Little Baobab

Last Updated on February 13, 2026

Senegalese set menu from Little Baobab at the Africa Centre, Southwark

4.0 out of 5.0 stars

In the heart of Southwark, Little Baobab is the in-house restaurant of the Africa Centre, a charity dedicated to championing Africa through education, the arts, entrepreneurship, innovation, and culture. Recently, the restaurant has launched a new set dinner menu, which we were invited to review. At lunchtime, an à la carte menu is on offer, while in the evenings, the £47 set dinner menu is what draws in the customers. On a wet and cold January evening, Little Baobab was humming with good music, chilled vibes and delicious food, the only restaurant in London that specialises in Senegalese cuisine.

On the ground floor of the Africa Centre, Little Baobab is an inviting space with a small open kitchen and a room warmly decorated with African lampshades, chunky wooden tables, traditional tiling,  and banquettes clad in deep blue and gold fabric. Stacked African cork stools are sculptural and add to the African art and design that defines the aesthetic of Little Baobab.  With African music on the sound system and iconic West African fruit cocktails in hand, we settled back to enjoy the food and the atmosphere. The set menu is served at an intentionally measured pace, so this is not a spot for a quick pre-theatre bite to eat. Book your table, bring some friends and relax.

While Little Baobab does not have a drinks list, the bar on the first floor does, and the bartender was bringing down beers and cocktails throughout the evening. She, like all the restaurant staff, was friendly, witty, and energetic. She helped us select non-alcoholic cocktails typically drunk in Senegal and we were impressed by how different these were to the usual fruit mocktails we usually find on offer. Bissap was made with infused hibiscus, ginger juice, and mint. It is the iconic drink of West Africa. Served in a large tumbler over ice, it had a deep red hue, and tasted tangy with a ginger warmth. Baobab juice comprised the juice of the baobab fruit, pomegranate, vanilla syrup, and lime. Baobab is an African superfruit and the drink was a delicate pink with unique floral notes. I enjoyed the sweet vanilla flavour alongside the tang of lime, pomegranate and baobab.

The set dinner menu opens with On Table –  a slice each of fried plantain with bissap (hibiscus) salt and bread with tamarind butter. Served on a small earthenware platter, the plantain had good texture and a wonderful salty and sour topping. Slices of baguette were accompanied by a small quenelle of tamarind butter, which combined the tanginess of tamarind with the rich mouthfeel of butter. This is an idea I am going to try at home.

The next course was called Snacks and comprised two options. Ndamba Teranga bites (vegetarian) were two dinky pastry cups filled with black-eyed beans and plantain. Small enough to eat in one bite, they were warm and spicy. A plate of these would go down beautifully with a cold beer. Thiou Boulette was three small fish balls perched on a tomato sauce. The fish balls were spicy, had good fish flavour and slight crunch of onion and were flecked with green herbs. This was no Italian tomato sauce, but rather a rust coloured and spicy sauce which paired very well with the fish.

By this stage we realised we were in good hands. We selected one of each of the two starters on the menu. Chicken dibi with chilli mustard dipping sauce is another dish I will be attempting to replicate come the summer when the BBQ comes out. BBQed chicken pieces were very well seasoned and both tender and tasty, strewn with thin slices of onion and green chilli. They were accompanied by a marvellously mustardy dipping sauce. This was another dish that I could happily make a meal of.

I was less keen on the vegetarian option. Suya tofu and roast vegetables had two pieces of tofu topped with suya seasoning, which is called yaji in Senegal. It is a peanut-based spice blend, mixed here with cayenne pepper and other spices. It is spicy and smoky. The tofu was accompanied by tiny pieces of roast vegetable.

The main course vegetarian option was more enjoyable. Veg Thieb was a layered cassava, aubergine and carrot slice served with jollof rice and bissap (hibiscus). This looked most inviting, a square of very thinly sliced vegetables stacked like a lasagne. The vegetables were perfectly cooked and went well with the spicy tomato sauce on which the square perched. The jollof rice was well executed, the rice perfectly cooked and the spicing delicious.

Lamb Mafe was a dish I hope to eat again on a return visit. Two lamb chops were served with mafe sauce with fried cassava puree, grilled carrot and a side of rice. The lamb was well seasoned, tender and perfectly paired with the spicy peanut sauce. The carrot had a gorgeous charred flavour while the fried cassava puree was a delight. The crusty and crispy exterior gave way to the soft inside and added its value to this well-constructed and fine plate.

There was a third option for those who like okra. I was tempted to order soupou kandja – okra stew with palm oil and tiger prawns, but from what I have read about this traditional soup, the okra is purposefully cooked to enhance its mucilage properties, which I find difficult to eat. However, I am sure it is well executed at Little Baobab.

Dessert at Little Baobab offered a choice of chocolate fondant or baobab ice cream with strawberry sauce and meringue; a vegan meringue is available upon request. I was surprised to find a chocolate fondant on the menu in a Senegalese restaurant and would have preferred to try something that I couldn’t find on menus across London. The fondant lacked the requisite ooze and was more akin to a somewhat dry chocolate cake. Texture confounded me once again with the baobab ice cream, which, although very creamy, had the consistency of cheesecake rather than ice cream. I notice that the lunch time menu offers tempting desserts such as thiakry – a sweet millet, yoghurt and coconut dessert with raisins and beignets – and Senegalese doughnuts with orange and dark chocolate sauce.

Little Baobab is an atmospheric and welcoming restaurant where we savoured Senegalese cuisine that was both interesting to learn about and delicious to eat. The menu is suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. As this was my first time eating Senegalese food, I had no prior experience to compare the meal. However, I do know that I would happily return and have already recommended it to friends.  The food was delicious and interesting, and aside from the desserts, which I am confident will be tweaked, we were very happy with the dinner, which was thoughtfully cooked and plated, attractively presented and very tasty. The staff were great – friendly, chatty, and informative. We left well fed and in good spirits, which the incessant rain could do nothing to dampen.

Little Baobab,
66-68 Great Suffolk Street,
London
SE1 0BL

Telephone: 07798688042

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