Shwen Shwen

Opened in 2025, Shwen Shwen is the debut solo restaurant project of Maria Bradford, who grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone, before later moving to Kent. After training at Leiths and launching a catering business in 2017, Bradford developed the project into a permanent restaurant under the Shwen Shwen name, which takes its meaning from the Krio word for 'fancy'.

The restaurant offers an intimate fine dining experience rooted in the flavours and traditions of Sierra Leone, reinterpreted through a modern lens. Bradford draws on recipes and culinary knowledge passed down from her mother and grandmother, combining West African inspiration with contemporary technique and presentation.

The menu comprises small plates and sharing plates with a focus on bold, spice-led dishes that reflect the cooking of Sierra Leone while adapting it for a fine dining setting. Option include fermented chilli honey flatbread; mackerel pate with shito and pickles; beef short-rib with groundnut and coconut; and ox cheek and krio stew, but if you can't decide there's also a seven-course chef's choice menu of the most popular dishes.

The cocktail programme is as creative as the food, with options such as the Savanna Smoke made with tequila, cardamom, cinnamon, tonka bean, dark chocolate and coffee.