Did you know Lagos is fast becoming West Africa’s unofficial coffee capital? In 2022, Nigeria’s coffee import was valued at $3.41 million.
This suggests that there has been a high demand for coffee in the country and, by extension, in Lagos, which is the most populous state and the country’s commercial hub.
The reason for this recent rise in coffee demand is due to the emergence of coffee shops in Lagos, which is mainly driven by the result of the busy lifestyles in the city.
Where to Find the Best Coffee Shops in Lagos
The rise in coffee demand has brought about a lot of coffee businesses and brands to the scene, from pushcarts to cafes and e-commerce websites to buy from.
However, to filter through this increase in coffee buy points, here are some of the best coffee shops in Lagos to get premium brewed coffee:
- Art Cafe: This is one of the best coffee shops in Victoria Island, Lagos. It offers a uniquely aesthetic setting with a range of amazing tastes of coffee and tea.
- Café Neo: Café Neo Lagos is a family-owned chain of coffee shops, with branches at Ikeja and Victoria Island. It serves 100% African coffee sourced in Rwanda. It is the coffee shop for remote work in Lagos
- Happy Coffee: With specialty coffee beans sourced directly from the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba. The Happy Coffee brand shows true indigenousness in their brews and brand.
- Jazzhole: Located at Awolowo, Ikoyi. Jazzhole brings a new blend to the coffee business by combining a book/music shop with the finest coffee brew.
Some of the other best coffee shops include: The Flowershop Café, Mai Shayi Coffee Roasters, Deuce Cafe & Bakery, Godard Village, Coffee Plus, Vestar Coffee, and Pause.
Top Coffee Shops in Victoria Island, Ikoyi, and Lekki
Areas in the Island, like VI, Ikoyi, and Lekki, have the most amazing coffee shops. This is due to the highbrow vibe of the areas, where high-class citizens, expats, and tourists frequent a lot.
Another factor that adds to this is the high number of corporate offices around these areas, which prompts office workers always to patronize these coffee shops
These are some of the areas of coffee shops in Victoria Island, Lagos:
- Mai Shayi Coffee Roasters: They offer a neat and warm aesthetic setting, taking coffee beyond sip to style.
- Ziya Delicacy Boutique: This is a top cafe that blends coffee with another amazing delight.
Others include Cafe Neo, Art Cafe, The Flowershop Cafe, Cafe One VI, etc.
Coffee shops in Ikoyi, Lagos include:
- Wilson’s Cafe: This is a Lebanese cafe that serves the best brewed coffee and pastries.
- Beater Cafe: This boasts of a quiet place and gentle setting for relaxation and short meetings.
Others include: Toasties, Oh La La cafe, Dulce Cafe and Bakery, Brisk, Zoe’s Bistro, Tiffany Amber Cafe, etc
Lastly, in the highbrow areas, coffee shops in Lekki, Lagos include:
- MyYa’s Café: This café targets local coffee lovers and also offers free WiFi for its customers.
- Chiaro Caffé: Offers true and customized Cappuccino Lagos with customers’ faces
Others in this are include: Gallery Café, Teastoria, Crust Café, Dream Café, etc.
Cosy & Aesthetic Coffee Spots in Yaba and Ikeja
Apart from the island, the mainland also has its fair share of the best coffee shops with great aesthetics and delicious brews. It houses some cosy coffee shops in Lagos, which give you a sense of home and a quality coffee drink.
The two biggest spots in these areas are Cafe Neo, the Yaba brand, and Kaldi Ikeja.
Cafe Neo in Yaba has very minimalistic settings and vibe, down to lighting and frequent customers.
Another in this area is Courtyard by The Grid, which is a frequent spot for hangouts, especially among students who value brews and natural air.
In Ikeja, the capital city of Lagos, some of the cosy coffee cafe includes Kaldi, Africa. This coffee home prides itself on a laboratory process of making coffee and ensuring the tasting experience is wholesome for its customers.
Other ones include Caffa House, which is located in Adenuga Jones, it’s a cafe fueled with lifestyle and coffee. Additionally, the Coffee Society is a Cosy coffee shop in Lagos with a provided workspace facility.
Best Coffee Shops in Lagos for Remote Work and Meetings
One of the factors that added to the popularity of coffee shops is that they now serve as coffee shops for remote working in Lagos. Where remote workers make use of the space to work and take a good coffee and work. It boosts productivity due to great ambience, cosiness, and the caffeine supply.
Some of the coffee shops for remote working in Lagos:
- Cafe One: The Cafe One establishment is a part of Sterling Bank. It is located in several locations, from the island to the mainland. The cafe offers fast Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, and a serene atmosphere, making it perfect for both individual work and meetings. It also has great coffee to balance it.
- The Coffee Society NG: Located in Ikeja, this also, like Cafe One, doubles as a work space and a coffee joint to stay productive while you have yourself some nice brewed coffee.
- Breadline cafe: This is located on the mainland part of Lagos, Ogudu, to be precise. It is perfect for solo work by providing a peaceful atmosphere and a budget-friendly experience.
Other cafes that are the best for remote work and meetings include: Deli’s Café, Vestar Café, and La Pointe Coffee Shop.
Lagos’ Most Instagrammable Coffee Houses
The rise of coffee brought about a commendable, beautiful aesthetic that follows most of the coffee shops. Like a physical structure attracts many of us, a fine, aesthetically crafted coffee house draws more foot traffic and sales than an average, well-designed one.
Another thing apart from affinity to a fine structure is that the designed space aids focus and concentration and boosts productivity.
These details are what remote workers look out for before booking a space in a coffee shop. They ensure it is not just calm but Instagrammable to add a sleek touch to their pictures, personal branding, and online shares.
Coffee shops to pick in this category include: Ziya Delicacy Boutique, the Grid, Cafe Neo, the Yellow Cup, Kaldi Africa, Flowershop Cafe, and Art Cafe.
These cafes are not similar in the kind of design look they give, ranging from modern designs to traditional designs, and floral designs to minimalist designs.
What’s Brewing? Coffee Types You Can Find in Lagos
Coffee comes with its style and vibe, making sure everyone has their favourite and also being flexible for cultural tweaks and mixes.
In Lagos, here are some of the types of coffee brews you find on its streets.
- Iced Coffee: This is a cold coffee beverage often served with milk or a sweetener. It is perfect to calm the nerves, especially on a hot afternoon.
- Cappuccino Lagos: This is an espresso-based coffee combined with steamed milk.
- Espresso Coffee: This originated in Italy but has been made with Nigerian coffee beans to form a baseline for other coffee drinks, like Americano, café latte, and cappuccino.
- African Arabian coffee: This type of coffee makes use of Arabica beans from the regions of Ethiopia. It offers a deep and earthy flavor and is sweetened with honey.
- Americano: This is simply a diluted espresso with hot water. It gives a lighter taste but maintains the espresso flavour.
Others include Latte, Turkey Coffee, and Drip coffee.
Local Flavour: Nigerian-Owned Coffee Brands to Support
There are not a lot of foreign coffee brands yet in the Nigerian scene. Although there has been a rumour of Starbucks in the United States and ArtCaffe in Kenya entering the Nigerian markets, but no sign of them for now.
Few foreign-owned brands serve coffee in Nigeria, including Krispy Kreme, an American multinational coffeehouse chain, Cold Stone Creamery, and Chocloate royal, owned by Albert Sian Wittine.
However, if you want to buy in Nigeria first, these are some of the Nigerian-owned brands that offer premium coffee.
Café Neo: This is termed the African Starbucks because of its positioning as the leading coffee brand in Africa with branches in Lagos, Abuja, and Rwanda. Although modern cafe Neo is an afrocentric brand that serves one pure African coffee.
Maisha Coffee: This is owned by Ibrahim Samande. They have branches in Lagos and Abuja. They are high on a fine blend of coffee with great artistry. It tells the story of how street coffee can be premium.
In this category, also include Roast by Yemmie and My Coffee Lagos.
Tips for Finding the Perfect Coffee Shop in Lagos
In finding a coffee shop in Lagos, the first tip to help you is to know the purpose of going to one. Is it for a nice hangout, an official meeting, a remote work setting, or just breakfast? This outlined purpose will give you the type of Coffee Shop you are looking for.
Here are some other useful tips:
- Location: You must ensure you pick somewhere near your location (home or workspace) and not someplace far from it to avoid Lagos traffic. This can be achieved by a simple search for coffee shops near me on Google.
- Check the Menu: if you are a regular coffee drinker or new to trying a new coffee shop out, one way to help you find a perfect one is to check their menu and also read the description of every coffee type to know which one to go for.
- Ask for Recommendation: Check online influencers and websites that recommend coffee spots to go to, and check their rating. This will aid in filtering out the numerous options available.
- You can also ask for testing samples to check quality, compare prices, and check aesthetics when picking a coffee shop
Conclusion
The Lagos coffee scene is booming, with a lot of new players coming in. And it has enjoyed great patronage given the busy life of Lagosians and the spread of corporate offices across the city.
The coffee shops in Lagos are all the time improving their game to stay on top of the market, by introducing new coffee types, investing in structures, and content to attract new customers.
Are you a coffee lover, and have you discovered a hidden gem we missed? Share your favourite Lagos coffee spot in the comments!
