Akwaba Restaurant in Montreal, an African Adventure

It was a random Friday night when my boyfriend and were looking for a BYOW restaurant. After looking for restaurants online, we fell on Akwaba restaurant, only a few minutes from our place, and of course, a BYOW restaurant. The best part of this research is that not only was it a BYOW restaurant but it was also an African restaurant with Greek fusion. Odd mix, you’re thinking right? That’s what we thought but we decided to give it a try because of the good reviews.

When we arrived, there was only two other African men sitting at another table. The restaurant itself is cozy with an African decor and you typical African background music. The menu offers a varieties of options, from “nems abdijanaises” to “spannakopita” to “beef choukouya”. We had baklava for desert and we later found out they were homemade. Everything we ordered, from the appetizer to the dessert was tasty and delicious. The chef, also owner of the restaurant uses a mix of spices that blends so well. The highlight of our night is when the chef and manager of Akwaba, also the owners, came to see us to chat. The first question we asked is why their restaurant was an African and Greek fusion. We thought maybe the owner was Greek. But surprisingly, there was a very interesting story to this. The couple who is originally from Cote d’Ivoire lived in Greece for many years before immigrating to Montreal. The chef worked in various restaurants in Greece before finally opening up his own restaurant which turned out to be very successful. Despite a university degree in their hands, the owners spent most of their time in the restaurant business when they immigrated to Greece. After almost 10 years of living in Greece, they finally decided to move to Montreal where they started over by working in various restaurants on the island. After 8 years of gaining that experience, they finally opened their restaurant last September, called Akwaba. Akwaba is the result of the experience they gained living in Greece and Montreal. A true culinary delight!

Anyone who enjoys discovering new culinary experiences should give this restaurant a try. It’s a personalized experience you won’t forget!

You can find more information here.