Shakara is a stylish new addition to London's West African dining scene

Twelve months ago, London’s Akoko and Chishuru joined the handful of West African restaurants worldwide to be awarded a Michelin star; now Akoko’s former executive chef, Ayo Adeyemi, is consulting on the menus of this glossy Marylebone newcomer, where day-to-day cooking duties fall to head chef Victor Okunowo.

Wallpaper* dines at Shakara

The mood: modern African artistry

Architects Red Deer are behind some of London’s more distinctive restaurant interiors, from Lina Stores to St John Marylebone. Here they have taken inspiration from the red soil of Nigeria in earthy-coloured terracotta tiles, though there are allusions to African culture wherever one looks, from the talking drum graphics stamped into wax that pay homage to the hourglass-shaped instrument that imitates the rhythm of human speech, to the art on the walls supplied by the Red Door Gallery in Lagos. The contemporary African connections don’t end there: resident DJs spin Afrohouse and Afrobeats until midnight.

The food: British ingredients meet African spicing

Okunowo was a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020 before becoming head chef of Talking Drum on Old Kent Road, a Nigerian restaurant that served as a blueprint for the current crop of cool West African dining rooms. The chef is taking inspiration from Ghana and The Gambia as well as Nigeria, though British ingredients are just as important: dry-aged Hereford beef comes spiced with Nigerian yaji and uda, while native blue lobster sits in a bisque of pepper soup. There’s more conventional comfort to be had in sides of jollof rice and yam chips, plus plantain bread with vanilla ice cream and corn custard for pudding.

Shakara is located at 66 Baker St, London W1U 7DJ, United Kingdom; shakaraldn.com