Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, is increasingly becoming a hub for luxury dining, as a growing population of affluent residents, diplomats, expatriates and corporate executives fuels demand for premium hospitality experiences.
Fine dining in the Federal Capital Territory is no longer solely about the meal. Restaurants are increasingly competing on ambience, exclusivity, international culinary concepts and the overall experience, particularly in high-income districts such as Maitama and Wuse II.
The city’s expanding consumer base is also creating room for more specialised hospitality businesses. Abuja’s population is estimated at 2.06 million in 2026, up from about 1.96 million in 2025, according to World Population Review projections.
However, the growth in luxury consumption comes against a challenging inflationary backdrop. The Federal Capital Territory recorded an annual headline inflation rate of 39.91%, while annual food inflation stood at 40.20%, highlighting the rising cost of operating restaurants and dining out.
Against this backdrop, a number of restaurants have positioned themselves at the premium end of Abuja’s dining market, with menus and experiences targeted at customers willing to pay a significant premium.
Behind these establishments are entrepreneurs, chefs, investors and, in some cases, members of prominent Nigerian families who have brought different business backgrounds and culinary influences into the capital’s hospitality scene.
Here are the owners behind some of the most expensive restaurants in Abuja.
Ameena Indimi Dalhatu, daughter of billionaire businessman and Oriental Energy Resources founder Mohammed Indimi, is the owner of Marks at the Park, a premium Japanese and Pan-Asian restaurant in Abuja.
Located at 163 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, within Twenty One Park, the restaurant serves Japanese and Pan-Asian cuisine in a fine-dining setting. Meals at the restaurant can cost N50,000 or more per person, placing it among Abuja’s premium dining options.
Marks at the Park offers an all-you-can-eat menu, happy-hour selections and private dining rooms for events and special occasions. Its menu combines flavours and cooking techniques from across Asia, with an emphasis on presentation and premium ingredients.
Dalhatu’s hospitality business is an extension of her wider entrepreneurial interests. She previously held senior positions at Oriental Energy Resources, the oil exploration and production company founded by her father, including Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Assets. She is also a member of the company’s board.
In a video interview, Dalhatu disclosed that she founded Twenty One Park at a time when she had begun to feel disquieted about her corporate career. The development marked a move into the lifestyle and hospitality sector after years in the oil and gas industry.
Dalhatu studied Pre-Medical Sciences at Lynn University in Florida and later earned an MBA in International Business from the same institution. She began her career in 1999 in the Public Relations Department of the Nigeria-São Tomé and Príncipe Joint Development Zone before joining Oriental Energy.
Ibrahim Samande is the founder and chief executive officer of Mai Shayi Coffee Roasters Ltd., a Nigerian coffee company he established in 2019.
The Lagos-headquartered business describes itself as Nigeria’s first fully vertically integrated specialty coffee company, with operations spanning coffee cultivation, processing, roasting, hospitality, retail and consumer education.
Samande has positioned the company around the development of premium Nigerian Arabica coffee, with activities across Plateau State, Abuja and Lagos. Its model covers the coffee chain from seedling propagation and farming to processing, quality control and roasting.
According to Samande, Mai Shayi’s operations include tissue culture and genetics work, seedling propagation and farming, alongside post-harvest processing and quality assurance. The company also works with NKG Quality Service, the quality consulting arm of Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, and engages with Cenicafé, Colombia’s National Coffee Research Center, on aspects of agronomy and post-harvest systems.
The company says its sustainability initiatives include solar-powered irrigation, drip irrigation, organic soil fertility management, water stewardship and the planting of more than 1,500 indigenous shade trees. It employs about 230 people, with women accounting for 65% of its workforce, according to Samande.
Beyond coffee, Samande has a background in design, branding and hospitality. Before founding Mai Shayi, he was the creative director of Yerima Design Limited, a marketing communications firm, and an associate creative director at Prima Garnet Ogilvy. He also founded The View on 12th, a luxury shared-office business in Lagos.
Samande holds a master’s degree in graphic design and advertising from Miami International University of Art and Design and a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Messiah University.
The company was named a finalist in the 2026 Specialty Coffee Association Sustainability Awards, according to Samande’s LinkedIn profile.
Atef Fawaz and Fatme Fadlallah are the co-founders of Gusto Restaurant, an upscale dining and rooftop destination in Abuja.
The restaurant, located at 42 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent in Wuse 2, is part of the Gusto Group and has established itself within Abuja’s growing premium hospitality market.
Fawaz brings an unconventional background to the restaurant business. He is an operations and management executive whose career has largely been built around technology, healthcare and large-scale programme management.
He is currently Executive Director of eHealth Africa, having previously served as interim executive director and director of programme operations. His work at the organisation has included overseeing complex programmes and budgets worth millions of dollars, as well as operations connected to Nigeria’s polio response and emergency responses to Ebola and Covid-19.
Before joining eHealth Africa, Fawaz worked in technology and telecommunications, including as an operations manager and network manager at Electronic Connections Ltd. in Kano.
Fadlallah, meanwhile, is also identified as a co-founder of Gusto Group, making the restaurant a joint venture between the two entrepreneurs.
Together, Fawaz and Fadlallah have built Gusto around more than food. Its positioning combines dining, hospitality and social experiences, reflecting a broader shift in Nigeria’s premium restaurant market, where venues increasingly compete on ambience, location and lifestyle as much as their menus.
The Abuja restaurant gives the pair a foothold in a sector that has attracted growing demand from professionals, business executives and affluent consumers seeking high-end dining experiences.
Salim Chidiac is the founder and business owner behind CARNEVAL Brazilian Churrasco, an upscale Brazilian dining concept in Abuja built around the traditional churrasco experience.
Chidiac has also established SSC Hospitality, where he serves as managing director. The group operates hospitality concepts spanning premium dining, sports and lifestyle, including CARNEVAL Brazilian Churrasco and KICKOFF Sports Bar.
