Welcome to the very first edition of The Weekly Table!
I couldn’t think of a better way to start than celebrating Black History Month with five Black-owned London restaurants I love. They go from a Michelin-starred tasting menu to a Nigerian breakfast that’ll make you rethink the full English. Every one of them is somewhere I’d recommend in any month of the year.
Let’s eat.
Akoko, Fitzrovia ⭐
The story: Nigerian-born founder Aji Akokomi opened Akoko in 2020 with one mission: to prove West African food deserves its place in fine dining, on its own terms. In 2024 it earned a Michelin star.
I went for a late birthday dinner a few years ago, before the star, and honestly, I could see it coming. The service, the food, the music: everything was spot on.
The experience: a tasting menu brought out one dish at a time, with no menu beforehand, so every course is a surprise. I love that. The menu has completely changed since my visit, which is part of the fun. You never quite know what’s coming.
They even gave me a signed birthday card that I still have today. It’s the little things.
Best for: birthdays, anniversaries, a proper occasion.
📍 21 Berners Street, W1T
Akara, Borough
The story: Akara is Akoko’s more relaxed younger sibling, from the same founder. It’s named after the black-eyed bean fritter that originated in West Africa and is also loved in Brazil as acarajé, and the menu blends both.
What to order:
BBQ prawn akara. A juicy prawn on a fritter that’s crisp outside and soft inside.
Efik rice. My first time trying it, and it was buttery and so well seasoned.
Best for: date night, or a great introduction to West African food with a modern twist, without fine-dining prices.
📍 18 Stoney St, SE1, in Borough Yards next to Borough Market.
2210 by NattyCanCook, Herne Hill
From Natty’s Greyhound residency, 2024.
The story: this is the most powerful story of the five. South Londoner Nathaniel Mortley cooked at The Shard’s Oblix and City Social before a stay in HMP Brixton, where he rediscovered his love of cooking at The Clink, the prison’s restaurant. He came out, built a huge following as NattyCanCook, ran a sell-out residency at The Greyhound in Peckham, and opened 2210 in Herne Hill in late 2025. The name honours his grandmother: 22/10, the date she passed away.
I went to his Greyhound residency in 2024 and tried every dish on the menu. The grilled roti with scotch bonnet butter, the Hot Gyal wings and the pork belly with pickled plantain were all unique, great quality and packed with flavour. I haven’t made it to Herne Hill yet, but it’s top of my list. It was voted Hot Dinners readers’ favourite new opening of 2025.
Best for: Sunday lunch (Caribbean-style roasts) followed by a walk in Brockwell Park.
📍 75 Norwood Rd, SE24, opposite Brockwell Park.
Monika by 805, Deptford
The story: this is the seafood and open-grill sister to 805 on Old Kent Road, one of London’s original West African restaurants, open since 2001. It’s named after 805’s legendary monika fish.
What to order:
King size seafood bag with lobster tail, snow crab, squid, prawns and more. Go for the hot pepper sauce, which has a West African twist you won’t get from a typical seafood boil.
The whole grilled croaker fish: perfectly cooked and seasoned.
Cocktails. The Chapman and the piña colada were both 10/10.
Best for: seafood lovers and groups of any size.
📍 14 Deptford Broadway, SE8
TT’s Breakfast, Deptford
The story: breakfast, the Nigerian way. If you’re after an alternative to a full English, this is it, and the prices are reasonable.
What to order:
Full Nigerian: egg, akara, plantain, beans and agege bread.
Yam and egg: boiled yam with Nigerian-style eggs and pepper sauce.
Indomie and egg: seasoned noodles with an omelette.
Tip: ask for extra pepper sauce if you like heat.
📍 Arch 11, Deptford Market Yard, SE8
Deptford tip: TT’s and Monika are both in Deptford, so you could have breakfast at one and dinner at the other on the same day.
That’s your first Weekly Table! Have you been to any of these, or is there a Black-owned spot you think I need to try? Hit reply and tell me.
And if you know someone who’s always asking where to eat, forward this to them. 💛
See you at the table,
Priscilla x