Lil Afrikana

What began as a small initiative in Aldridge is now a fully-fledged eatery with branches all over the UK. Their mission? To serve authentic African food that unlocks the door to the continent's culture, traditions and soul.

Like a cubby hole in which to immerse yourself in all the facets and characterises that make Africa so unique, Afrikana is a wonderful spot to spend an evening. It's all kinds of cosy with wood panelled walls, cute bistro furnishings, homey nick nacks and soft lighting. It's a very neat and organised place which runs in direct opposition to the eating style that demands more of your hands than your cutlery; time to tuck in!

Here's the perfect opportunity to try something new. Afrikana have made phat boxes their signature. So called because they pack in all kinds of African delicacies into a takeaway-style box, these on-the-go eats are bound to immerse you in everyday African life as you chow down on grilled chicken wings, spicy prawns, fried plantain and corn on the cob - all drenched in house jerk gravy. We're already drooling.

If it's variety you're after, how about a sharing platter? Get one between the few of you and dip and dive into deep fried wings, steak, jollof rice, fries and much more. Then there are West African curries, burgers, wraps, slow cooked mutton curry and heaps of buttermilk chicken for other individual feasts. Like we said, it might be a messy meal, but boy is it worth the spoilt white shirt.