Awari Restaurant Week Awards 2025 Spotlight Lagos and Abuja’s Top Dining Spots
- It was a moment of thrills and frills in Lagos as the Awari Restaurant Week Award showcased the best in culinary skills
- The Awards, which held at Rococo Restaurant in Victoria Island, Lagos, brought together the best in the industry
- The gathering marked another milestone for an event that has grown over the years to recognise restaurants, chefs and service teams
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
The Awari Restaurant Week Awards 2025 brought the culinary community together in Lagos on Wednesday, December 3, at Rococo Restaurant in Victoria Island.
The gathering marked another milestone for an event that has grown over the years to recognise restaurants, chefs and service teams shaping the dining landscape in Lagos and Abuja.
Source: Facebook
A decade of growth for Awari Restaurant Week
The 2025 awards represented the 11th edition of Restaurant Week, which started as a simpler city guide known as Lost in Lagos.
Over time it expanded into Awari, a platform focused on spotlighting dining culture across the city.
The founder, Tannaz Bahnam, noted that the evolution of the initiative reflects the steady rise of the food scene in Nigeria’s major cities and the willingness of restaurants to experiment, adapt and serve a growing community of food lovers.
Participation and recognition across Lagos and Abuja
Eighty-two restaurants took part in the three-week celebration, offering curated menus, special experiences and various dining engagements.
The awards ceremony served as the closing highlight, recognising restaurants and individuals who stood out throughout the event.
Mr. Panther received the Best in Service Award and also earned the People’s Choice Award. Z Kitchen was acknowledged for creating the Best ARW Menu, while Lalas Bistro was named the Top Performing Restaurant of the year.
These recognitions reflected the decisions of both diners and evaluators who monitored participation, customer experience and overall execution.
A Platform for Community and Collaboration
During the event, Bahnam spoke about the purpose behind the initiative, pointing out that Restaurant Week aims to build a sense of community within the food industry.
She emphasised that highlighting local talent and encouraging collaboration helps strengthen the broader cultural and economic environment surrounding dining in Lagos and Abuja.
According to her, the awards are not only about competition but also about acknowledging the collective effort that drives the restaurant sector forward.
She expressed appreciation for the participating restaurants, service teams and culinary professionals whose work contributed to the outcome of the 2025 edition.
Impact on food culture and tourism
Beyond awarding excellence, the evening drew attention to the role of food in tourism and city identity.
Lagos and Abuja continue to see growing interest in diverse dining experiences, and events like Restaurant Week contribute to shaping that momentum.
Source: Getty Images
By drawing residents and visitors to explore new menus, neighbourhoods and concepts, the platform aims to support local businesses and encourage long-term investment in the sector.
Looking ahead
As the 2025 edition concluded, organisers and participants reflected on the progress made so far and the potential for expansion in future years.
The event underscored the importance of creativity, service quality and customer engagement in a competitive restaurant environment.
For both cities, the awards served as a snapshot of a dining scene that continues to evolve and attract attention across the country.
Group launches ₦100,000 grant for petty traders
Legit.ng earlier reported that thousands of small-scale traders across Nigeria are set to benefit from the Petty Traders Grant Support Programme, a new financial empowerment scheme designed to uplift street vendors, market sellers, and micro-entrepreneurs struggling to access capital.
The initiative, which offers ₦10,000 to ₦100,000 in free grants, targets individuals whose livelihoods depend on petty trading, from food vendors and kiosk owners to shoe repairers, tailors, and recharge card sellers.
At the heart of the programme is a simple goal: to help Nigerians grow self-sustaining businesses without the usual hurdles of collateral, company registration, or complex paperwork.
Source: Legit.ng
