As you already know, I’m a huge fan of mobile apps, so while searching for a restaurant on my first trip to Johannesburg, I used Trip Advisor and stumbled on Ocean Basket.

Ocean Basket is a seafood restaurant chain with outlets around South Africa, and a branch in Victoria Island, Lagos. Not everyone is big on sea food so a few of my colleagues were hesitant. However, with really good reviews on Trip Advisor, and its proximity to our lodgings, I convinced them to take a chance.

The staff of the restaurant were standing out front. They were really friendly and eager to show us what they had. One of them shoved the large menu card in my hands, while the others coaxed us through the clean, organised, open seating area, to an empty table for four.

I apologise for not having any pictures of the restaurant. It had been a long day and we were starving. The food came so quickly I didn’t have time to take any pictures that captured the environment.

We ordered a Full Deck Platter for four: 30 Prince Prawns, Mussels, Calamari, Calamari Steak Strips & Fish (with the option of rice or chips) and it was alot!

The mussels and prawns were fresh and absolutely delicious. The calamari was tasty and crunchy, and the fish, oh the fish was so succulent and unbelievably flavorful, I had so much, I felt like I was bursting.

I didn’t have any rice. I mean, I didn’t fly 2,886 miles to eat things I’ve got at home. However, my colleagues did and found it to be quite bland and needing a lot of the garlic and chili sauce to keep it down. Thankfully, I’m told the Nigerian outlet serves Jollof or Fried rice instead.

The platter cost R489 and it was well worth it. Four of us couldn’t finish the meal so I had them pack the rest up (can’t waste a single rand).

To top it all off, I had a Toffee Caramel Milkshake. I chose that because the waiter didn’t know enough English to help me make a tastier choice. Nevertheless, It was delicious and a perfect finisher to the hearty meal.

Toffee Caramel Milkshake -R36

In total, the meal cost about R550 which amounts to approximately N12,000. For four people, I think it’s a lot of money to spend on one meal, but for an upscale restaurant I think it’s fair. What do you think?

Finally, I particularly liked the table paper. It had so many funny fish jokes, useful information and history, all written in playful fonts, designed to entertain the reader.

Overall, I definitely recommend this place. I had a splendid time and I left there completely satisfied. I’m looking forward to a branch being opened here in Abuja while I plan a visit to the one in Victoria Island, Lagos. In the mean time, you can find a review of the Victoria Island outlet here

If you’ve been to any Ocean Basket outlet, do tell me about it. I would love to hear your thoughts!💋