Dden Exotic African Cuisine

I have to say it’s always over-​crowded and sometimes you find it hard to find seat.
I would highly recommend a take away. The fish and plaintain is delicious!

I found Dden though Time Outs eating & drinking guide 2010. When you get to the restaurant you see the sticker sign proudly displayed that they are in the guide, so I decided to come on Saturday afternoon.
Restaurant
The restaurant is dimly lit with peach coloured walls which has African art on the walls which I thought was a nice touch. The tiles on the floor are slightly cracked. some of the leather seats were a bit peeled. Their was a slight odd smell so I was desperate to sit under a air conditioner, which was a relief to my nostrils. They have a flat screen TV plus a couple fliers at the back. To be honest the interior could do with a serious makeover.
Customer service
Had to call out for service because they were in the kitchen and even then it was not great it was not «how may i help you» with a smile, i had to do the greeting then order. I do not like the fact they don’t take card, they need to move with the times. I had to go to the cash machine which charged me an extra £1:94.
During the time the waitress gave me my meal she was pleasant. She offered me a glass of water and a bowl of water to wash my hands in it after (its tradition)
When i left to say thanks for the delicious meal, the other lady gave me fake smile.
Food
I had the Egusi which is a stew with ground melon seeds with a blend of African herbs and spinach. This was very delicious and very close to the one I had in Nigeria. I also had the Pounded yam which was is smooth in texture and tasted just right. You need to tear a piece off the pounded yam and dip it into the stew, always eat this meal with your hands. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and it was very filling also.
Price
My Egusi was £5 and the Pounded Yam £3 cheap and cheerfully on the other hand some of the prices on the starters our extortionist the highest being £25 and the cheapest being £6. I mean its only Cricklewood not Knightbrige. The main meals prices are from £7 to £15.
For me personally If I’am in the area I would not eat in here, I would just get there food to takeaway.

Does your choice of a Friday night out comprise of adventure? And I don’t mean a congregational drinks session at the pub situated a few streets from the workplace — or a traditional meal at your local Indian, Chinese or Mexican restaurant. If your answer is yes, then the answer lies north of the river.
If you’re serious about allowing your taste buds to undergo an ultra experience of hot, spicy and exotic looking food then D’ Den is the place to visit. This is one London venue that’ll give you an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.
Situated along Cricklewood Broadway the restaurant’s proper sense of value is found in its freshly prepared Nigerian cuisines.
With an impressive menu to make any established restaurateur proud; there’s an array of food, wine, spirit, champagne, beer (strengthened imported beers like Star and Gulder) and juice to choose from.
To kick off this unprecedented sojourn there’s the option of fried snails or fish garnished with thick sliced red and yellow peppers in a tomato base sauce. Or alternatively, you could skip starters and go straight in for the jugular.
The main course is pleasingly large in size, with the option of white boiled or Jellof rice served with large chunky fried plantains with small black eye beans. Alternatively, you could choose a full sized freshwater fish (tilapia) garnished with a mixture of diced purple looking onions and hot peppers in olive oil.
And if after all that your digestive system is capable of mixing food faster than a modern day kitchen blender, then deserts include chocolate and vanilla sponge cakes, combo ice creams or banana piled with fresh cream.
The décor is pretty sensible throughout; in a dim light setting, with a cool breeze oozing its way around from a split air condition machine. The playing of afro-​hip-​hop slash afro-​jazz ambience music and a large plasma screen also sets the mood. The spot quietly witnessed lots of people chirping away all having a relaxing and good time.
The locals tell me since D’ Den’s inception it’s maintained a loyal following, which include sport and music personalities that partly descend on the venue during the early hours of 5 and 6am for gusto.
Overall, this small and friendly spot has a profile second to none. The atmosphere is friendly and the service is polite. My Friday night experience was a blast — something I look forward to doing again sometime in the future.