Restaurant of the Week – Spice Route

It was my birthday a couple of days ago, so I had offers from people to take me out. Lucky for me and for you guys.

First up on the list of birthday lunches is Spice Route. I’ve heard of spice route before, so I was really excited when my friend said that was were we would be having lunch. Not only is it a high class pan Asian restaurant, it also comes alive in the the night time and turns into a club. It is one of the hot spots for clubbing right now, this may change next month as with all clubs in Lagos.

When I got there, in my mind I went ‘this is the famous spice route?’ I have to admit I was a bit disappointed as the outside was doing nothing for me. It shares a compound with a couple of other restaurants.

When I got to the entrance, the security guard asked where I was going, and after telling her spice route, she ushered me into the lift and pressed the floor where it was (2nd Floor).

You ever heard don’t judge a book by its cover? That’s exactly what happened in this situation. I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped in there and I could see why Lagosians have taken a liking to it. The interior is very very nice and the ambience is really good.

Of course my lunch date was late but I didn’t mind, it gave me time to take pictures. The waitress told me I could wait in the ‘reception area’ and I liked the concept of the tables there.

Entrance to Spice Route which leads straight to the waiting area and bar.

Waterfall at waiting area

Part of the bar area, and where the night time shenanigans happen. The stairs by the side lead up to the dining area.

How cool is this coffee table? They put different spices (turmeric, peppers, curry etc)inside the tables to correlate with their name.

I absolutely loved this. Ancient terracotta warriors protecting you while you walk through the bar. There is also another dining area at the far end, all depends on how busy they are and your preference of course. If they are really busy, or they are transitioning to the club aspect, you might need to call to reserve those tables if you want to sit downstairs.

There’s also an outer dining area for those who would prefer to enjoy lunch/dinner there, or club goers who would like to get some fresh air.

So my friend finally got there (thank God) and we were led to our seats which was upstairs. Most of the dinning is done upstairs except when they’re full.

When we got upstairs I looked down and guess what I saw?

Giant Buddha. Honestly if there was space beside it, we all know I would have gone and done my own version of the Buddha pose, besides I didn’t want to look razz there. LOL.

The setting upstairs was equally as nice and kept up with their Asian theme.

Other people having lunch.

I really like the sun roof.

After we were seated, a waitress brought the menus and after we quickly went through, we chose what we wanted. I’ve heard that they take a while to prepare their meals, but luckily for us, this time the service was quite quick.

For drinks, I got a mojito and my friend got water. I think the waitress got a bit tired of me because I was specific about how I wanted my drink. What can I say, I like my mojitos a certain way.

While we were waiting, they brought out some sort of bread and dips. I liked the dip. No idea what its called, and I forgot to ask.

Our food finally came. I got prawn balchao and rice, while my friend got naan and lamb. (Naan is a type of leavened, oven baked flat bread which is a favorite in parts of Asia). The prawn balcaho was a mixture of coconut and gravy and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Ignore how the pictures look, the food was yummy and I tried the lamb. I preferred mine. We both didn’t finish our meals. So we had them pack it up.

Damage done – Well I didn’t get to see the total damage done as I wasn’t allowed to see the bill, but from looking at the menu, prices start from about N2500 – N5000 (9GBP-19GBP/$15-$30).

So if I was to do a rough calculation in my head we spent about N15,000-N20,000 (57GBP-76GBP/$90-$120).

Score – 8/10. The ambiance is really nice, friendly staff, good food and I like the décor. I hear at night time, the décor even looks better.

I was talking to my 9-5 boss who is Irish about spice route and he said ‘been there a few times, great fun.’ So you have another person who isn’t me and is of a different nationality giving it a good review.

They also have shisha (hookah) for those who are interested.

Unfortunately, they do not have a website, but they are located at number 36 Adeola Odeku, Victoria Island, Lagos (on the internet, some sites say 44a), but no matter what the actual number is, it has a sign board outside and is directly opposite Sterling Bank.

All in all it was a very nice experience and I definitely recommend it. Have you ever been to spice route? Either to dine or for the clubbing experience. How was it? Yay or Nay?

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