The Bodega Emporium is a café and grocery store in Lekki Phase 1. They began operations in late 2023 and have quickly gained popularity as a go-to spot in Lekki for a quick bite, pastries, or to work.
In December 2024, I had lunch at The Bodega with Sam, my former colleague who has since become a friend. Here’s how it went.
AMBIENCE
The grocery store is located on the ground floor, while the café is on the upper floor. It features a simple, minimalist design with comfortable low seating suitable for both work and dining. There are also a few high seats at the bar. Additionally, the café offers a shared working space on the side for those who wish to work for an extended period.
MENU
The food menu is categorized into 11 sections, with a minimum of three options per section except for one. The drink menu offers regular cafe-type hot and cold drinks, cocktails, smoothies, and shakes.
WHAT WE ORDERED
I ordered the Golden Almond Latte, while Samuel opted for my usual coffee drink choice, the Chai Latte. I went with the Bodega Steak Sandwich for food, but Sam decided not to order anything because he wasn’t hungry. I don’t understand why someone would make lunch plans if they didn’t intend to eat. Yes, Sam, this is a direct dig! Our drinks arrived about ten minutes later, and I took a sip of mine to check if it truly tasted like almond, which it did. We were also served complimentary fresh bread that was very soft and delicious.
My sandwich took a while to arrive, and by the time it did, I had already finished my coffee, so I ordered some water. The sandwich was tasty, but the steak was a bit tough and chewy, which made eating it somewhat tedious. On the plus side, the salad was fresh, and the bread was nice and crunchy.
Sam ordered a Whiskey Sour because it was evening somewhere else in the world and decided to order a second one as well. The drinks replaced food 😂
SERVICE DELIVERY & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
We were warmly welcomed right from the parking lot, and our waitress was attentive and available. Although the restaurant has limited parking, there is staff on hand that helped move our cars when it was needed. The waitress was also honest about the wait time.
DAMAGE
Water ~ 1,000
Chai Latte ~ 6,000
Golden Almond Latte ~ 6,500
Steak Sandwich ~ 17,000
Whiskey Sour x2 ~ 24,000
Our total bill was NGN61,312.50 which included 5% consumption tax and 7.5% VAT.
RATING
Food – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ambience – ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall Experience 7/10
The Bodega Emporium is a relaxed place, perfect for breakfast and brunch and for eating while you work with friends or colleagues.
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions I expressed are mine.
Mariam Shittu
MARIAM SHITTU 
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