Akoko

Verdict

Book Akoko if you want the clearest argument London currently makes for West African cuisine at the fine dining level. It earned its Michelin star in 2024 and the tasting menu at £125 per head delivers enough technical ambition and flavour range to justify that price against any comparable room in Fitzrovia. If you have been once under the previous kitchen, the arrival of executive chef Mutaro Balde — an Alain Ducasse alumnus — gives you a concrete reason to return.

The Room and the Experience

The dining room on Berners Street runs warm: terracotta tones, well-spaced tables, and a counter that puts you directly in view of the open kitchen. For returning diners, the kitchen counter is the right call, you see the charcoal grill work that produces some of the more technically demanding plates on the menu, and the front-of-house team is knowledgeable enough to make that proximity feel interactive rather than intrusive. The room fills quickly at dinner, so a full house is the norm rather than the exception.

The tasting menu is the main event at £125 per person and runs approximately two and a half hours. A shorter lunch format is available Wednesday through Saturday, which runs to £55 and suits a first visit if the full commitment feels like a stretch. The cooking draws on West African regional traditions, Ghanaian, Senegalese, Nigerian, and pairs them with British-sourced ingredients. Charcoal-grilled preparations and smooth emulsions feature prominently; the kitchen's strength is in meat cookery and the layering of spice-forward sauces. The wine list moves between Kent, Austria, and South Africa, with a creditable selection available by the glass.

Akoko has been open since 2021 and spent its first three years building the case that West African cooking belongs in London's fine dining tier alongside the French and modern British rooms that have historically dominated it. The 2024 Michelin star confirms that argument has landed. The kitchen transition from Ayo Adeyemi to Mutaro Balde in late 2024 is the most significant change the restaurant has made since opening, and early indications suggest Balde's Ducasse training has added further precision without diluting the regional character that earned the star in the first place.

Groups and Private Dining

Akoko works for groups who want a shared tasting menu format, the two-and-a-half-hour dinner pace and the structured progression of dishes naturally suits a table with something to celebrate. The kitchen counter seats a smaller number and is better suited to pairs or a tight group of three or four who want closer engagement with the cooking. For larger parties, the main dining room provides the space, but contact the restaurant directly to confirm private dining availability and capacity, as those details are not publicly listed. The format, fixed tasting menu, attentive service, dishes that prompt conversation, makes it a more purposeful group booking than a standard à la carte room. If you are weighing Akoko against other Fitzrovia options for a milestone dinner, nothing else in the immediate area offers this cuisine type at this level.

Practical Details

How It Compares

See the comparison section below for how Akoko sits against London's other ££££ rooms.

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