Salamander Cafe — Restaurant in Wuse II

My boyfriend and I went here this morning for breakfast. The location is great! It is in Wuse 2 within a 15 minute walking distance of the major shopping areas on Ahmadu Bello Way. We were very hungry and searched "breakfast" on google maps. We arrived at Salamander Café on foot around 8 am. Right away we could see that the décor was artfully put together. I thought to myself 'I'll leave this place a review so that other travelers can find it". I pulled out my iPad ready to take photos when Iwas immediately told by the bartender that I was not allowed to take photos of the restaurant. I was shocked. Abuja is the 7th city I've visited in 14 days and I've written reviews all along the way! Perhaps he was concerned that something funky was going on with the photos? When I explained that I would be writing a review or sending photos to friends he seemed okay with it... But making up rules for customers on the spot like that? WOW. I was still hopeful that that interaction would be an anomaly. After choosing a seat and browsing through their truly interesting book and hand-crafted knickknacks collection we sat down and waited for about 5 minutes when the bartender asked what we were waiting for. We told him that we were waiting for menus... Like... DUH. Our waitress arrived and gave us menus. The only problem I had ...I could barely hear our waitress when she spoke. No matter how many times I asked her to repeat herself I still couldn't hear her! But this might just be a Nigerian restaurant problem. She let us know that we could use the bell system to call her when we were ready. I thought their bell system was pretty neat. She let us know that we could use the bell system to call her when we were ready. I thought their bell system was pretty neat. When it did ring our waitress acknowledged it and came once she was done with whatever she might have been in the middle of doing. No one smiled at us the entire time we were there. Also might be a Nigerian thing.

We ordered a French toast breakfast, a pancake breakfast, and an English breakfast. All of the dishes were pretty standard, not restaurant quality and definitely not worth the $40+ spent.

Décor: A Service: B Food: B-

Honestly I'll try to scout out more interesting places in Abuja for the next time. I can't recommend Salamander to anyone on a budget or anyone looking for a delicious Western breakfast. You'll most definitely leave unfulfilled and...

My favorite cafe in Abuja. Located in a serene environment and may easily be mistaken for an apartment building. It hides some of the best spaces in Abuja. The service is superb, the staff are welcoming and the soft background music wafts around you sending your mind into a state of ease. My best spot is the library diner section. If you are a book lover you would certainly enjoy reading here while sipping on your tea, agbalumo juice, or any other favourite drinks from their rich cocktail of drinks. The meals taste good too and combines fine local dishes with other less known delicacies. I also bought some locally hand crafted table/floor mats here. The mats are made by local women, very colorful and so beautiful too. If you are near Parakou Street in Wuse 2, please check them out. This is not a paid ad, just an...

I've been to Salamander a few times but this is my first time actually trying the food. In hindsight, I wish I took pictures but it was dark. I and my friend ordered spicy chicken wings(N1500), honey mustard wings(N1500), peppered snails(N2350) with a side order of mashed potatoes for my friend and fried rice for me(all sides are an extra N1000) The food was amazingggg. Highlights for me were the rice, snail and peppered wings. These were off the starter menu as the rest of the menu was slightly pricey and I wasn't looking to spend alot. We also ended up ordering cocktails. I got the Cairoskopa (wrong spelling) which was a citrusy cocktail, lime, syrup, vodka I believe. It was delicious.

All in all, I would probably come here for a proper meal with friends like once a month to splurge...