Isibani

Bright young thing Isibani is waving the flag for West African cuisine in London with this small but popular restaurant in Knightsbridge. You can practically see Harrod’s from the window, although the place itself errs on the more casual side thanks to quirky interiors and closely-packed seating. We can see its electrifying cobalt blue seating being a stroke of trendy genius in theory. The reality? It doesn’t quite land for us.  

The menu – a few stapled pieces of A4 paper – is very long. Many people around us had clearly forgone the choosing process entirely in favour of its very good value five-course set menu (£28 including a glass of wine). We ventured into the unknown with its wallet-stripping a la carte offering, and we’re pleased that we did.  

Although the dishes felt disjointed at times – a rather bland cod pasty seemed mundane in comparison to four excellently crisp mackerel croquettes – there were moments of greatness. Jerk chicken tacos were the best thing we ate, balancing complex layers of smokiness and heat. We’re unsure as to why these two tasty, but small, tacos cost more than one of our mains at £18, but can only guess it has something to do with the post code. Plantain gnocchi with roasted squash and caramelised shallots was rich with butter, and the jollof rice is a must order. Dessert felt like an afterthought, in that one of the dishes on the menu was unavailable due to a supply issue, and the dishes we did order were missing a few of the ingredients stipulated on the menu.  

Still, when a restaurant is having to turn people away throughout the evening due to it being fully booked, we’d take that as a good sign. If you order wisely, and don’t experience bright colour-induced migraines, then Isibani is well worth a trip.  

West African restaurant Isibani has set up shop in one of London’s most upmarket neighbourhoods, Knightsbridge, where it aims to deliver an authentic representation of the food and culture of Africa via traditional recipes and ingredients. Set up by co-founders Anthony Douglas Chuka and Abdul Malik Abubakar as ‘a love letter to West African cuisine’, Isibani makes a welcome addition to London’s West African restaurant scene, joining the likes of the highly-praised restaurants Akoko, Ikoyi and Kudu.  

Leading the kitchen is 28-year-old head chef Victor Okunowo who has worked in some of London’s most esteemed restaurants, including The Wolseley, Chiltern Firehouse and Talking Drum, as well as graduating as a semi-finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020. Victor has drawn on inspiration from his West African heritage and childhood recipes from Nigeria to create an authentic, yet elevated menu of vibrant dishes.  

Look out for things like jerk poussin tacos with pimento mayo, baby gem, heritage tomatoes and escabeche, smoked monkfish fillet with charred okra, kachumbari, sea herbs and brown shrimp, jollof rice with grilled broccoli and fermented scotch bonnet and chicken kiev with offal nkowbi, onions and peach. For dessert, expect the likes of pap panna cotta with tamarind and baobab sorbet, and mascarpone rice pudding with banana and super malt ice cream. 

Isibani, which means ‘bring the light’ in Zulu, can be found on a hidden side street near Knightsbridge Green where it offers a cosy neighbourhood vibe with a pinch of glitz and glamour (this is Knightsbridge after all). The split-level space offers a fine dining restaurant on the ground floor, as well as a first-floor roof terrace where a more relaxed food menu is served, with the décor featuring plenty of geometric patterns and bold colours throughout.