Tatale

The jet black bricks of the newly reopened Africa Centre couldn’t stand out more in this rather plain part of town. With only Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen for company, this isn’t exactly a postcode that people are flocking to for food, but Tatale provides plenty of impetus to make the easy journey to Southwark.

Step inside the Africa Centre and you’ll find it a soothing, charming space. Mottled, sandy plaster walls are host to beautiful artworks, and a geometric, fractal-inspired theme continues through the furniture upholstery and soft furnishings. Combined with rattan lamps, tables made from solid oak slabs, and an array of houseplants, Tatale is an undeniably beautiful space.

Tatale’s hype has been long-building, and early indications were that Akwasi Brenya-Mensa’s restaurant would have a bit more of a fine dining vibe. Fascinating though that sounds, we’re pleased that Tatale has settled in a comfortable middle ground where the food feels thoughtful but still homely and accessible. There’s nothing unnecessary at Tatale - every dish comes as it should; at times that results in some pretty rustic home cooking, but everything is delicious and, crucially, pretty reasonably priced by London standards.

Top marks go to Brenya-Mensa’s chichinga buttermilk fried chicken wings, which showed off a perfectly spiced and seasoned crispy coat, and juicy, tender chicken within. The omo tuo and nkatekwnan (mashed rice and groundnut soup) is a dish that has been doing the rounds, and it’s a masterclass in simple flavours done well; the combination of steamed rice, sesame seeds, parsley oil and nutty soup is inherently comforting, and there’s something deeply satisfying about the mix of sticky rice and smooth sauce. We loved the ackee saltfish croquettes too, which came with a Scotch Bonnet emulsion that delivered plenty of kick.

Cocktails are excellent, though the options are pretty slim on the ground (there are two). If the Africa Centre is to be a home for Africa and its London diaspora, it has a perfect food ambassador in Tatale, which is both elevated, but also accessible, and rooted in comforting African flavours.

Tatale, founded by Akwasi Brenya-Mensa, is a pan-African restaurant in Southwark’s Africa Centre, named after the Ghanaian plantain pancake. The restaurant draws inspiration from West Africas’s ubiquitous ‘chop bars’; roadside bars where patrons of all types can stop in for a drink or some stew. The Africa Centre that houses Tatale has been championing Africa and its diaspora since the 60s, hosting exhibitions, talks, events and more. Brenya-Mensa’s menu aims to follow suit, educating those who seek to learn while evoking nostalgia and pride.

As such, each part of the menu has a story behind it. The plantain tart Brenya-Mensa’s aunt used to make is something he confesses to tweaking every time he makes it. His hummus research in Tel Aviv is put to good use in a black-eyed bean number, topped with red palm oil and dukkah. The chichinga chicken was inspired by a beef and pepper kebab and Hall Party staple here served with Yassa onion, palm wine pickles and red stew crema. In fact, Akwasi still asks his mum to make him bean stew with plantain and tomato every Tuesday after football.

When it comes to desserts, the star of the show is the whipped cheesecake. This is a dish that took months to perfect, featuring a chin chin crumb, apple and dill. Elsewhere, you’ll see a spiced rice pudding with hibiscus smoked pear.

Akwasi Brenya-Mensa himself has had an unusual career. Aside from food, he has also been involved in collaborative musical and DJ projects that have taken him all over the world. At the culinary end of the scale, he has been a restaurateur, street food operator, caterer and hosted the supper club ‘Mensa, Plates and Friends’. It was at one of these supper clubs, in fact, that he originally introduced his new dining concept, Tatale.