What to Look out for in a Lagos Restaurant, by Chiamaka Ibidun

SWITZERLAND, AUGUST 13 – In this article, food critic and Today’s Echo contributor, Chiamaka Ibidun, highlights the qualities customers should look out for in a restaurant, using a case study of her five favourite restaurants in Lagos.

Quality food is not the only driving force when selecting a perfect restaurant to visit. Everyone is also looking for a restaurant with a reasonable price range, comfortable environment and for the ladies, we love a beautiful and captivating ambience for pictures to be taken.

Cactus, Spur, Food Shack, Cut, and Buttermilk are my top recommendations for restaurants you need to visit in Lagos. If you are taking me on a date, make sure one of these is on your mind.

Price range is an important factor when picking a restaurant to chill with friends or family members or going on a perfect date with a special someone, on a budget.

The most affordable to dine in out of the five is Spur Restaurant. An individual needs roughly a sum of ten thousand naira, which can serve you and your partner a complete meal without any issues depending on what you want to eat or get.

Buttermilk and Food Shack are also quite affordable compared to Cut and Cactus. In these restaurants, make sure you have a sum fifteen thousand at hand depending on what you want to eat. This is so because the prices of food and drinks can fluctuate at any time, which can be irritating.

Cactus and Cut are more expensive compared to the other restaurants on the list. In these restaurants you can spend between fifteen thousand naira and twenty thousand naira for a complete meal. If you are not ready to splash some cash, do not go to these restaurants.

“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art,” said Francois De La Rochefoucauld. The reason for eating in an expensive restaurant is not just because of the taste or quality of food. Some go to eat in restaurants because of their captivating atmosphere.

All the restaurants mentioned above have beautiful eating halls with in their own unique ways. All of them have remarkable seat arrangements and patterns with beautiful flower decoration, comfortable chairs, dynamic menu, and colourful neon lights on their walls.

Cactus Restaurant is the only restaurant where I didn’t have the chance dine inside, but the outside view was really mind blowing. It was even more incredible because we were facing a beach resort. Here, the breeze is quite chilling. Facing their bar stands, we could see how the drinks were being mixed. The DJ’s music selection was also nice and sweet.

When thinking of any restaurant, this concept comes to play “Good food ends with good comment.

In terms of the quantity of food portions, Spur Restaurant surpasses the rest. However, I dare say they may have compromised a bit on taste to give the customers quantity. Some of their good meals include waffles, steaks, and smoothies.

Buttermilk Restaurant is known for their pancake/ waffles, French toasts, burgers, lasagne and so much more. This restaurant gives good quantity but still manages to not compromise on quality. But then, it is still more expensive than Spur.

Cactus and Cut Restaurant are known for the quality of their food, which is mouth- mouthing when eating while their only problem is their quantity. The food is usually on small size, making customers to purchase more than their estimated budget. This is quite frustrating with the premium Sapa currently in Nigeria right now, don’t you agree?

Food shack Restaurant quality surpasses their quantity. The food dishes are usually very tasting and enjoyable compared to size of their meal with the issue of time consumption. However, this restaurant delays your meal; making customers hungrier than they already were. Food shack is the only restaurant I have encounter this situation compared to the others  mentioned.

In conclusion, when selecting a restaurant for special gathering pick a restaurant that fit your lifestyle pattern in area of budget consideration, austenitic designs, comfortable atmosphere, quality of food. A good meal should end with a good comment. I believe restaurants should be all about giving people an experience. If you go to eat in a fancy restaurant and have nothing remarkable to remember about your experience, then maybe you should try another restaurant next time, or just cook at home.