Places to eat in Abuja, Nigeria (food pictures)

So I have been living in Abuja, Nigeria for about 5 months now and I believe I am still settling down and trying to find my bearing in this cool city. If you know me, you know I love food. I mean, who doesn't?  Abuja is such an interesting city but its no way as fun as Lagos if you know you know. It has its perks over Lagos and no one should attempt arguing. They equally have their strengths and weaknesses. 

Anyways, by the title of this blog, you know what I am about to talk about. Yes, places to eat in Abuja. I am still exploring and I believe I will have an updated post on additional places I have eaten at. For now, here are the places I have eaten in Abuja and what I ordered. I will try to sneak in a review of the service and my other thoughts. It's unacceptable to say you have a boring life in this city, this list is a good starting point of places to go eat in Abuja.

The price range of each meal here is from 1500 to 4000 naira. I try to highlight places that are not too expensive because we are all trying to have financial peace, right? Don't forget to be fiscally responsible and plan your finances when it comes to eating out. Also, if you click on the names it takes you to the address on google map when available.

Grilled seafood platter with a side of veggies

Argungu - This restaurant is located at Jabi Lake Mall with a view of the beautiful lake. The ambience of this place is amazing. It gives me the vibe of a "real" African restaurant. From the decor to the staff and most importantly the meal, everything was amazing. When I heard the name Argungu I remembered the fishing festival in Kebbi State I was taught in primary school. The restaurant serves all sorts of seafood. They had calamari, shrimp, prawns, assorted fishes and many more. I had the grilled platter with a side of veggies. They have a robust menu that has rice, plantain, peppered seafood platter, the whole shebang. I went for a side of veggies instead of jollof rice because I'm still on the fitfam journey, God help me!

Beef jollof rice and plantain

Food Central- All I can think of with a watery mouth is their beef jollof rice and plantain. I did not have authentic jollof rice for about 4 years and this got me believing that jollof rice was overrated. I know right? what was I thinking? Boy, was I wrong! This jollof rice did a hard reset on my brain. It was everything I needed in a jollof rice. The service was interesting because they leave you with your food and not bother you at all to ensure everything was fine or if you needed anything. It was slightly annoying towards the end when I needed to pay. Be patient, the service isn't the best.

Peppered turkey wings and sweet potato fries

Number 10 Bar and grill: This is an outdoor cafe with a cosy feeling to it. I got the turkey wings and sweet potatoes fries and it was very delicious. The potatoes were freshly made and tasty, it wasn't frozen. The turkey wings had the right amount of spice for a Yoruba girl like me *wink*.  It is a very low-key cafe in Maitama and the owners are pretty chill young people.

Amala, Ewedu and gbegiri with ponmo and goatmeat

Iya Oyo Amala joint: OMG!!! We all enjoy a good traditional meal but we must agree that it is time and energy consuming to make it at home. Note, it is very high in calories so I only eat them for my cheat meals. This Amala, gbegiri and Ewedu with goat meat and ponmo was the truth. The joint was very authentic in its set up, it reminds me of canteens in south-west Nigeria. You don't have to dress up to be here, showing up with your cash is the only requirement. They do not accept any form of electronic payment. You have to stay on a line to get your food; it reminds me of cafeterias in boarding school. This meal is worth all the calories it gives!

Grilled chicken salad

Uncle D: This restaurant takes me back to the United States. The setup and the menu is not something you find in many restaurants in Nigeria. They had really loaded burgers, milkshakes, tacos, grilled chicken salad and many more on their menu. I really enjoyed the salad, it was crunchy and fresh and the chicken breast was well marinated and juicy. The bright colours and the setup makes it a great location for cool pictures.

  Ofada rice and sauce

Ikoko Kitchen: I actually followed them on Instagram and got interested in their meals. They have native rice, gizzdodo, a variety of swallows and soups, party jollof rice and many more. I actually did not visit their restaurant, I ordered and had it delivered to my office. This ofada rice and the sauce was banging! I was a bit scared because many Ofada sauces I have had in the past are often too spicy but this was the perfect amount of spice. I don't know what the restaurant looks like but their ofada is on point!

Delta Kitchen: Two words, Fisherman soup! Being a Yoruba girl, I have not been exposed to a lot of meals outside my culture. I actually started eating beef and goatmeat this year. Growing up, it was either chicken or fish we ate at my house. I had some fisherman soup with catfish, periwinkle and many other things I don't know their names. All I know is this, that soup is delightful. The bowl is so big that I had leftovers that lasted me 3 days. It goes well with rice and boiled yam. The set up of the restaurant isn't fancy, it is like a proper canteen. It is located in city park.

Casa Mexicana: It is located in Ceddi Plaza, I already did an in-depth review of this restaurant in a previous blog. If you are interested, check out my Mexico in Nigeria blog.

Fork by Bibilamour: Okay this is not a restaurant! It is my Instagram page where I share my love for food and pictures showcasing my meals. I am really passionate about food and showcasing food. Statistics show that people feed with their eyes before their stomach, this means the prettier the meal the higher the chance of people buying the food. Please follow my page, I follow back.


I am still exploring the city, I will surely do more blog posts like this. If you think there are other places I should visit please leave a comment below.

"People who love to eat are always the best people" - Julia Child


With love,
Bibi L'amour