False msafiri 96 guide business travellers’ with African art, and an excellent restaurant and bar serving international cuisine. It’s well situated for the shopping facilities at the new Palms Shopping Mall. Tel: + 234 ( 0) 1 2704861, www. bjayshotel. com Q VICTORIA CROWN PLAZA Centrally located on Victoria Island, this is a luxury option with palatial furnishings, concierges, fine dining and a trendy cocktail bar. The penthouses have their own butlers. There are extensive conference facilities, the businessman suites have exercise bikes, there’s Wi- Fi internet throughout and you can hire notebook PCs. Tel: + 234 ( 0) 1 271 9800/ 10, www. vcp- hotel. com Q SOFITEL MOORHOUSE Located in the upmarket residential district of Ikoja, it has 92 de luxe rooms with flat screen TV and high-speed internet, a swimming pool with spacious, shady terraces, fitness facilities, and massages on offer. The friendly staff are used to international visitors. Tel: + 234( 0) 1 461540922, www. sofitel. com Q BOGOBIRI HOUSE A fairly new boutique hotel well located for the restaurant district around Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, with just 10 individually designed rooms, beautifully decorated with hand carved or rattan furniture, and mosaics and some unusual and striking art on the walls. Internet and business facilities and massages available. Tel: + 234 ( 0) 1 4747421, www. bogobirilagos. com TIME TO EAT Lagos has the best choice of international restaurants in the country and most world cuisines feature; in particular Indian, Chinese and Lebanese. Most also serve a selection of popular Nigerian dishes such as fiery pepper soups ( meat stews), suya ( barbecued meat) and staples such as pounded yam or jollof ( pepper) rice. Star or Gulder are tasty locally brewed lagers, and Guinness, served cold, is popular with Nigerians. Imported wine is available only at the top-end restaurants and hotels. Q CHOCOLATE ROYAL A popular spot on Victoria Island with business people at lunchtime, as attested to by the row of chauffeur-driven cars parked outside. This glitzy French- style patisserie is open from early morning until mid-evening, and, as the name suggests, offers decadent home- made chocolates, plus cappuccinos, gooey cream cakes, filled baguettes, giant muffins and huge salads – bear in mind all these are very rare in Nigeria. The cafe has a Wi- Fi hotspot. AIM Plaza, 267 Etim Inyang Crescent, Victoria Island, tel: 234 ( 0) 1 2623055 www. chocolatroyal. com Q VILLA MEDICI With its stunning Venetian- style interior, including a bridge over water inside the restaurant, this is one of the city’s top international restaurants, popular for romantic dinners or business lunches. With Italian and French cuisine and an excellent wine list, it’s pricey, but very elegant with black tablecloths, sparkling silverware and crystal glasses. Here you’ll get the likes of beef fillet medallions and lobster thermidor in a good atmosphere with impeccable service. 1 Alhaji Babatunde Jose Rd ( formerly Festival Rd on some maps), Victoria Island, tel: + 234 ( 0) 1 2621717 Q THE KURAMO SPORTS CAFE Located in the Eko Hotel on Victoria Island, this is an enormous venue with several decks and bars decorated in a sporting theme. It has large screens for watching important matches and music videos, and good views TOP RIGHT: oil tanker docked at Lagos port right: The Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel Daren Humphrys Alex Bartel/ PHOTOLIBRARY. COM

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