Ordering for yourself is easy. Ordering for a full table can become a small negotiation, especially when one person wants soup, another wants seafood and somebody has already started asking about drinks.
Start with one thing everybody can reach
A sharing plate buys the table time. Crispy prawns or peppered snail can arrive while everyone decides what they actually want. It also stops the first hungry person from rushing the whole order.
Choose a strong centre
For four people, a whole grilled fish or seafood platter gives the table a clear centre. Add two rice dishes, one soup and enough sides. That creates variety without ordering twelve separate meals that arrive at completely different times.
Order for the table you have, not the photograph you want to take.
Let drinks follow the mood
Start with water and one easy round. People who want cocktails can move in that direction, while drivers and non-drinkers have proper zero-proof options. Nobody should be left holding a bottle they did not ask for.
The simple order for six
- One seafood platter
- One whole grilled croaker
- Two portions of smoky jollof
- One seafood okra with two swallows
- Plantain and salad for the table
- One first round of drinks
It is enough variety to keep everyone interested, and it leaves room to add one more thing after the table sees what disappears first.
