With a much-established diaspora spanning over several generations and some great local restaurants in the city, African cuisine has always received great representation in London. The past few years have seen the openings of extraordinary African-run restaurants, from casual dining spots such as Jollof Box and Chishuru
to the Michelin-starred Ikoyi in St James’s Market.
Enter Papa L’s Kitchen. The restaurant is the brainchild of Gambian born Founder and Executive Chef Lawrence Gomez - previously at the iconic Ivy restaurant, Mayfair’s Sexy Fish, Scott’s and Head Chef at Annabel’s Saudi Arabia cooking for celebrities and royalty alike. It was during this time that Lawrence developed his signature marinades and experimentation with different foods before eventually launching Papa L’s Kitchen
in 2021 - an exciting food concept called “African Fusion Cuisine” in the cosy quarter of Piccadilly Circus, on Jermyn Street.
Spread over two floors, the restaurant’s interior is minimalist in design but imbues an undeniably warm energy with its forest green colour palette, hanging foliage and modern African art. The open kitchen gives diners a glimpse of Chef Lawrence in action, as he and his team operate with incredible precision. Upon seating, we were greeted with an ample food and drinks menu by our charming waitress. There is a selection of wines, teas beers, and some of the sweetest, thirst-quenching mocktails and classic cocktails.
Holistic and thoughtful in its construction, the seasonal menu includes an extended list of delicious dishes dedicated to and passed down from Chef Lawrence’s mother. Starters were the irresistibly crunchy, golden sweet potato croquettes with lime and rocoto sauce, fluffy coco bread and Papa L’s signature grilled shell-on king tiger prawns - a statement dish perfectly cooked, juicy, tender and drenched in African spices and marinade.
The honey glazed salmon was a wonderfully simple and elegant main dish. Grill-kissed on the outside, flaky and sweet within, seasoned with ginger, soy, sesame, chilli & lime dressing and Kenyan green beans. The fragrant coconut curry consisted of succulent pieces of chicken, sugar snaps and baby sweetcorn in a smooth silky mouth warming coconut curry alongside a slice of moist, buttery cornbread. Accompanying the mains were two ceramic pots of Ma’s Benachin rice - a national Gambian dish, notable for its characteristic colourful reddish colour and gentle fragrance. These dishes were not as dramatic as you’d expect from a typical African dish and in some plates, a hit of pepper to turn up the heat would not have gone amiss.
The penultimate dish was, of course, dessert. We opted for the baked Ugandan vanilla cheesecake with Nespresso Chantilly cream - Papa L’s twist on a classic, in what tasted like an upgraded version of the ‘cheesecake’. The chocolate brownie with rum strep and salted caramel gelato was a top treat also - fudgy with a warm, gooey and ultra-chocolatey centre.
As the evening wrapped up, we had the pleasure of catching a quick chat with Chef Lawrence himself following a busy Friday night. He described his dishes as ‘culture and career on a plate’, an amalgamation of his finely tuned culinary skills over the years along with his inspiration from African cultures. A sigh of relief for diners who hate being hushed out of establishments, because that's not happening here! Chef Lawrence is dedicated to creating an authentic social dining experience by shunning set table turnover times, rather allowing guests to “have the table for the night to enjoy each other’s company”.
Papa L’s Kitchen is a celebration of modern Africa’s fusion flavours and a great introduction to upscale African dining. I left resoundingly fed and with a sense of pride that I wanted my Nigerian family and friends to experience. We’d come back to sample the new seasonal menu or just grab a refreshing cocktail with a plate of those show-stealing tiger prawns.
