Food Meets Art (Pavilion Restaurant) #TheFoodLoverInAbuja X #CrocsAboutTown

An expected trip to Abuja……an unplanned food itinerary……a quick slide into the dms of a food blogger I admire on Instagram (@kicheanfreakgirl) and there you have it……a date @pavilionng!

None of us had been here before so when the gate opened up and we saw a big sign on the building “@atelierhotels“, confusion struck.

But then, a staff met us immediately and explained that Pavilion is the hotel’s restaurant. He also mentioned that the building was home to an art gallery. At this point, I knew we were in for a memorable experience.

Fast forward…..we walked into the restaurant’s lovely outdoor space stylishly shaded from the sun, ordered our drinks and tried to have a proper “meeting you in person for the first time” conversation but it turned out that we were friends in the past life. One new thing I learnt about her is that she goes out on food adventures with her feet in some pretty crocs hence the hashtag “CrocsAboutTown” (Watch out for it in my next post).

Atelier View Cocktail

Moscow Mule

After analyzing their food menu for what felt like an eternity, we finally placed our orders.

We asked the waiter about the art gallery and he informed us that it was free to explore so we decided to do just that while the food got prepared. I don’t know much about art but the pieces here are mind blowing!

The @el_bayo_ pieces wowed me the most…..Click here for videos

We had a guide take us on a tour of two floors filled with all sorts of creative work. She explained that from time to time, they get replaced with new work so it looks like visiting this place can’t get old.

Back to Pavilion,

For starters, we shared the Asun and plantain tacos…..my favorite eat for the day. It was different and delicious! The tacos were made with crushed ripe plantains and the taste definitely hit home. The Asun made the bite even more of a dynamite……spicy sauced tender goat meat infused with that smoke flavor that will make you lick your fingers!

Main meal…..I had Duck & Waffle and KitchenFreakGirl had the Jerk Bowl.

This bowl was small but mighty! It reminded me so much of my Jamaican food hunt. I don’t get to eat a lot of good Jerk chicken so when I finally find a place that makes it right, I get excited. The char, the spicy kick, the vibrant flavor…..simply praise worthy. The freshness from the mango salsa was an excellent way to soak up the heat.

Before my food blogging days, duck wasn’t something I’d normally eat so these days, I tend to have it once it’s on a menu. The waffle tasted like it was made from scratch, that made me happy plus the duck was well cooked. And yes, the sunny was a nice touch. My only problem was the sauce, it tasted good but there was just something about it that didn’t satisfy me, I can’t tell if it was the quantity or the fact it wasn’t thick.

For last, we shared the Messy Waffle. My favorite thing on this plate was the crushed brownie, it was warm, fresh, gooey and delicious!

Location: 12, Ukpabi Asika Street, Abuja.

Instagram: @pavilionng

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