Mirror mirror on the wall, where is the fanciest restaurant of them all? Tulip Bistro? hmmm, I do not think so! But you’re about to find out for yourself. Hi guys, Welcome to my very first (procrastinated) blog post of the month. As usual, I have all the juicy detailed jist about your favourite spots and today I’m back with Abuja’s Elite favourite, Tulip Bistro!
Tulip Bistro is one of Abuja’s old gems. The restaurant has existed for almost a decade or more and it is no secret that it has always been an elite favourite since day one. The restaurant was formerly located at No 7 Atakpame street abuja. Recently they had a total revamp/rebreand and relocated to a 141Ademola Adetokunbo crescent, Wuse 904101, Abuja Nigeria. The restaurant rebirth was actually beautiful to witness. The restaurant team definitely made a recognisable effort in improving not just the restaurant image but the brand as a whole. They relaunched a whole new space, menu and even staff.
I recently got the opportunity to check out the NEW Tulip Bistro and I will be sharing the details of my experience below.
Ambience
The restaurant features an indoor and outdoor rooftop spaces. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the building so there is an elevator access as well as a stair access as well. The indoor and outdoor spaces of the restaurant are very distinct and not directly connected which I find a bit weird but here’s a look at both spaces at the restaurant.
Indoor space
The indoor space is quite eye catching. It is very bright, spacious and modern. The restaurant space is very aesthetically pleasing and looks really really good on camera. However in reality, I did not find it as appealing as I did on camera. There was really a lot going on with the space, There were a lot of beautiful and unique pieces fused into the interior of the space but they just weren’t connecting. This made it feel like just a very open space with a Bunch of stuff thereby making the ambience seemingly rowdy and not very exquisite for fine dining. The indoor space features a bar and can fit a totality of 50 people or more.
Outdoor space
On the other side of the indoor space is the beautiful rooftop outdoor space, Preceding the outdoor space is a small lobby that allows access to the space as well as the beautiful restrooms. The Looby is very exquisite and beautiful, It has a very homey feel to it. The outdoor space is absolutely beautiful and very relaxing. It is beautifully designed with comfy contemporary seats and tables and beautiful plants that give the outdoor space an elevated feel of nature.
The outdoor space is quite spacious and can fit up to 20 people. It is very chill and less intense than the indoor space. It is a good spot to unwind and hang out with friends.
The menu
The restaurant menu is not too small and not too big. It is just right. It features all international dishes from starters to dessert. The menu pricing is quite high so it requires more than the average restaurant budget if you choose to dine here. The restaurant budget is about N15,000 – N25,000 per person depending on your choice of food.
Food and Drinks
We had quite a lot to eat to be honest because I definitely couldn’t move comfortably after my meal. My intention was to have a 3 course meal at restaurant so I could have the full tulip experience but after the main course I had no option but to stop. For starters we had the Philly cheese roll and charcoal wings. We subsequently had chicken Caesar salad, oriental chicken, spaghetti Bolognaise and chicken Louisiana. I tried everything except the spaghetti bolognaise. It was plated really nice though.
STARTERS
For starters we had the Philly cheese roll and charcoal wings. The cheese roll cost N5,000 for 3pcs and the charcoal wings cost N4,500 for 3pcs as well. I did not get a picture of the Philly cheese roll but it was very good! I loved it. They were very generous with the filling of the roll and the wrap wasn’t thick so you can adequately enjoy the deliciousness of the roll. It is really a great starter and very satisfying too.
Charcoal wings – N4,500
The charcoal wings tasted much like bbq wings to me. The wings were very juicy and big in sizes. I totally enjoyed it and I recommend it as a great meal starter.
Chicken Caesar salad – N6,500
I ordered the chicken Caesar salad because I’ve heard so much about it. Almost everyone who has visited Tulip bistro has recommended this salad so of course it was the first thing I ordered. The chicken Caesar salad was a mixed bowl of delicious ingredients like lettuce, croutons, grilled chicken, parmesan and apple slices. The salad came with a delicious salad dressing. The salad portion was quite adequate, so much that after I devoured the bowl of salad I found it hard eating anything else. The salad was really delicious and meets up to its hype. The salad was crunchy, flavourful and satisfying. It is also quite affordable for its wholesome content.
Oriental Chicken – N15,000
The oriental chicken is a STUNNER! No really, I was stunned when approached with it. I never expected it come in such a large portion. I mean, most fine dining restaurants have a habit of serving food in very small quantities so i expected same in this instance but to my surprise this was different. It was a grilled boneless chicken served on top oriental rice. The oriental chicken also came with beef broth on the side. The chicken was SUPERB! It was very tender and tasty to the last bit of it. The chicken cuts right through, that’s how soft it was. It tasted like it was marinated for a while so every bit of it was tasty and juicy. They were really heavy on garlic while spicing the chicken and I absolutely love it. It is hands down one of the tastiest grilled chicken I have ever had.
The rice on the other hand was giving off biryani vibes because it had a lot of spice and ingredients. It had a cinnamon and cardamon taste. The rice also had minced meat and some nuts mixed in it. The minced meat made it more unique and enjoyable to eat. The nuts gave the meal a crunch and I liked that, I always enjoy a little bit of crunch in every meal. My only problem with the rice is that it was little bit dry. I would have preferred it with a little more moisture.
The beef broth that came with the oriental chicken was an absolute no for me. I hated it. It had a tamarind-ish flavour and it just tasted bad to me. I didn’t even go further after the first taste. I just tossed it aside.
Chicken Louisiana – N9,000
My sister ordered the chicken Louisiana and I just took a couple of bites from it. The pasta was beautifully plated and packed with deliciousness. The pasta was rich, creamy and had a satisfying portion. If you’re a creamy pasta lover, the chicken Louisiana is definitely worth the try.
DRINKS
For drinks, I had the tropical twist and because my sister is a copy cat, she had the same thing too. before I dive into the taste of the drink, I must actually commend how cheap the drinks at the restaurant are. The price range of the drinks is from N1,000 – N4,000 which is very affordable. I also noticed that there is no alcohol on the drinks menu. Just hot, cold and soft drinks.
The tropical twist cost N4,000 each. The drink was made up of mainly pineapple, ginger and mint syrup. The drink was pretty decent. The syrup was really sweet so it blended well with the sour taste of the pineapple. I wouldn’t particularly call it a tropical drink, but it was quite nice.
TOTAL BILL – NGN65,868 (including 12% service charge)
GENERAL REVIEW
Tulip Bistro is indeed an upscale restaurant and indeed quite fancy. It might just take the title of ‘the fanciest of them all’. Their oriental international fusion dishes, upper class ambience and good service will have you wanting to visit again. It is a great spot for fancy dates, proposals, business meetings, family time, small events and also hanging out with friends.
DIARY OF A SOFT BABE 