Akoko

You're walking past the usual Fitzrovia suspects when you duck into Akoko and immediately feel the shift—proper cooking is happening here. Chef Ayo Omidiran has created something genuinely different: a menu rooted in West African traditions but executed with the precision you'd expect from someone who's trained at serious kitchens. The room itself is unpretentious, stylish without trying too hard, and the kind of place where the service actually knows what they're talking about. Whether you're here for the jollof or whatever's caught their eye that week, there's a real sense of passion behind every plate.