A mixed heritage restaurant in Marylebone, London, known as a 'No Borders Kitchen' serving food inspired by Asia, The Middle East, East Africa, and Britain.
Chef Ravinder Bhogal is an award-winning chef, author, and proprietor of the acclaimed London restaurants Jikoni London and Cafe Jikoni. She is celebrated for her unique culinary perspective, often described as...
Jikoni, meaning 'kitchen' in Swahili, is a unique 'No Borders Kitchen' restaurant in Marylebone, London. It offers a cosy and relaxing atmosphere, serving dishes inspired by a rich tapestry of Asian, Middle Eastern, East African, and British culinary traditions. The concept focuses on a mixed heritage approach to food, providing a distinctive dining experience.
Customer feedback generally highlights a cosy and relaxing ambiance with warm, attentive service. The food is often praised for its bursting flavors and impressive presentation, with specific dishes like the cheesecake, Kuku Paka, and banana bread receiving high recommendations. Some diners found portions to be small relative to the price, and a few noted inconsistencies in specific dishes or minor operational issues like outdated menu prices.
Additional Details
Located in Marylebone, London, near Oxford Street and Baker Street, Jikoni offers a culinary journey through diverse cultures and flavors.
Our evening began with a jarring study in contrasts. We were greeted by a lovely, welcoming hostess, only for her warmth to be abruptly punctured. A remarkably rude staff member interrupted her mid-sentence for reasons known only to him, he was also a host, casting a cold, disapproving glance our way before vanishing. Things did not improve immediately. The young lady escorted us to our table and promptly forgot we existed for the next ten minutes. As we sat there waiting, the plot thickened. The same rude gentleman reappeared, eagerly ushering in a newly arrived couple dressed in sharp suits and ties. Within moments, they were sipping beer and water. Meanwhile, we remained adrift—left waiting like forgotten autumn leaves. Then, the narrative shifted beautifully. An excellent waiter—sporting a unique haircut—swooped in to rescue our night. He brought an immediate wave of relief, genuine interest, and a wonderful willingness to chat and learn from "old folks" like us. Suddenly, we knew good food and wine were finally on the horizon. And the food? Absolutely spectacular.The Starters: The Crisp Kale Salad was nothing short of amazing, while the Savoy Cabbage Dolma was purely incredible. The Main, perfectly executed Roasted Hake & Shetland Mussels Moilee or the fabulous Delicata Squash Pakoras Moilee, the kitchen triumphed.The Details: The plate presentation was stunning, elevated by vibrant curry leaf oil, rich coconut sauce In the end, superb culinary execution and one standout waiter completely redeemed an otherwise rocky introduction. We as and older gay couple together for over 30 years feel sorry for the new gay generation whose values are lost in their new value only me and me only thats how it felt with restaurant host.
I returned here this evening and had a wonderful time. The staff, in particular Rhys who accommodated us changing the booking multiple times and our server were very friendly and attentive. All the dishes were standout but we loved in particular the scorched peaches and the Kuku paka which was a delicious saffron chicken curry, but the pork chop was also cooked to perfection. The kale salad was really crispy and served perfectly. In terms of desserts, our favourite was the banana cake which was not as rich as it sounds, in the best way. We also appreciated the frozen glasses for our limoncello to finish. Overall 10/10 and will be recommending to others and will certainly return.
Really enjoyed this experience to celebrate my birthday. Cosy relaxing atmosphere with great food.
Mansur was an excellent host.
Please bring back the okra fries onto the menu.
The food just wasn’t great. Bean dish very al dente not served with toast nor bread unless ordered extra. Lamb dish was over salted. Overall, small portions. Drinks were great and nice interior design, but that’s not why we came for a belated Mother’s Day celebration at Jikoni. We wanted to sample Swahili, Kenyan-Asian fusion cuisine in London as frequent travellers to the coast of Kenya. Also, the water in one of the bathroom stalls is running constantly as one of the cold water taps is broken (water is precious - please fix). Update the drinks prices on printed menus so they correspond with actual prices which have increased on the system, that’s misleading customers. The staff looked tired and in need of a good rest. Felt for them.
Jikoni offers a very pleasant dining experience overall. The food is good rather than outstanding - the signature pancakes were interesting and unique, though slightly lacking in flavour, while the rest of the dishes were well executed. Desserts stood out, especially the cheesecake, which was excellent. What really makes the place shine is the service: genuinely warm, attentive, and thoughtful, with a waiter who even treated us to a little extra.
Quietly rated: worth stopping.
