The Smiths is a new upscale restaurant located in Victoria Island, and I stopped by with my brother, Luki, his friend, Seun and my sister-in-law, Dee, for dinner in August 2023.

The restaurant is owned by Kehinde and Taiwo Smith, the same people who own Cafeteria and Maple, so I had high expectations. I made a reservation in advance to ensure that we would get a table since it’s currently a popular spot in town.

To our surprise, upon arrival, we discovered the restaurant is situated in the same compound as Cafeteria. They literally share the same fence and parking spot. We were ushered to our table, and the place was fully packed at 9pm on a Sunday night.

AMBIENCE

The vibe at The Smiths is cool, easy and relaxed, with chandeliers, dim lighting, simple furniture and greenery. The space is a long stretch with a high ceiling and three seating areas: by the bar, the main area and the high tables at the corner. They made sure to utilize the space as much as possible. Lol. I especially liked the bag hooks under the table. The tables are small, so that was a wise addition. There’s also a space behind the booth seats that serves as a stage for performances.

MENU

The menu is interesting and interactive and definitely stands out from other restaurants in Lagos. The food menu is detailed and categorized into nine sections, with a minimum of three options per section. The drink menu is attractive and exciting, with photos on every page.

WHAT WE ORDERED

For drinks, we chose The Messenger, Smiths Pop, Passion & Jasmine and Sparkling Water. Then later, we added 2 Smiths Daily and a large water for the table.

For starters, we chose Sweet & Tangy Bites, Scallops, Chips & Guac and Rhode Island Calamari & Prawns. For mains, we chose Tomahawk Steak & Veggies, Grilled Ostrich Fillet & Mash, Coconut Curry & Prawns with white rice and Pan Seared Sea Bass.

After what seemed like forever, our drinks arrived. Unfortunately, the pop machine wasn’t working, so my Smiths Pop didn’t pop. The cocktail was nice and sweet, though. Thereafter, the starters came one after the other. We liked every starter except the dip. We didn’t understand why there was so much cheese in it: it definitely didn’t give.

I ordered the curry, and it came first. It definitely didn’t look like what I was expecting, but it tasted good, so I didn’t mind. Luki’s ostrich came next, and it looked as good as it tasted. Seun’s sea bass was next, and though it was good, it wasn’t a lot of food. Dee’s steak was served last; it was a lot of food, and definitely worth the price. We all ate it with her.

During dinner, we were serenaded by some performances, and that was nice.

SERVICE DELIVERY & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

We had a nice time at The Smiths, and we’ll definitely be going back. However, it seemed like the waiters were a bit disorganized (I don’t know if it’s because they were still new when we went). It took forever for our orders to be served, even drinks. Some items on the menu were unavailable (food and drink), and our waiter also wasn’t helpful in making selections. Our second cocktail took forever to be served, and when they finally came, it was already super late, so we asked for it to be packed to go. The sealed cans were a nice touch.

DAMAGE

Passion & jasmine ~ 6500
The Messenger ~ 10500
Smiths Pop ~ 9800
Smiths Daily x2 ~ 19600
Scallops ~ 14500
Rhode Island Calamari & Prawns ~ 14000
Sweet & Tangy Bites ~ 8500
Chips & Guac ~ 12500
Sparkling water ~ 2500
Water 1L ~ 1500
Tomahawk Steak ~ 60000
Grilled Ostrich Filet ~ 27000
Coconut Curry & Prawns ~ 28000
Pan Seared Sea Bass ~ 31500
Take Out Packs ~ 400

Our total damage was 246,800. Taxes were not added because VAT and Consumption tax are included in prices.

RATING

Food – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service – ⭐️⭐️
Ambience – ⭐️⭐️
Overall Experience – 7

The Smiths is a perfect spot for date night or group hangouts. I love the attention to detail. Check out my other restaurant reviews, and let me know if there’s a place you’d like me to review next.

P.S. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions I expressed are truly mine.

Mariam Shittu