Chishuru

Chishuru is a modern West African restaurant in London founded by Adejoké (Joké) Bakare, who was born and raised in Nigeria and moved to the UK in the late 1990s. Joké began Chishuru as a Brixton Village residency in 2020 and opened permanently in Fitzrovia in September 2023. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in February 2024, making her the first black female Michelin-starred chef in the UK and the first black female chef in the world to have her own Michelin-starred restaurant; Joké was named Chef of the Year at the National Restaurant Awards 2024 and has appeared on several influential lists. The kitchen and front-of-house are led by Joké and partner Matt Paice, who oversees operations and the wine programme. Interiors combine rough plastered walls, visible wood grains, pigmented cement, bespoke North African stonework and curated lighting to produce a warm, home-like yet contemporary dining room; the style is relaxed, music is played, and seating is arranged across a ground floor and a basement level. The cuisine interprets Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa traditions—from fiery Yoruba flavours to rich Igbo spices and Hausa fire-cooking—served as set lunch and dinner menus with a pre-theatre option; menus highlight uziza pepper, uda, aidan fruit and daddawa, with the team on hand to explain dishes. Drinks are chosen from small French wine producers and a short list of cocktails using West African ingredients and spirits. Adejoké Bakare (Chef). Specialties include Sinasir, Peppersoup broth, Moi moi, Fonio dishes and Okra Martini.