Arami is a Pan-Asian fusion restaurant located in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. The restaurant opened in April 2026 and has quickly become a popular spot, largely because of its rooftop city views, ambience and very Instagram-friendly interiors.
I’ve been slacking a little with my restaurant reviews because, as you know, the economy is not smiling and these reviews aren’t sponsored. Arami wasn’t even on my radar until my friend, Kenny, came to Lagos for a few days, found it on TikTok and dragged me there for dinner.
I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for a review, so here you go.
AMBIENCE
Arami occupies the top two floors of a tall building. When you step out of the elevator, you’re ushered into the indoor dining area, which occupies the lower floor. There’s a staircase to the side that leads up to the rooftop.
The indoor space was quite busy when we arrived, so we went upstairs to see what the rooftop looked like. The rooftop wasn’t as packed, but it was a particularly windy night, so we eventually went back downstairs to find a table. There were several groups celebrating, but we managed to find a table for two close to the entrance.
The restaurant has a very modern, polished feel, and the rooftop is definitely one of its biggest selling points. I would love to return during the day when I can actually sit outside and enjoy the view without battling the Lagos wind.
I couldn’t get a lot of photos of the space because most of the seats were occupied.
MENU
The food menu is extensive, with nine categories and at least two options in each. You’ll find the usual suspects you’d expect from a Pan-Asian fusion restaurant: sushi, rolls, noodles, rice, dumplings and more.
One thing I particularly liked was the allergen information listed at the bottom of each meal. As someone who has to pay attention to gluten, this made it much easier for me to quickly rule out dishes I couldn’t eat.
The drinks menu is equally extensive, with signature and classic cocktails, mocktails, wine, spirits and soft drinks.
I shared a small portion of the menu so that you can have an idea of the options and prices. You’ll have to visit the restaurant’s page for their full menu.
WHAT WE ORDERED
For starters, we ordered the Spicy Plantain with Avocado Dip and the Wagyu Shiitake Cube Roll. For mains, my options were limited, so I went with the Tenderloin, while Kenny ordered the Salmon Teriyaki. We also added a side of Grilled Vegetables and Special Fried Rice with shrimp. For drinks, I had the house wine, while Kenny ordered an Old Fashioned. Of course, we also had water.
Spicy Plantain with Avocado Dip
The starters arrived separately. The plantain came first and was actually better than I expected. The plantain was crispy, crunchy and spicy. I wasn’t particularly impressed with the avocado dip, though. It didn’t do much for me, so I ended up eating most of the plantain without it.
Wagyu Shiitake Cube Roll
The Wagyu Shiitake Cube Roll arrived shortly after, and I really liked this. It was packed with flavour and filling enough to make three pieces feel like a proper starter. I ate three, and the only reason I didn’t eat the fourth piece that Kenny couldn’t finish was because I still had a main course waiting for me. And yes, I was saving room.
Tenderloin
Then came the wait. We waited for quite a while before our mains finally arrived. When my steak came, my first thought was, Is this it? It looked quite small for the price, especially after I realised the steak was bent over and not actually as thick as I initially thought. I ordered it medium well, and they got that right. It was cooked well and remained juicy even without the sauce.
The mash, however, was just okay. I’m a steak-and-mash girl, and I’ve had enough versions of this combination to know when I’m impressed and when I’m not. This one didn’t particularly stand out.
The grilled vegetables served with the meal were a different story. I really enjoyed them and ate all of them. In hindsight, we probably didn’t need to order the extra side because there were already vegetables on my plate. I packed the extra side vegetables to take home, although Kenny helped himself to some of the potatoes and vegetables too.
Salmon Teriyaki & Special Fried Rice
Kenny’s Salmon Teriyaki looked really good, and he enjoyed it. I knew he liked it before he even said anything. He said the salmon was nice and the rice wasn’t bad, so I’ll take his word for it on this one because I didn’t taste his meal. He packed the rest of his rice to go.
Dessert
I decided to try dessert because I felt like it. I ordered two scoops of ice cream. Big mistake! First, chocolate wasn’t available, so I went with vanilla and strawberry. When it arrived, it was served on a layer of breadcrumbs, which I hadn’t asked for and wasn’t expecting.The vanilla ice cream was good. The strawberry, however, wasn’t for me. I had expected something closer to the homemade or restaurant-made ice cream I’ve had at other places, but this tasted more like a standard store-bought variety. I probably should have just stopped after the mains.
SERVICE AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
This was probably the weakest part of our experience.
I called ahead to make a reservation and was contacted close to our reservation time to say that we were late and our table would be released in 15 minutes if they didn’t hear from me. The problem was, we weren’t late. I had to remind them of the time and refer back to the message I’d sent when making the reservation.
When we arrived, my name was taken and we were seated. Yet, while I was already sitting in the restaurant, I received another message saying that I was running late. At that point, I was confused. Someone definitely needs to look into the reservation system or communication process because that shouldn’t happen, especially after I’ve already arrived and been seated.
Though our waiter came by quickly and introduced himself, he was mostly MIA, and our food took quite a while to arrive. The restaurant was busy that night, so perhaps that contributed to the delays, but there was still room for improvement.
On the plus side, there’s ample parking on the ground floor of the building and in the neighbouring buildings, which is always something I appreciate when visiting restaurants in Lagos.
I kept thinking that the restaurant was giving me Sora vibes, and then I spotted a Sora staff member I recognised. Turns out there is a connection between the two restaurants through the L’Ori Hospitality Group.
Another thing I noticed was how many people were taking turns taking photos in the lobby when we arrived. This went on for more than 30 minutes.It actually made me understand why some restaurants have a no-photo policy.
Overall, though, once things settled down and we got to enjoy our food, we had a good time.
DAMAGE (What It Cost Us)
- Still Water x 2 – ₦10,000
- Old Fashioned – ₦15,000
- Maison Castel Sauvignon E – ₦20,000
- Spicy Plantain with Avocado – ₦16,000
- Wagyu shitake cube Roll – ₦38,000
- Chinese Special Fried Rice – ₦12,000
- Add shrimp – ₦5,000
- Tenderloin – ₦130,000
- Orange Samon Teriyaki – ₦65,000
- Grilled Vegetables – ₦11,000
- Ice cream x 2 – ₦10,000
TOTAL: ₦332,000.00 (inclusive of VAT and Tax)
RATING
Food: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Service: ⭐️⭐️
Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall Experience: 6/10
Arami is a beautiful restaurant and I can see why it has become popular so quickly.
The rooftop, ambience and overall setting make it a good option for a date night, pre-game before a night out, or a dinner with friends or family. There’s also enough variety on the menu that everyone should be able to find something they like.
For me, the food was a mixed bag. There were things I enjoyed, particularly the Wagyu Shiitake Cube Roll and the grilled vegetables, but there were also dishes that didn’t quite live up to the price. The service also needs some work.
Would I go back? Yes, I would.
I’d especially like to return during the day, sit on the rooftop and actually enjoy the city view without the wind trying to carry me away. And maybe I’ll give the menu another chance.
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions shared are mine.
Mariam Shittu
Leave a Reply