Shakara is a stylish new addition to London's West African dining scene
Shakara, a new Marylebone bar and dining room, adds to the city's ever-more impressive high-end 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
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ben McCormack is a London-based restaurant journalist with over 25 years’ experience of writing. He has been the restaurant expert for Telegraph Luxury since 2013, for which he was shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards. He is a regular contributor to the Evening Standard, Food and Travel and Decanter. He lives in west London with his partner and lockdown cockapoo.
-
The Sialia 45 cruiser is a welcome addition to the new generation of electric boats
Polish shipbuilder Sialia Yachts has launched the Sialia 45, a 14m all-electric cruiser for silent running
By Jonathan Bell
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into colours
Could microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
By Danielle Demetriou
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025
With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
By Francesca Perry
-
One Club Row is London’s answer to the Lower East Side
Located at the site of the former hotspot Les Trois Garçons, One Club Row brings back noughties glamour with 19th-century interiors, gourmet bites, and jazz nights
By Ben McCormack
-
Marylebone restaurant Nina turns up the volume on Italian dining
At Nina, don’t expect a view of the Amalfi Coast. Do expect pasta, leopard print and industrial chic
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Treehouse Hotel Manchester: you may not want to leaf
Treehouse Hotel Manchester offers a nature-infused biophilic sanctuary amidst the city’s ever-growing architectural canopy
By Imogen Green
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeks
Designed by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
London restaurant Tatar Bunar puts Ukrainian heritage front and centre
Family recipes and contemporary design merge at this new east London restaurant by Ukrainian restaurateurs Anna Andriienko and Alex Cooper
By Ben McCormack
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yet
The newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
For a taste of Greece, head to this playful new restaurant in London’s Chelsea
Pachamama Group’s latest venture, Bottarga, dishes up taverna flavours in an edgy bistro-style setting
By Sofia de la Cruz
-
A buzzy Korean pop-up becomes a permanent fixture in East London
Chef Joo Won has turned his Calong pop-up permanent in the arty enclave of Stoke Newington
By Ben McCormack