The Burgundy by Chef Stone

The Burgundy by Chef Stone is an ambitious take on Pan-African fine dining. Chef Stone, the professional name of Abiola Akanji, built the restaurant around a single idea: presenting the cooking of the whole continent with the structure and polish of a tasting menu. He has described it as a seven-year dream, and says he has developed more than 347 original recipes for it, drawing on the food of 17 African countries.

Dinner is an exclusive seven-course tasting menu rather than an a la carte list, so the evening unfolds as a sequence of courses that move between regions and traditions. Expect familiar African ingredients and flavours reworked with contemporary presentation and technique. Wine pairings are offered alongside the menu, and live jazz sets the pace of the evening. Because the menu is fixed and evolves over time, it is worth asking about the current courses and any dietary restrictions when you book.

Booking is mandatory, and walk-ins are not part of the format. This is a special-occasion restaurant: it suits anniversaries, celebratory dinners, food lovers curious about the breadth of African cuisine and business hosts who want to show visitors something distinctive. With seven courses and music, allow a full evening. It is among the most expensive dining experiences in the city, so treat it as a planned treat rather than a casual meal.

Chef Stone's other ventures include the Reddish Chronicles culinary school and Truck Central, a food truck park in Abuja, which gives a sense of how closely he is tied to the city's food scene. If you enjoy the tasting menu, those are other ways to explore his cooking at a different price point.

The project began life as a series of pop-up dinners before settling into a permanent home, and that supper-club spirit carries through to the paced, course-by-course service.

The restaurant is in central Abuja, close to the Central Business District, and is easiest to reach by taxi or ride-hailing car; confirm the exact location and arrival time when your reservation is confirmed. Dress smartly to match the setting. After dinner, the bars of Wuse 2 and the hotel lounges of Maitama are a short drive away.