The best street food in Lagos?

From legendary jollof at Ghana High to Ofada rice at Olaiya and catfish pepper soup at LASCOFIS, Michael Jimoh explores three Lagos institutions serving the local dishes that keep diners coming back.

One of the surest ways of getting to know the soul of a city is through its cuisine and the foods its locals feast on routinely. With a culturally diverse population, Lagos boasts almost as many recipes as there are ethnic groups in Nigeria: there is afang, amala, banga, eba, edikaikong, egusi, ewedu, gumbo/okra, jollof, Ofada rice, pounded yam, ukhodo and much more.

The perfect stopover for indigenous delicacies is on the streets: where market traders grab lunch between errands, where secretaries and receptionists queue with takeaway containers in hand, and where families return again and again for a special recipe reminiscent of home-cooked meals.

Lagos is full of such places, and some stand out more than others on account of their longevity, local clientele and what habitués swear are the tastiest meals you can find in Lagos.

Ghana High Restaurant, is one such outlet. Its reputation stands secure as the go-to place for the tastiest jollof rice anywhere on Lagos Island, making it one of the area’s best-known food spots.

Starting as a buka – an open-air roadside eatery where customers wolfed down meals while standing, the restaurant got its name after relocating to the grounds of the Ghana High Commission.

Though the commission has since relocated to Abuja following a Federal Government order in the 1990s, the name has stuck and the restaurant remains to this day, an easily identifiable landmark on Lagos Island.

No physical markers distinguish the two-storey building from others in the neighbourhood apart from a sign emblazoned with its name on a red background. Inside, banners hang from the rafters like crazed bats above branded chairs and table covers, while two frosted-glass chillers with logos fill out the otherwise unremarkable interior.

But a steady stream of diners finds its way there every weekday. The gastronomic pilgrimage is understandable. After all, there is no love more sincere than the love of food. The jollof rice queues are invariably the longest.

Another house speciality is ewa agoyin, cooked beans mashed into a paste and served with a deep-fried dry-pepper sauce. A Togolese delicacy eaten with bread or fried plantain, it has since become a staple across West African countries like Benin, Ghana and Nigeria.

Some Nollywood actors are regulars. Jide Kosoko drops by now and then. So do musicians Wande Coal and Olanrewaju David Ogunmefun, better known as Vector. Sound Sultan frequented Ghana High before his death in July 2021.

The story most often told about the restaurant borders on folklore. A young boy recovering from an appendectomy reportedly emerged from the haze of surgery with a singular request: a plate of jollof rice and assorted meat from Ghana High. Like all enduring legends, it captures something essential: a place whose food inspires fierce loyalty.

Olaiya Restaurant

Another famous eatery is Olaiya Restaurant and Catering Services. Spread across a buffet table are several dozen dishes: fried goat meat, moin moin, porridge beans, ponmo, semovita, white beans, yam porridge and more.

Ghana High has nothing of the sort. Also absent are the protective gloves, surgical masks and headgear worn by the servers behind the buffet table at Olaiya.

Despite their differences, the two eateries have something important in common: both were founded by women. Togolese-born Fatima Afansi started Ghana High as a roadside buka, while Kudirat Oluwatoyin Ameen established Olaiya. Portraits of the founders now hang on the walls of the restaurants they created, both of which remain in the hands of their families.

No family members are involved in the day-to-day running of another popular spot. Lagos State Cooperative Finance and Investment Society Limited –  LASCOFIS, for short.

Itis owned by civil servants employed by the Lagos State Government, specifically the Ministry of Agriculture.

Originally established as a relaxation centre for weary civil servants, it soon began attracting workers from nearby offices in the Ogba Industrial Area, who would stop by for a beer or two and lively banter with colleagues and friends.

On their heels came journalists from two national newspapers nearby, Independent and Telegraph, filling seats in the capacious bar as the tantalising aroma of catfish pepper soup, nkwobi or isiewu wafted from the kitchen.

As customer numbers increased, so did LASCOFIS’s reputation. The pavilion turned into an entertainment hub once a live band was introduced.

As conversation swirled – much of it about the forthcoming general elections and the chances of candidates and their parties – a steaming dish of barbecued croaker fish was brought in.  Ofada rice and moin moin are favourites In a city of constant reinvention, these enduring eateries offer something harder to come by: a taste of Lagos that still feels like home.

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