Award-winning 'Afro-forward' restaurant to open café at Museum London

A unique London restaurant that focuses on culture through food is opening a new café at Museum London later this summer.

Yaya's Kitchen, run by husband and wife team Malvin and Maryam Wright, is currently a pop-up supper club operating out of the Food Incubator Hub in Old East Village. 

The restaurant has won local awards, including London Inc. Magazine's Best Fine Dining Restaurant in 2024. Since opening in 2017, the Wright's have offered diners a culturally educational meal when they host their weekly dinner. 

"It's a continuation or an expansion of our existing culinary project," Malvin said. "We always tell our guests we are not your usual restaurant by any stretch of the imagination."

He describes the food as "afro-forward" and from no particular country. The couple serves dishes from the "global Black experience" that many diners would not have tried before, something they plan to bring to the café's lunch menu at the museum. 

"As we always tell our guests, even at our restaurant: we don't serve jerk chicken or jollof rice," Malvin said, adding that if it can be found at a supermarket, they aren't interested. "Because there is so much more, right?"

Museum is 'thrilled'

The Wrights said they reached out to Museum London on multiple occasions to pitch the idea of a café to them. Their vision resonated with the museum, which is thrilled for the café to open, the musuem's spokesperon Abby Vincent said. 

"Food is such an important part of culture and expression. Having diverse food offerings is really exciting."

Vincent said the Museum had been looking for a tenant to take over the space after the Rhino Lounge Café closed in 2024. 

Wright said finalizing the menu will take several weeks and will include introducing staff to new ingredients. He added he wants to take time to create what he described as a "sincere and honest representation" of diversity. 

Wright said they are hoping to plan a grand opening soon, but can't set a date just yet.

"We're aiming for the first or second week of June, but it's out of our hands," he said, explaining that a lot of work needs to be finished on the physical space.