In my opinion, I think the only thing the city of Lagos has more than people and potholes is restaurants. You can find a restaurant in all corners of the city. City planning is a social construct so anyone can rent a flat or duplex to convert it into a restaurant.

Now, it’s not completely absurd that a vastly populated city such as Lagos is home to a variety of restaurants. Far beyond the fine dining experience, these establishments allow many individuals to mark the milestones in their lives. From a first date to a wedding anniversary and even a business deal, you can always find the perfect restaurant for every occasion in Lagos:

 A First Date: La Taverna

First dates are all about getting to know your potential significant other. The ideal restaurant for a first date is one that allows you and your person of interest intimacy, comfort, and coziness. You’d want a place where you both can converse freely, and enjoy each other’s company amidst pleasant food and drink. La Taverna is that place.

With both outdoor and indoor sitting areas, La Taverna’s mix of rustic and modern decor provides the perfect atmosphere to kick back to. There are a few shared meals on the menu – such as pizza and tapas-style plates – so if you’d really like to push the boundaries of your intimacy, you can do that.

 An Anniversary: Tarragon by Culinary Academy

Anniversaries, particularly relationship or wedding anniversaries are occasions worth all the celebration. Finding love can be a bit difficult and if after an entire year, the love of your life is STILL the love of your life, that’s an occasion worth celebrating. Anniversaries only come once a year and that alone is a reason to celebrate to the max. Get your hair done, put on some fancy clothes and head down to Tarragon by Culinary Academy for the fine dining experience of your dreams.

Tarragon is one restaurant create to impact wonderful memories on all those who visit it. From its carefully curated menu to its sleek aesthetics, it is a luxury experience people committed to each other deserve when celebrating their special day. Asides fine dining, Tarragon offers cooking classes which are an excellent bonding activity to undertake in the spirit of an anniversary. Enjoy you lovebirds!

 Meeting the In-Laws: RSVP

Life is full of nerve-wracking experiences but nothing compares to meeting your in-laws. There’s so much to be careful of! You’re pressed to make a good impression and you risk hurting your fiancé/fiancée if you don’t – as if you weren’t already bad enough.  

When meeting the in-laws, it’s best to pick a restaurant you’re familiar with. By doing so, you’re eliminating a bit of the pressure you’re predestined to experience during the meet. This familiarity is exactly why RSVP is an excellent option. RSVP has been around since 2014 and is still ranked as one of the best restaurants in the city. If you’ve lived here for at least 2 years, chances are you’ve visited RSVP at least once. You’re sure to get the quality upscale dining experience that you and your in-laws deserve.

On the bright side, if the dinner is a bust, RSVP has a hidden bar at the Poolside where your ex-prospective in-laws can’t see you drown your sorrows in alcohol and cute strangers.

A Family Outing: Casper and Gambini’s

Family is important. In Lagos, life comes at you pretty fast. So, it’s easy to miss out on memorable occasions with family members.

Casper and Gambini’s is an excellent option for family outings. C&G offers meals all day. I’m talking about breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. At any time of day, you’re good to breeze in with your folks for a nice time. C&G is also very child-friendly. Their branch in VI also has a play area where you can banish your kids when the adults need to gossip. Excellent, I know!

An Office Team Bonding Dinner: The Pearl Garden

Building a bond with your co-workers is an essential aspect of any business/career path. You spend an ample amount of your life around these people and getting to know them – ever so slightly – can improve your ability to work with them. When there’s harmony between co-workers, productivity will be at its peak. Foster the bond between co-workers over authentic Nigerian-Chinese cuisine and a serene ambiance at The Pearl Garden.

The Pearl Garden is an excellent option for office team dinners for several reasons. Firstly, the restaurant offers tables that can cater to large teams (teams of over 15 people) comfortably. Secondly, it’s the perfect option for employers who prefer to keep their bonding sessions PG13. Lastly, their menu is a shift from local cuisine which you and your co-workers likely consume every day. It’s not every time rice and stew. Sometimes, enjoy some deep-fried pork chops and Peking duck.

We get these questions all the time so we’re making a series of posts about this. Hopefully it helps!

And if you’re looking for part two of this story: here you go