Chuku's (Tottenham) — Restaurant in London

I - The place

An original and exciting take on Nigerian cuisine (and beyond) with a warm and welcoming ambiance.

II - The Food and mood

I had followed Chuku's inception and crowdfunding, but it sadly had to close so fast after opening due to COVID's impact that I had not yet had the occasion to visit myself. And now that I finally did, I can't say I was disappointed, far from it!

I was (and still am) an absolute neophyte in terms of Nigerian cuisine, and besides the story, the looks and marketing of Chuku's, this was the main appeal to me. As other comments point out, the tapas format can be unsettling, along with a price that might not always match the neighbourhood offering, but let's not forget that going to eat out shouldn't be a daily activity but a special treat. And I'm happy to eat less often outside to try more cooking done with love like Chuku's. The tapas format also allows me to experiment and try many dishes, instead of one massive plate and maybe a shared started. They are very transparent on the format and portions, and not pushy at all, so there is no reason to be disappointed. I don't find it abusive here, but on the contrary encouraging exploration, where in some other places in London, Soho particularly, you can indeed get a mini-burger for £10. Then it makes no sense. Anyway, back to the food!

It was really hard to decide as so many dishes looked excellent, and we eventually settled for a Dodo, a Sinasir, some Moi Moi, the Chicken Wings and the Mackerel Croquettes. Overall everything range from very good (Dodo, Moi Moi) to excellent. The Sinasir was the true gem of the night, combining an incredible texture with an amazing dressing and topping. The wings were also very well prepared with a sticky and delicious sauce, and the croquettes were very satisying with a nice spicy jam that I would recommend to take on the side as we did, particularly if you're a bit sensitive to hot sauce. This way you can dose it your way and still enjoy this very nice dish. We also took their non-alcoholic drink, which was very interesting and refreshing, and concluded with their Yaw Brownie which was also excellent and very gratifying. There are a lot of options for everyone, omnivores and vegetarians / vegans.

The staff, also as often highlighted, is really nice, helpful and efficient. They have really optimised the space for COVID, especially compared to other places we have visited, and everyone is super protected, both patrons and staff. They are taking this very seriously and it is appreciated. The ambiance is great, although I always enjoy less noise, and I loved our seats close to the kitchen. A lovely experience overall.

III - Anything special?

I saw so many dishes I wanted to try and, as I knew nothing about Nigerian cuisine, everything felt special in its own way but the Sinasir and the Yam dessert were fabulous.

IV - Verdict

A wonderful place trying something different in an area that really needs it, offering a lovely concept to a great cuisine that I cannot wait to try again. Highly...

I finally went to Chuku’s as part of their 6-week charge after passing it so many times when I’d been out an about. I went in early November, I’d planned to go later in the month, but I was in the area, and I decided to take a chance and see if they had any tables. I didn’t have a reservation, but I was able to be seated.

The décor was fantastic, and the atmosphere was fun and cheery. The staff were attentive and professional. Nigerian food presented in a tapas type of style is a new concept to me, but it worked. I had the Jollof Quinoa which I can recommend as I love both jollof and quinoa! The Dodo was new way of experiencing plantain for ma and I loved the flavours that the cinnamon sugar and coconut added, the meal so far was very much a treat for my palette. The Ojojo was tantalising to my tastebuds and as I enjoy fish dishes, I do recommend this as well.

My partner had the Caramel Kuli Kuli Chicken and really, really enjoyed the wings to the point that she was licking her fingers! I have large appetite and being tapas, which are essentially smaller servings that can be shared, I ordered certain dishes twice. This is not a criticism, I just have a large appetite and just needed to eat more, and I enjoyed every mouthful of what I ate. I wish I had taken some pictures of the food that we ate, but this isn’t something that is natural to me, so I hope to do so on my next trip in the new year.

Chuku’s is a very welcoming nice restaurant with a great atmosphere and a wonderful team, and I look forward to going again soon to look forward to exploring more of the menu. I cannot recommend the restaurant enough. The clientele was eclectic, and everyone can find something that they like on the menu. Thank you Chuku’s for making your incredible fusion of Nigerian food flavours accessible to so many people that may not otherwise have sampled it. I was glad to have been able to support an amazing inspirational black owned business, may the restaurant...

We really had high hopes for this local restaurant but were sadly disappointed. We have rarely felt less welcomed and underwhelmed than our experience here. We were only able to secure a booking here after being put on a waiting list but oddly the place was hardly busy all the time we were there. We were served by a waitress who gave the impression she really didn't want to be there and throughout the evening spent most of the time on her phone. We ordered our food ( about 12 dishes in total) and after a reasonable amount of time 4 dishes arrived but then after about a further 20 minutes nothing else materialised, as we watched other tables, who arrived after us, receive their food. Surely a half decent waiter would have noticed this. We asked the waitress if our food was coming and we then had a guy (the manager?) come over and explain that the order had not printed properly and apologised. We then waited a further 20 minutes before the rest of the food arrived and we're told that £10 would be taken off the bill. How generous. However, before any any of this had transpired, and before any food had arrived, our waitress informed us that if we wanted desserts, we needed to order them there and then. Astounding. The food in general was ok but nothing exceptional as some reviews indicated. Due to our poor experience, we chose not to pay the service charge, which the manager promptly removed. However after paying the bill by card, I asked for a copy of the card receipt and was told that they only send receipts by email. This is very dodgy and actually illegal. Sadly, due to our poor experience we will not be returning to or recommending Chuku's. So...