Nigerian-owned restaurant, Ivory Seasons, has become the talk of the town in London for its rich dishes and culinary innovation.

Located in a quiet location near Hawson Station on Creamer Street and 10 minutes away from Liverpool Street Station in London, United Kingdom, the restaurant is managed by an Indian, Varun Gupta, whose reverence for Nigerian delicacies like egusi soup has led him to create a menu for Ivory Seasons that not only respects tradition but also re-imagines it for a cosmopolitan audience.

Unlike many fusion experiments that blend cuisines for novelty, Ivory Seasons restaurant doesn’t dilute Nigerian flavours but instead, curates a menu that highlights them in ways both traditional and unexpected.

At the center of it all is the egusi soup—a rich, hearty stew made from ground melon seeds, leafy greens, and spices. At Ivory Seasons, egusi is served in its full glory, with options for classic pairings like pounded yams or rice, ensuring that Nigerian patrons feel right at home. 

“The menu has three different varieties. One is for the table that is black, green hummus. And then, there was the sauce and plantain crisp. That’s when people order the food, and while they’re waiting, they can just start over with it. So it’s for the table dish. Then we have five different snacks and starter courses that are Calamari, Peri peri wing. Joke-prone toast, Yaji beef skewer and lamb ribs. Then moving forward on the menu, we have two of our main courses that are stone bass with clams and egg rolls. Sauce, one of our signature dishes,” Ivory Seasons General Manager, Gupta, said.

“We have lamb chops with lamb butter on the side, finishing with onion mustard sauce and monster. Finally, we added a little bit of sauce. The vegetarian dish on the main course, that’s a curry cauliflower with Sultana and hazelnuts, is a beautiful dish. Then we have three different side courses, that’s Jilo couscous, then it is tomato salad, and then we have charred Indian bottle gourd to bring these things green on the menu. 

“So when people see egusi with stone crabs, it’s quite a good combination because, sitting in London, when it comes to Stone Bas-Kot, Hand-Og or Hollywood, people just too often see a fish on the plate and nothing else. But egusi with the clam sauce, the egg goes in flavour with the clams, just brings out the flavour for the fish. It’s just unbelievable.”