Watch the street food tour on Youtube

But as a proper all-around foodie who knows all the hidden gems –including those we’ll never share (just kidding, I share everything)– I can tell you that there are some high-end restaurants that have nearly made me an unbeliever in street food.

Here we’ll be comparing some street food and restaurant food based on three categories. Firstly, the ambiance of some of their spaces (of course we know who is winning this). Then we’ll look into affordability (again, this is quite obvious). Lastly, we’ll explore the food they offer and how good they taste.

Ambiance: Which of them is better on the eyes?

Photo by Matheus Bertelli

Street food joints are not known for their ambiance, so this round goes to the Restaurants. 

Shiro Lagos is one of the great-looking ones. It is a Japanese-Korean-Thai fusion restaurant with signature dishes including sushi platters, dim sum, and teppanyaki. Their stir-fried fish was one of my favorite things there. Micada Restaurant Lagos also has beautiful scenery with a blend of artwork and light that make the place very romantic, especially at night. 

Still, there are some street food joints with a good enough ambiance to be considered ‘worthy contenders’.  Lowcol Food truck —yes, (some) food trucks count as street food— has a decent enough ambiance.   Iya Eba also has a good ambiance-to-price ratio. The last time I went there, they had upgraded their space and it was much bigger and more pleasing. Keep in mind I said ‘good enough’. 

Street Food  0:1 Restaurant Food

image from bitcoin.com

While there are some very affordable fine-dining places, it is almost impossible to compete with street food prices. On a street food in Lagos tour, I ate my fill with a plate of Amala, some buns, a cup of groundnut, chin-chin, boiled corn, and roasted corn —all for under 4k. That’s the price of water in some restaurants. 

One of the cheapest enjoyable meals I’ve had was at Ewa Agoyin Queen’s Street, a street food joint. However, Omoroy Cuisine at Alagomeji is a restaurant that comes close to street food prices. They serve good food too.  

Street Food  1:1 Restaurant Food

Food: Which of them has better-tasting food?

source: memphis sweets and grills

With the scores tied, we have to rely on food quality to break the tie. While restaurants boast of a more diverse menu, street food joints have a specialty when it comes to properly nailing local food. 

From Amala Shitta to Iya Eba, to Just Amala, to ‘First Bank Amala’ (Defence Car Park Canteen) almost all the best places I have had Amala have been local.

And it’s not just Amala, one of the tastiest pasta I have had was the spaghetti at Cherish Kitchen, a road side vendor in Oniru. 

Even Hamdalah Buka has the most delicious Waakye I’ve had in Lagos. As far as local/ Nigerian food is concerned, I will have to give it to Street Food. Bankolemoh Restaurant, Lekki is a very strong contender for local food,  but it still goes to street food joints. 

However, if we remove the restrictions, places like Kaza Rice in V.I., Komije Lagos, Sora Restaurant, and Knowhere Restaurant start to shine. They have given me some of the best food experiences I have had in a Lagos.  

Street Food  2:1 Restaurant Food.

Foodie in Lagos Verdict

As I said earlier, I am an absolute believer in street food, so while I love my fine dining, the overall crown goes to street food. If you know any street food or restaurant that was not mentioned here that changes the results, feel free to let me know.  

Warning: If you plan to propose to your partner, don’t take her to Iya Eba and say Foodie in Lagos told you to.