Swahili Village - Newark, NJ

Time to break out of one’s culinary groove and explore a cuisine loaded with flavor, history, and a diversity of textures and ingredients. African cuisine holds quite a range, depending on the country and culture it originated from. Across the US, from vibrant food markets to trendy fusion cafés and transmigration-owned restaurants, one cuisine is rising fast: Kenyan food. It’s not as globally mainstream as Thai or Mexican yet, but in 2026 it’s becoming one of the most talked-about international food experiences, especially in multicultural cities like New York, Chicago, or LA. My partner, our friends, and I made a reservation at Swahili Village off of Center Street in Newark before the Saturday night performance at the nearby NJPAC. A reservation was easily made hours in advance via Ope

Wonderful evening and delicious dishes. Our host Mr. Clifton welcomed us and made sure we enjoyed our meal (which we did)! Great pre-show dinner for an NJPAC performance or even a night out. We will return!

OMG!!! Really sums up my visit at this amazing establishment. Went to the Boy Is Mine Concert, my friends went out after the concert and came back raving about the time that was had…. had so much fun we went for lunch the next day. Our waiter Asani 10/10, Cassandra I just love her💜. Food was chef’s kiss 😘. My ONLY question is when y’all coming to Philly??????

I had the snapper with collard greens and jollof rice. I originally wanted it fried without sides but they did not have that option available even though I was told over the phone by a worker. The fish was good but too much onions and peppers for me. The rice was cool, not spicy how I would like it and the greens were bland to me. Overall the food was a 6/10. The sides portions was small for what I paid. The drink I had was very good . The service was just slow and not enough workers.I just wish they had the option of fried Snapper alone please. I was really craving it 😭

A time was had at Swahili Village this weekend. Assani and Casandra (Mgr) were amazing! We had the samosas, jollof rice, wings, and the shareable tasting platter and EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING!! The peri peri sauce (spelling) was wonderful and took us back to a trip to Africa we took a few years back. PLEASE OPEN A LOCATION IN PHILLY!! We would welcome this atmosphere and amazing cooking with open arms and empty stomachs. If you are ever in Newark for a show make sure to stop by before and after. The restaurant closes at 3am and the DJ on Saturday after the concert was awesome. My husband and I had so much fun that we stayed until the lights came up and came back at noon the next day for lunch. IT IS JUST THAT GOOD.