Every year since 2007, the National Restaurant Awards celebrate the brilliance and vibrancy of the UK’s outdoor dining scene. They also reward the best chefs, staff and restaurants that the country has to offer.
The 2024 edition of the ceremony took place on Monday (June 10) and London scooped a host of awards. One of the most prestigious awards, Chef of the Year, went to the founder and chef of Chishuru Adejoké Bakare, whose establishment is also on the list of the 50 best restaurants.
Bakare’s journey, which serves modern West African cuisine, began offering pop-ups in 2020 before opening a restaurant in Brixton Village. Believing that her restaurant would thrive in a more central location in London, she moved it to a larger location in Fitzrovia in late 2023.
And earlier this year she became the first black woman in the UK to be awarded a Michelin star, and only the second black female chef in the world to achieve this. According to the National Restaurant Awards, Bakare’s cooking is “inventive and interesting”, with dishes on the regularly changing menu that might include mutton cutlet with coffee and yaji dressing; bean cake with lamb broth cooked tomato, shrimp shito and salted egg sauce; and moringa biscuits, soursop ice cream and burnt marshmallow.
Chishuru has also proved popular with diners, with four stars on TripAdvisor. One user wrote: “Delicious food, enjoyed everything especially the bean cake, wonderfully cooked cod, mutton and yummy pud which we wished was bigger as so delicious.”
Another added: “This is a restaurant not to be missed, just had a fantastic evening. Everything was excellent – atmosphere, staff and food – every dish served with explanation and wow, what amazing and interesting flavours.”
Chishuru is located at 3 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 8AX