NIGERIA: Lagos: Lagos Ethnic Heritage Centre

It has been a year and a half since we made Nigeria our home and we realised that not all is what it seems. They phrase about "do not judge a book by its cover" has been again and again proven correct here, especially in Lagos state.

on the bridge towards Victoria Island, Lagos state, Nigeria

Here, looks can be deceiving. Behind a hotel, you'll find a windowless structure is actually a nice Indian restaurant (Sheraton Indian Restaurant). Somewhere between another restaurant (Yellow Chillies in Victoria Island) and a private hospital, is the best Italian restaurant in Nigeria (my new friend, an Indian gentleman now in his 35th year in Nigeria said). 

What looked like a bungalow, is actually a restaurant. Come to think about it...that's how the setup of a some of the restaurants here in Lagos. Huge gate with a gate man (honk to enter, please). Some, you don't actually see the restaurants inside...it's almost like...secret! The Hard Rock Cafe, Lagos fits the description....beyond the gate, is the hippest place to be..but from the main road...just another grey building with big car park.

Entrance to the Hard Rock Cafe, Lagos... who would imagine. This is on a 4x4, imagine on a car...you would miss the sign on top of the building.

Anyway it reminds me of the area Bangsar, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where old bungalows around the area are converted to exclusive restaurants. 

Lagos Ethnic Heritage Centre (click here) 

But today (Tuesday, 12th April 2016) was a little different. We were looking for something else, but instead we found another. 

the resident model of this blog...Saifuddin of MATRADE

NIGERIA: Lagos: Hard Rock Cafe Lagos!!!

I remembered when I left Malaysia for Nigeria two years ago, my former boss Nasrul Sapri reminded me the biggest size t-shirt. Not just any t-shirt...but

"Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt"...

So, like a nice guy which I am...I Googled for the said outlet the very next day we arrived in Lagos. It was in Eko Hotel...and since the wifi coverage was not good, I had to Google in the bathroom. The bathroom! 

Here I am....had never been to any Hard Rock cafe in my life (honest!) before because it doesn't appeal to me (hey...one man's meat is another man's poison)...patiently looking at HRC's website annnnnddddd....there's none in the whole continent of Africa. None available in this "cradle of human civilisation" continent.

The closest would be, Dubai. Great...

location of the Hard Rock Cafe Lagos

But what chance....a year down the road, it was in my friend's FB announcing the newly opened Hard Rock Cafe Lagos inVictoria Island. I was like...OK. It wasn't until Azfeezal and Praveen both flew in Abuja for a short work visit in Lagos insisted that we should go...and so we went.

the cafe...

Azfeezal

We went there as soon as they finished work for the day. We decided the earlier we go, the better. The affluent young Lagosian loves to hang out at bars drinking with friends and talk about business and politics. Oh yes, the ladies too...very well versed with the current events and fashion. 

So we entered the cafe....a first for me and in Africa no less! You entered through the souvenir shop and the place is huge. I mean...the three storey high is actually one cafe...

The day we went, there was no Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt with the Nigerian flag in it. Only the generic HRC t-shirt and some other t-shirt design for Lagos. I checked online with the current exchange rate...it is a little bit costly from the most HRC outlet world wide. 

The whole building is dedicated to the cafe. High ceilinged with memorabilia hung on every available surface of the cafe's wall. We took a table and ordered drinks. Price varies but...hey! It's Lagos and HRC combined....

memorabilia...

big TV screen

the bar

There's a few seating outside the cafe overlooking the Atlantic Ocean...and it's the more favourite among the locals. A place to be seen....rather than to enjoy the scenery and the huge Eko Atlantic project not far from Kuramo waters.

So, that's it. Hard Rock Cafe finally in Africa, more importantly it's in Nigeria. Not that I will frequent the place, but the last visit certainly was a "been there, done that" kind of thing. Weird though, there's Hard Rock Cafe in Malaysia...but it's the one in Lagos that I finally went.