Tucked inside the Africa Centre, Little Baobab is the kind of place that feels less like a restaurant and more like being welcomed into someone’s home for dinner, if that home happened to serve some of the most exciting Senegalese food in London. In fact, it is still the capital’s only Senegalese restaurant, which makes it something of a culinary rarity, but what makes people return is the atmosphere as much as the food. Warm, lively and full of character, Little Baobab has become a gathering place where Londoners come not just to eat, but to settle in, share plates and stay for the music.
At the heart of it all is founder and chef Khadim, whose menus bring together authentic Senegalese flavours with seasonal ingredients and plenty of personality. His cooking has earned well-deserved recognition too, with Little Baobab taking home the African Food Award at the Be Inclusive Hospitality Awards in October 2025, cementing its place as one of the most exciting voices in London’s dining scene.
Dinner here is built around a set menu that changes regularly, which only adds to the sense that every visit offers something new. The evening begins with a parade of small plates designed to wake up the palate, from fried plantain dusted with bissap salt to warm bread served with tamarind butter. There are Ndambe Teranga bites, a clever miniature version of Senegal’s much-loved black-eyed pea stew, alongside comforting Thiou Boulette, delicate fishballs swimming in a rich tomato sauce. Starters continue the feast with grilled Chicken Dibi paired with a punchy chilli mustard dip, while Suya Tofu with roast vegetables gives a plant-based nod to a classic West African street food favourite.
For mains, the hardest part is choosing just one. The Lamb Mafe is a standout, with tender lamb chops served in a deeply savoury peanut sauce alongside fried cassava purée, grilled carrots and rice. The Soupou Kandja offers something altogether different, a rich okra and palm oil stew filled with tiger prawns and served with rice, while the Veg Thieb layers cassava, aubergine and carrot with jollof rice and bissap for a vibrant vegetarian option that feels every bit as celebratory.
Lunch takes a more casual approach, but loses none of the flavour. It is the sort of menu that makes dropping in on a weekday feel like a very good decision indeed. The Chicken Yassa Burger is a particular draw, stacked with marinated chicken, sweet caramelised lime onions and plantain in a soft bun, while the Thiebou Yapp brings together lamb and jollof rice in a dish that feels deeply comforting. Even the vegetarian Mafe, with its rich peanut stew and rice, manages to be both hearty and bright. Add in sweet potato and quinoa fritters, flaky fataya pastries and beignets served with chocolate sauce, and lunch quickly becomes an event in itself.
But Little Baobab is more than what arrives on the plate. It has grown into a cultural hub that extends far beyond the dining room, hosting live music nights, catering events and festivals, running a music agency and even offering an online shop where fans can take home Chef Khadim’s cookbook or a bottle of the restaurant’s much-loved chilli sauce.
What makes Little Baobab so special is that it offers something increasingly rare in London: a genuine sense of connection. It is a place where food, music and culture come together naturally, where every meal feels communal, and where guests leave feeling as though they have discovered not just a restaurant, but a whole world waiting behind its doors.
Little Baobab
66 – 68 Great Suffolk Street
London SE1 0BL
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