"Emiliano Duenas's sushi and teppanyaki on Victoria Island — a 2025 World Culinary Awards nominee. Book it to impress a client."
About Izanagi
Izanagi has been Victoria Island's reference point for Japanese food for more than a decade, run by the Blowfish Group at 19B Idejo Street, just off Adeola Odeku. Chef Emiliano Duenas sets a long menu that runs from sushi and sashimi through teppanyaki, teriyaki and noodles, and the kitchen's defining trait is consistency: regulars say the Izanagi Dragon roll has tasted the same since at least 2015.
It is a polished, open-kitchen room with a terrace, and it sits reliably at the top of any Lagos ranking — a 2025 World Culinary Awards nominee for Nigeria's Best Restaurant, and routinely Tripadvisor's number one table in the city. For a place where openings come and go, that steadiness is the headline: this is Japanese cooking you can count on.
The Kitchen
The kitchen spans the full Japanese repertoire. From the sushi bar come the signature maki: the Izanagi Dragon, the plantain maki that nods to Lagos, crispy-shrimp and tempura hand rolls, and the spicy salmon rolls regulars single out. The teppanyaki and marinated steaks are cooked to order in front of you, and the Bang Bang mushrooms and dynamite shrimp are the openers people plan to repeat. The open kitchen lets you watch the chefs work the grill and the knife.
Pricing is upscale by Lagos standards but fair for the quality, with starters from around ₦2,000 and most of the menu a la carte. The draw is precision and reliability rather than novelty.
The Room
The dining room is sleek and contemporary, built around the open kitchen, with a terrace for warmer evenings. It reads as a grown-up, low-lit room: well spaced, quiet enough to talk business across the table, polished rather than loud.
Service is attentive and, like the food, consistent year after year. Book ahead for prime evenings; the Idejo Street address keeps it central to Victoria Island's business and hotel district, an easy walk from the office towers.
Best for Impressing Clients
The polished room and dependable kitchen make Izanagi a natural choice to impress clients or anchor a business lunch on Victoria Island. The signature rolls and open-kitchen theatre also make it a comfortable, celebratory spot for a birthday dinner.
Not for
Not for diners after the cheapest sushi in town, or anyone seeking experimental, ever-changing tasting menus — Izanagi's appeal is a broad, dependable Japanese menu that tastes the same every visit.
Frequently Asked
What is Izanagi known for?
Being Lagos's most consistent Japanese restaurant. On Victoria Island under the Blowfish Group, chef Emiliano Duenas serves sushi, teppanyaki and signature maki such as the Izanagi Dragon roll, which regulars say has tasted the same since 2015. It was a 2025 World Culinary Awards nominee for Nigeria's Best Restaurant and is routinely ranked the city's number one table on Tripadvisor.
How much does dinner cost at Izanagi?
It is upscale by Lagos standards but fair for the quality. Starters begin at around ₦2,000, and most of the menu is à la carte, so a dinner for two scales with how much sushi, teppanyaki and sake you order. Expect a premium bill by local standards rather than a bargain, in line with Victoria Island's fine-dining rooms.
Who is the chef at Izanagi?
Chef Emiliano Duenas sets the menu. The restaurant is operated by the Blowfish Group and has held a top-ranking spot among Lagos restaurants for years, including a 2025 World Culinary Awards nomination for Nigeria's Best Restaurant. The kitchen's hallmark is consistency: the signature dishes have changed very little over more than a decade.
What should I order at Izanagi?
Start with the signature Izanagi Dragon roll and the plantain maki, the kitchen's nod to Lagos. The crispy-shrimp and tempura hand rolls and the spicy salmon rolls are reliable, the Bang Bang mushrooms and dynamite shrimp are the openers regulars repeat, and anything from the teppanyaki grill is cooked to order in front of you.
Where is Izanagi and do I need a reservation?
It is at 19B Idejo Street, off Adeola Odeku Street on Victoria Island, Lagos, central to the island's business and hotel district. Booking ahead is advised for prime evenings and weekend dinners, when the open-kitchen room fills quickly. There is also a terrace for warmer nights, which is worth requesting when you reserve.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Izanagi
Book ahead for prime evenings. Open-kitchen room with a terrace, central to Victoria Island.
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Practical Information
Address19B Idejo Street, off Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos
NeighbourhoodVictoria Island, off Adeola Odeku Street
CuisineJapanese
PriceUpscale for Lagos; starters from ~₦2,000, à la carte
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingContemporary dining room with open kitchen and terrace
ReservationRecommended for prime evenings
