TRAVEL GUIDE | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA

Lagos-based art patron, curator and collector, Ugoma Ebilah, shares a highly curated insider’s guide to the nonstop Nigerian capital, revealing a vibrant city full of tranquil green escapes, atmospheric restaurants, and soulful corners bursting with creative energy.

BY UGOMA EBILAH | CABANA TRAVEL | 14 NOVEMBER 2025 

My Favorite Place to Stay: Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate

As I live in Lagos, my home is my absolute favorite place to stay. Occasionally though, a staycation is necessary to escape the frenzy of Lagos and for that I adore the cottages at Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate. There’s a lovely homely feeling, with amazing greens to see and walk in. It’s pure rejuvenation, even if you don’t play golf.

My Favorite Restaurant: ZKitchen

ZKitchen is my go-to spot for a power lunch or girlie catch up—it's always good food, immaculate service and great energy. The ostrich steak is not to be missed and I love the fact that the proprietors have been thoughtful about the wine list.

My Favorite Café: Oti’s Place

My favorite place to have a cup of coffee in Lagos has to be at Oti’s Place, but most importantly to have it in the company of the proprietor who makes it himself. It is magic to have delicious coffee, lovingly made, to a soundtrack of the most curated traditional jazz sounds, while inhaling a blend of coffee, wood, leather and traces of cigar. This all make up the interior ambience of this very special place, which is not atucally a cafe or coffee shop, but a private members jazz club.

My Favorite Cozy Bar: VICI

Although relatively new on the scene, VICI has clinched a strong place in my socializing and watering roster. It is the ultimate bar experience: some drama, some pomp, some show, great furniture, a kaleidoscope of color and sounds, sexy drinks, pleasant convivial waiters, a great playlist, caring proprietors and a magnificent chandelier in conversation with magnificent stained glass windows. VICI is that bar that makes me feel like I am both grounded and at home, like I am flying and dreaming in delight at the same time.

My Favorite Gallery: Bloom Art Lagos

It would have to be my gallery, Bloom Art Lagos, which offers the most unusual blend of curatorial rigour, spatial whimsy, nostalgia, inspiring aesthetics, publishing expressions and thoughtful programming. I am proud to have founded it, and to be a current and continuous enjoyer and consumer of its multifaceted offerings and energies.

My Favorite 'Hidden Gem': The Jazz Hole

This gem is not just a magical space filled with curated vintage and contemporary music and books for sale – owner-founder, Mr Kunle Tejuosho, is a living repository of the cultural and musical histories of Nigeria. The Jazz Hole is a temple of nostalgia and discovery through music. It's one of my favorite places on the planet.

My Favorite Antique Store or Market: Quintessence

I love Quintessence. I have deep respect for this pioneering and longstanding cultural retail institution founded by one of my heroes, Aino Oni-Okpaku. I have discovered some of the most special objets d’arts, notions, and people at Quintessence over the decades. I am currently eyeing a hand-carved coffee table from Cameroon. I love and trust the heart and eyes that are embedded in their buying process.

My Favorite Shop: Temple Muse

I love a good retail therapy experience, and even when I am not spending money I love my eyes and mind to be stimulated. Temple Muse knows exactly how to get my eyes, heart and pockets jumping.

My Favorite Thing to Do in Lagos

My one-hour meditative morning walk by the ocean along the promenade at Eko Atlantic. If I am lucky I get some ocean spray on my face when the tide is high and the waves splash to street level. I listen to hip hop or Anglican hymns or philosophy podcasts and get my walking workout on. I drift away in my thoughts and solitude, and always feel energized afterwards—physically extended but emotionally renewed.

My Favorite Garden or Green Space: RF Gardens

A little oasis in the middle of the concrete city. It gives me gardening ideas, quality plant retail therapy, and access to a lush, inspiring forest-like landscape. I feel verdant and connected to nature when I am there, with a great sense of possibility.