Mama Calabar is a Nigerian restaurant based close to Wembley Stadium, a fascinating experience if you are new to the country’s food and a pleasingly authentic experience for the native.

The Venue
Mama Calabar has an unfortunate location being situated on the third floor of an office block, and, if you find it at all, you should consider it a small achievement. Nonetheless, once you are inside, the inconvenience of trying to locate the restaurant will quickly melt away. Mama Calabar boasts a vast floor space, one area for dining and a smaller bar area. The main restaurant is perfect for large dinner parties and one benefit of being located within a tall office block is the fantastic panoramic view from the windows.

The Atmosphere
Mama Calabar has a vibrant atmosphere and seems to attract an energetic crowd. Regrettably, the service is exceptionally slow and the waitresses lack charisma and are somewhat abrupt in manner, but these aspects can be dismissed when the appetisingly aromatic food finally arrives.

The Food
Everything on the menu is 100 percent authentic, apparent from the sheer number of natives that enjoy the food here. For starters, if you’re a fan of spicy food, go for the pepper soup, but be warned, this dish is not for the faint-hearted. The goat meat with Ogbono soup makes for a tasty main dish, made with the ground kernels from wild mango trees. It is served in a rich and well seasoned tomato sauce. Add okra to the soup which come cooked down to a gooey and slightly slimy consistency, but don’t be put off, this food is delicious as well as fun to eat. As this soup is more of a stew, it is perfect to eat with rice or, more traditionally, pounded yam, which is a tropical root vegetable. Similar to mashed potato in appearance, but has a thicker and starchier consistency. It is traditionally eaten with the fingers, making this a food to eat wholeheartedly and unreservedly.

The Drink
The drinks menu is succinct, the obvious focus being on the food. Try the Star beer, a smooth lager from Ghana that goes down well with the food on offer.

The Last Word
If you want a quick meal, this is not the place to dine, but if you are willing to kick back and relax, and you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, Mama Calabar is a delightful place to eat out.

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