The African food scene has not been in the spotlight for a while in Glasgow, so we’re happy to report that an African-inspired restaurant, Afrikana, has arrived in the UK’s friendliest city.
The restaurant already has multiple branches around the UK, and is expanding to our wee Glasgow opened its doors on November 24 on Sauchiehall Street. Guests are now able to experience explosive flavours, colourful interiors and lively music within the venue, as well as some African art.
Afrikana was started in 2018 by entrepreneur Oman Ali, who had a vision of merging some beloved British classics with some African twists. The franchise is now present in London, Cardiff, Birmingham, Bristol and Leicester, with a Manchester spot opening and the well-anticipated Glasgow venue in the works on Sauchiehall Street.
The restaurant is also known for hosting monthly African events, such as live DJ’s and traditional drumming sessions, bringing the rich cultural elements untouched by time to life for everyone to immerse in.
Once there, guests will experience familiarity that meets the unknown, presented in a homely, welcoming way. Firstly, visitors can expect plenty of chicken options, such as chicken wings, a quarter chicken or a butterfly chicken, served with fries, salad and coleslaw.
The menu in other Afrikana restaurants also boasts lots of shareable options, like the Prawn To Be Wild sharing platter with deep fried prawns tossed with the house special sauce, or the We’ll Have It All platter with literally most of the things from the menu: three BBQ wings, four chicken strips and four Chick’n bites, lady fingers, grilled halloumi, hummus and bread, all served with fresh kachumbari.
As you can already tell, the menu is saturated with chicken options, and we’re already obsessed. For example, the Boneless Banquet In Botswana sounds like a dream, shared between two to three people and complete with two chicken breasts, two fried chicken fillets, two chicken thighs and four Chick’n bites, with four regular sides, a salad garnish and fresh kachumbari. Plus, the cocktails are known to be delicious, too!
The Brand Director of Afrikana said: “Our vision is centred around providing the essence of home-cooked African-inspired cuisine. Our menu caters to various dietary requirements, ensuring that our guests can relish our offerings irrespective of their preferences, including halal, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.” Furthermore, the restaurant promises a holistic experience, with live entertainment such as African drummers, dancers, and DJs, creating a vibrant, lively, and authentic environment for all guests to enjoy.”