Stork is a new restaurant in the heart of Mayfair serving a very unique fusion of West African, Eastern European, and modern British cuisine. I’m Nigerian, so soon as I came across Stork restaurant on Instagram I was in. Then I looked through the menu and it had suya (a Nigerian spicy street food bbq dish that I adore) all over it and I couldn’t wait. I cancelled our previous dinner plans and booked dinner at Stork restaurant on Saturday evening.

Stork has the vibe of the quintessential modern Mayfair restaurant. A lot of love and attention on the design, both inside and outside to make it perfectly instagram-able. And that effort has rightly paid off by the restaurant’s clientele – fairly young Mayfair club crowd who spend a good while taking pictures outside in front of the beautiful wings. Although this might be a result of the time we dined – 9PM on a Saturday. The service was really nice, and much more warm than you’d expect walking in. They even allowed Shiima to go downstairs to have a look around the bigger space downstairs which was closed on the night.

Now the food…

Small Eats

We went all in on the suya. We ordered lamb suya, chicken suya, beef suya, and I ordered suya roast pork belly.

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Now, all Nigerians reading this will want to know if it tastes anything like the suya we’re used to. Well, yes and no. I imagine this is an unsatisfactory response, but this is a refined opinion after my initial experience at Ikoyi (read my first and second thought reviews on Ikoyi). I went in expecting Nigerian food, but, like Ikoyi, Stork is fusion cuisine. The suya had all the elements of Nigerian suya including extra suya pepper and sliced onions, but it truly lacked that irresistible and intense spice kick. On the other hand, it was elevated by fresh ingredients. The lamb suya was the best of the three, mainly because it was very succulent pieces of lamb.

The pork belly was awesome. Again, I would’ve preferred it spicier, but it just melts in the mouth.

Grill Suya

This I didn’t quite understand. I think Stork’s interpretation of “suya” is West African BBQ grill and by that interpretation both dishes we ordered from the grill Suya were perfect. If you’re expecting any heat or spice… just, stop. I ordered the corn fed chicken breast and Shiima ordered rib eye steak and jollof rice.

Both were served with plantain and Lagos salad. The Lagos salad they got right on the nose because I recognised the look and taste. I wasn’t a big fan of the plantain. It wasn’t sweet or soft enough for me, but Shiima really enjoyed it. On the plus side, it wasn’t oily at all.

Shiima’s rib eye was absolutely delicious. She ordered it medium well, but it was a tad more pink that she expected… this though made the rib eye so succulent and rich. Even the fatty bits which Shiima left to me where really good.

The corn fed chicken breast was a tad basic. Again, it was fantastically cooked, especially because it was so soft. The gizzard skewer was delicious.

The Jollof

This was a revelation. It resembled the jollof rice I enjoyed at home in Lagos, at the home of friends, and especially at parties. Something about the taste and appearance of the jollof rice ignited all those happy memories, which other jollof rice I’ve had in London (some of which actually tasted better) did not. It was authentic. Shiima really enjoyed it as well.

Dessert

We ordered the chocolate fondant and the white stork.

The white stork is delicately presented and also had a delicate taste, but we wouldn’t order it again. It’s a light finish for a good meal, but we’ve never really liked mango parfait and this dessert is all about the parfait.

The chocolate fondant was as you’d expect in terms of its rich taste, but it was fairly dry.

Verdict

We enjoyed our dinner at Stork. The vibe is undeniably opulent but also relaxing, the service is professional and friendly, and the food is delicious (although lacking the heat for those of us expecting that). We recommend Stork for a romantic dinner, pre-night out dinner with friends, and anyone intrigued by the unique fusion cuisine. The space downstairs is also perfect for a private event (max 50). Stork is quite expensive though, so do go prepared.

Cuisine: West African/Eastern European/British fusion
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Rib eye steak
Amen’s Star Dish: Pork Belly
Price: Over £50pp
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Stork Restaurant
13 – 14 Cork Street
Mayfair,
London, W1S 3NS
Book a table at OpenTable,
Or call 0203 973 9307