West African food surge
West African cuisine is trending hard — Tom Parker Bowles is touting must‑try dishes and even a 3‑course, Michelin‑approved feast priced at £29 has entered the conversation as value-plus fine dining . The coverage points to broader momentum for authentic regional menus in mainstream fine‑dining circles.
[NetFM reported]netfm.net on March 14, 2026 that Tom Parker Bowles’ coverage reignited social chatter and linked to the viral post mentioning a £29 three‑course Michelin‑approved offer. Two Fitzrovia restaurants — [Akoko profiled]guide.michelin.com and [Chishuru listed]guide.michelin.com — were awarded Michelin stars in February 2024, a milestone repeatedly cited as crystallising fine‑dining interest in West African menus. OpenTable data — cited by The Week — showed West African food was the top trending cuisine of 2023, rising 72% year‑on‑year, a stat widely used to explain the cuisine’s rapid mainstreaming.theweek.com Accessible set‑menu pricing has fed the buzz: Hot Dinners noted Akara’s weekday set lunch as two courses for £25 and three courses for £28, examples that critics point to when discussing value‑led exposure.hot-dinners.com
