La Taverna: A vintage fine dining experience

Hello guys!!! It’s been a hot minute since my last blog post. Nigeria has been dealing with me o! I come bearing reviews of La Taverna Abuja, a restaurant I think you all need to visit! I had a great experience here; you know I don’t chop alone and keep quiet. 😁

Let’s get down to it. La Taverna Abuja runs a pasta Thursday package, where every pasta dish on their menu goes for 6k! And in this economy, 6K for great pasta is a great deal. This rooftop restaurant offers a great fine dining experience with its Spanish and Italian menu. 

We were given hot towels after placing our order. I was quite impressed by this, because this is not something that many restaurants do.

MENU AND PRICEPOINT

La Taverna Abuja offers an a-la-carte menu. Every section had something I wanted to try; the menu was really well put together. The menu was clean, simple, moderately priced, and well-structured.

The budget per person would be around 10–15K depending on what you order.

AMBIANCE

The restaurant is located on the rooftop of statement hotel in Wuse 2. It reminded me of El Casa in Encanto; it had this little Mexico theme going on. It was simple and airy, with a nice romantic feel to it. The entrance was bright orange and adorned with green potted plants. The entryway had a large wooden door that had a great simplicity and rustic nature. It was quite calming and warm. As I stepped into the restaurant, I was greeted by a stunning red hallway filled with awesome black and white photographs. It felt like I was walking through a chapter in history.

The theme of the main dining area was brown and white. The furniture was simple and had a rustic appeal. There was a vibrant painting behind the brown wooden bar that complemented the rest of the space quite nicely. My favourite section of the restaurant was the patio. It was light and airy and connected wonderfully with the entrance because of the red and grey theme, undoubtedly telling a story. The rooftop boasts a magnificent view of the city. It’s something you should really see for yourself. Abuja fine.

FOOD

COMPLIMENTARY SALSA

I enjoyed every bit of this salsa. It was slightly sweet, sour, tangy, and herby all at once, with an underlying hint of spice. The bread was soft and had a good crunch to it. In my opinion, not a lot of restaurants in Abuja have complimentary starters, and this to me is a plus. 

FISH TACO – 4500

Giwan ruwan fish, romaine, slaw, basil mint, avocado, chilli flakes.

See ehn, I really do not know how to explain the explosion of flavours in my mouth when I tried this fish taco. It was divine. I loved it! The fish wasn’t too fishy, and it reminded me of shrimp. The veggies were crunchy and had a slight acidity to them. It tasted fresh and was very different. I think this is something worth spending your hard-earned money on. The only issue for me is that you get 2 tacos. Why can’t it be 3 though? 👀. Even if they increase the price, 3 just seems like a more wholesome number.

LAMB RAVIOLI

Homemade ravioli, stuffed with pulled lamb, rosemary cream base and chilli.

Normally, this pasta dish costs 7800, but because it was pasta Thursday, it went for 6000. 

Ravioli pasta is like an envelope of surprise. A thin dough of pasta is filled with meat or cheese and tossed in sauce. And this particular ravioli delivered! The pasta pops in your mouth and the warm, juicy lamb fills your mouth, delivering a yummy experience. The lamb was tender and flavorful. The sauce was really tasty and creamy, and the sauce complimented the delicious ravioli taste.

I requested extra spice 🌶 in my pasta and I got just the right amount of heat I wanted. That mix of tender, juicy lamb, cream, pasta, and spice is unforgettable. I wouldn’t mind eating this dish again. The portion was moderate, big enough for one person, and the pasta was well done. Finally, the plating of this dish was beautiful, the edible flowers complimented the luxurious colour of the pasta. Just writing about it makes my mouth water. 

TAVERNA CARBONARA

Crispy bacon, shrimp, and creamy coconut Parmesan base. 

The regular price is 10k, but it went for 6k because it was pasta Thursday.

Eggs and cream are typically used to make carbonara. However, the Taverna carbonara was eggless. But I was pleasantly surprised by the textures and flavours in the dish. First things first, the plating was awesome. The colours and textures on the plate were gorgeous! It was almost too pretty to eat. The sauce was silky, light and rich. The flavours worked really well together.

I have never been a fan of coconut in food, but this was very tasty. The sauce had a moderate amount of coconut flavour and a slight tang. I personally think spice is a necessity when eating creamy pasta. So we requested that lots of spice be added to ours, and they nailed it. The dish was salty (in a good way), sharp, tangy, creamy, rich, and spicy. We opted for turkey bacon and it was light and crispy. This was a wonderful savoury dish. I want more. 

Pizza – Lagos streets 5500

Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, red chilli, pineapple, chicken and suya spice

In my opinion, this was a good quality pizza. The pizza was cooked to a crisp, it was cheesy, the crust had a nice crunch to it and the ingredients were fresh! Although I’m not a huge fan of pineapple on pizza, I went for this flavour because of the red chilli and suya spice. I think the pizza was good. However, I wasn’t completely sold on the pineapple. There is just something not quite right about warm fruit. Next time I will try out another flavour. Nonetheless, if I could complain about one thing, though, it’s the size. The portion was small 🥲, and you know I’m a sucker for large portions. 

SERVICE

The service at La Taverna Abuja was great. The staff were welcoming, polite, and pleasant. The waitress who attended to us was flexible and eager to serve. She accommodated requests timeously and was very attentive.

Wait time for the food was 15 – 20 mins.

General Thoughts on La Taverna Abuja

La Taverna Abuja is a beautiful rooftop restaurant that offers a vintage fine dining experience. 

From the breathtaking rooftop view to the delicious food, picturesque plating, and airy but rustic and Hispanic ambience, this place is a must-see.

Have you been to La Taverna Abuja? Kindly share your experience with me in the comments section below.

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