Locale — Restaurant in Lagos State

Officially disappointed. This is my third time at Locale, and they will not be seeing me again. The first time, I ignored the bad reviews on TikTok and decided to try it out since they seemed to have a wide menu, as shown on their IG page. I love variety.

The first experience was fair. Even though we had to wait around, wondering who would attend to us so we could place our order, we eventually got someone. We loved the pizza. The rice wasn’t tasty, but it wasn’t bad. The other orders were good.

The second time, I brought two friends to try the same pizza I had the first time, and it was great. However, we were inconvenienced. We were told to leave our bag outside because it contained two pieces of turkey we got from another restaurant, packed to take home. We had no plans to eat it there. They assured us it would be safe with security, but it wasn’t. It was placed just by a tree or a flower pot. As restaurant staff, they should at least care about food, even if it’s not from their kitchen. We could have simply been told not to eat it on their premises and even been charged a service fee if that’s a common issue. We only came for pizza, and flies didn’t let us rest outside.

Inside, the indoor space is usually noisy with loud music that doesn’t consider the time of day. There should be playlists curated for different times. On our third visit, we even saw some staff dancing while we sat around looking for someone to attend to us.

Again, we ordered the same pizza I’ve always had, and it was a disappointment. The look was different, the taste was different, the texture was off. The pizza had too much moisture, and when we expressed our displeasure, we were told it was because of the cheese. The floor manager that day was kind enough to organize a replacement, and while it was better, it revealed a clear quality assurance problem. I looked up pictures of the pizza we had previously, and they looked nothing like what we were served this time. The dressing was different, and their quality control should include guidelines to ensure that menu items look and taste consistent even if the usual kitchen staff are unavailable.

It does have great outdoor ambience, and I love plants, but the indoor space is a mess because of the loud and poorly selected music. They need a music librarian or someone to curate better sound.

We were never asked how the meal was. It felt like they are averse to feedback, yet cooking and restaurant culture thrive on it. Good feedback can motivate both servers and kitchen staff. I also felt they were unkind, especially with how they made us leave our bag outside. Their tone was cold, and in all three visits, I’ve never been welcomed the way other restaurants set a calm, inviting mood. Locale has a tense vibe to its operations rather than an atmosphere of warmth.

Lastly, their restroom is shitty—that’s the only word I can use to...

I visited Locale recently with friends, and while the overall vibe was pleasant, the food left much to be desired. Here’s a breakdown of my experience:

Food: Unfortunately, the food didn’t meet my expectations. The suya platter lacked freshness and flavor, it wasn’t spicy or well-seasoned like a proper suya should be. The mini burgers were just okay, nothing exciting or memorable. On the brighter side, the chips and dips were quite decent and probably the best-tasting item we ordered.

Drinks: This was the highlight for me! We had the pineapple mint mojito and the honey deuce, both were refreshing, flavorful, and well-balanced. You could tell some thought went into their cocktail menu.

Service: Excellent service. The staff were friendly, attentive, and very accommodating throughout our visit.

Ambience: Locale shines in this department. The space is beautifully designed, cozy yet modern, with an inviting atmosphere perfect for brunch dates or casual hangouts. Also, there were no restrictions on taking pictures, which is always a big plus for content lovers like myself!

Affordability: Surprisingly affordable! For a spot in the heart of V.I., their pricing was very budget-friendly compared to similar lounges and restaurants...

My new favourite after-work spot in Lagos hands down!

Where to begin?! 😂

The foooood! The menu is simple and focused and well executed. We had the platter with a little bit of everything and the fish, and spare ribs were on point! Also loved the Korean wings as well but not so much the loaded fries. Their chicken and lamb suya were really decent and came with pickled onions which slapped!

The drinks!!! Never stop the unlimited cocktails plsssss!!! 😂What an absolute bargain especially in these times!? I don’t think I’ve seen this much generosity towards customers in a Lagos restaurant like this ever before! And the integrity of the cocktails are also not compromised 🙏🏽 the bature draft too was crisp as per usual and it was buy 2 get 3rd free! In this Lagos 😂😂 you guys…

The customer service was also really good! Don’t know if its the selection or the training but whatever it is, pls keep it up! The folks were so chilled and helpful that you just want to give as much tips as you can to say thank you cos they were really awesome!

I hope this continues as long as the establishment exists, and this isn’t just the usual new restaurant trick they use to pull u in then switch up crazy later on.

Prices are also pretty fair...