Oeuvre Bistro (Ogudu)

I’m always on the hunt for Mainland treasures, because that’s my side of town and truly it’s not every time Lekki and VI, especially with the price of fuel these days 🙏🏽. So yeah, it was a bit weird that I hadn’t actually visited Oeuvre Bistro even though I’d known about them for a couple of years. I decided to stop looking from afar and finally pay them a visit on a Saturday afternoon.

Oeuvre is located on the second floor of Ogudu mall and for some reason, the elevator wasn’t working that day, so I had to walk up two flights of stairs to get there (thankfully, I wore my comfortable heels). Oh and also, on the ground floor, I noticed that there was an Oeuvre furniture store as well. I thought that was interesting because the idea of someone opening a furniture store and thinking, ‘Hm, why don’t I go into food too?’ is random to say the least.

When I got into the restaurant though, it was clear that the interior decor was well put together. The space had a contemporary theme that pulled me in. It was also pretty cosy and intimate, but the latter bit might just be because it was empty when my friend and I visited. Guys, it was legit only us and the wait staff for hours on a Saturday afternoon. I don’t know whether the economy’s to blame or the restaurant’s just still very lowkey. Whatever the case, if that’s their usual vibe, it’d be a great place for remote workers to get some work done during the week. They even have sockets at the bottom of the seats, but the one thing they fumbled in that regard is that there’s no WiFi for guests.

Anyway, now that we’ve got all that out of the way, let’s get into the food. We were presented with a digital menu on the waiter’s tablet because apparently, the menu accessible through the link in their Instagram bio wasn’t updated. I ordered the Southern Fried calamari as a shared starter, and since I felt like immersing myself in the Oeuvre culinary experience, I got their Oeuvre Chef’s Special for my main course and the Oeuvre Daiquiri cocktail. My friend ordered their Seafood Pasta and a Blueberry Julep mocktail.

We opted to have our drinks served with the starter, but about 15 minutes into waiting for both, the waiter informed us that the Blueberry Julep wasn't available—they should have let us know this much earlier. My friend decided to have the Mango Basil mocktail instead, since it was one of the few ones available.

The appearance of the Southern Fried Calamari took us by surprise. We expected it to come in the classic ring shape and in a larger portion, but instead we got these bite-size squarish nuggets. The disappointment only deepened when I bit into them and they were too tough, showing that they weren’t cooked well enough. On the bright side, the sweet and spicy mayo sauce was delicious and exactly what we signed up for: sweet and spicy.

My Oeuvre's Daiquiri was made with kiwi instead of the typical strawberry flavour, so it was an interesting shade of green. It melted really fast and for some reason, the waiter served it on a serviette. I still don't grab the rationale behind it because it quickly soaked up the serviette and made a mess—the drinking experience was truly chaotic. I had to request for a coaster and even after that, my friend's Daiquiri-like mocktail was served on a serviette too 🙄. Anyhoo, my Daiquiri was actually really good; it was sweet, slightly minty and the kiwi flavour was in abundance. The alcohol was barely detectable though, I mean I was only convinced it was indeed a cocktail when I tried my friend's mocktail and noticed the difference.

Speaking of my friend's Mango Basil mocktail, it also came in an interesting shade of green. I expected it to be more orange, but even when I tried it, it was clear that the basil flavour had overpowered the mango flavour. It tasted very green, like one of those healthy smoothies my mother’s always trying to make me drink, but a lot sweeter.

My Oeuvre Chef’s Special came shortly after the drinks were served and its appearance was yet another disappointment. The menu description said something about herb rice, but what I got was white rice with hints of peppers and vegetables here and there. Everything just looked underwhelming and I was expecting to be blown away, because after all, it was a Chef's Special. Still, I dug in and gave them the benefit of the doubt. The pepper sauce was tasty with a smoky finish and it wasn't too spicy, which I appreciated. The fried plantain strips were crisp on the outside and slightly soft on the inside, just the way plantain should be made when accompanying rice 👍🏽. The chicken was a bit too dry and crunchy on the outside for me, but the inside was really juicy, flavourful and even sweet. I wished they’d served the whole meal on a good ol’ plate though, because this platter business wasn't user-friendly as the rice kept spilling.

My friend’s Seafood Pasta, which arrived about 10 minutes later than my main, was the real game changer. The linguine was doused in a rich, creamy and savoury seafood sauce. A hint of spiciness also added a nice kick to the meal. The prawns were thankfully well-cooked so they were soft and tasty, as were the bits of shrimps in the dish. The meal was so good that my friend cleared her plate.

I was already pretty full by dessert time, but I braved through and ordered a brownie anyway. The brownie came from their bakery and pastry outlet, Oeuvre's Patisserie & Boulangerie, so it was ready made and was served almost as soon as I requested it. Just from the looks of it, I could tell it was more cakey than fudgy, so I already had my doubts. I like my brownies to be very fudgy and gooey, but I didn't get to the gooey part of it until after a few bites. Nonetheless, the brownie had a very rich chocolate flavour and was super yummy. My friend wanted a cheesecake for dessert, but it wasn't available.

About the payment situation, I didn't have a card to pay with, so I had to do a transfer and the account number they gave me wasn't in Oeuvre's name. It was very suspicious, because employees stealing from businesses with personal accounts is a running theme in Lagos these days. They kept insisting it was the owner's account, so I let it go seeing as I didn't have a choice. Later on though, I found out that the name on the account was indeed that of the owner's. Still, creating a business account is something they should look into ASAP because not everyone will be so trusting.

I also think it's worth noting that the customer service at Oeuvre was generally subpar. The waiters weren’t particularly warm and they just didn't seem to be taking the initiative on a number of things. Going back to the serviette situation, I had to request for a coaster twice and that they didn't even bother to clean up the mess the drinks had made themselves when they finally brought the coasters.

VERDICT

POSTSCRIPT

There were more misses than hits, so I doubt I'll be back.

DAMAGE

Southern Fried Calamari - N8,000

Oeuvre's Daiquiri - N6,500

Mango Basil - N5,500

Oeuvre Chef’s Special - N10,500

Seafood Pasta - N12,000

Brownie- N2,000

PARKING

Mall parking should take at least 20 cars.

Review: Oeuvre Bistro (Ogudu)

VERDICT

POSTSCRIPT

DAMAGE

PARKING

Hump Day Lunch: Bubble Tii & Jollof Station

Hump Day Lunch: Thai Thai