction to Nigerian cuisine. I even ended up making a new friend there—a genuinely nice and lucky moment. We shared our tapas, so we got to explore even more dishes.

The Food & the Takeaways

Egusi Bowl with pounded yam

Egusi is one of Nigeria’s most popular “swallow soups”—dishes meant to be eaten with a soft, dough-like swallow (usually made from root vegetables). At Chuku’s, the swallow came as mini bite-sized pounded yam balls that felt like a cross between dumplings and mashed potatoes, and the soup was reimagined as three separate sauces instead of the usual blended version.

Banga Prawns

Banga soup is another typical swallow soup, originally from Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, where palm trees are everywhere, it’s now common across most of Nigeria. It’s made from Banga, the oil extracted from palm fruit pulp. Here, the chefs turned that deep, earthy flavour into a mellow, smooth sauce for prawns.

Moi moi

(or Moin Moin) is a steamed bean pudding made from blended, skinless black-eyed beans. Chuku’s served a plain version, though it’s common to find it “loaded” with boiled egg, meat, fish, or seafood. These were added straight to my favourites list—mushy, moist, and carrying a subtle earthy sweetness.

Jollof Rice

An absolute West African icon. Jollof originally comes from Senegal but has long been a classic across the region—fueling the famous (and friendly) Jollof Wars. Most versions start with rice cooked in a rich tomato base; the Nigerian take often includes red pepper and a smoky depth.

Suya Meatball

Suya—also known as Tsire—is traditionally a Hausa spiced, smoke-grilled meat served on skewers and considered one of Nigeria’s most popular street foods. It’s usually made with thin slices of meat coated in a spice blend called Yaji. Chuku’s turned those flavours into tender meatballs served in a tomato sauce.