Our History
From a twelve seat counter to two dining rooms and a delivery kitchen. Twenty eight years on Harbour Lane, told in order.
Since 1998
A restaurant that grew one room at a time
Babuka has never been planned in advance. Every extension, every new section and every menu change happened because the room filled up and something had to give.
What did not change was the routine. Market first, fire second, everything else afterwards. Below is the short version of how a counter with twelve stools became the kitchen it is today.
Milestones
The Babuka timeline
One counter on Harbour Lane
Marcus Adeyemi opened a twelve seat counter with a single grill, a chalkboard menu and a promise to buy everything from the harbour market that morning.
1998
2004
The first wood-fired oven
A second unit next door made room for the oven that still bakes every flatbread and pizza we serve. The dough recipe has not changed since.
Babuka Express opens
A dedicated fast counter brought the same kitchen standards to lunch service, with orders cooked to order in under eight minutes.
2011
2018
Our own kitchen garden
The rooftop garden now supplies the herbs, chilies and edible flowers used across the seasonal menu from May through October.
Serving the whole city
Two dining rooms, one express counter and a delivery kitchen that reaches every district in the city within forty minutes.
2026
Babuka in numbers
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Years of service
0+
Plates served
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People in the team
0
Awards received
Our philosophy
Three rules we have never broken
They fit on one page and they have been pinned beside the pass since the week we opened.
01
Buy it that morning
If it did not come in today, it does not go on the specials board.
02
Cook it over fire
Coal, wood or cast iron. Never a heat lamp, never a second reheat.
03
Use all of it
Trim becomes stock, stock becomes sauce, and the garden takes the rest.
Come and eat with us
A table at Babuka is always worth the trip
Book a seat in the dining room, or order the same food to your door from the express kitchen.