Ask a Local: rugby star Maro Itoje on his favourite London restaurants, theatre shows and arty spots

The Camden-born rugby star may have won several trophies for England and Saracens and earned three nominations for World Rugby Player of the Year, but off the pitch, he has begun venturing into the worlds of art and literature. Inspired by his Nigerian heritage, Itoje recently co-founded Akoje Gallery & Residency, which showcases the work of artists from Africa and its diaspora. Here, he reveals his favourite spots around the capital.

Akara

This West African restaurant in Borough Yards is run by the same guys behind Michelin-starred Akoko. Their food is inspired by akara, a type of West African black-eyed bean fritter that’s also eaten by Brazilians (they call it acarajé). They’ve put a Western twist on it, so this fusion is interesting for both people who are familiar with traditional akara and those who aren’t. With restaurants, you go for the food but you also go for the atmosphere and environment. The interiors are really good – simple but stylish, and decorated with some unique artworks.

Address: Akara Restaurant, Arch 208, 18 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD
Website: akaralondon.co.uk

Serpentine Gallery

It’s a very cool gallery. The Serpentine has two galleries on either side of the Serpentine Bridge in Kensington Gardens. The Serpentine South has a very cool exhibition on at the moment, by the multi-disciplinary, Turner-prize shortlisted Yinka Shonibare. He’s also very impressive as an individual – although he has mobility issues he’s still creating beautiful art pieces. Suspended States is his first solo exhibition in London for a while, and it explores the legacy of colonialism, using his signature Dutch wax print to represent the tangled relationship between Africa and Europe. It’s only on until September so I’d strongly recommend visiting.

Address: Serpentine Gallery, Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA
Website: serpentinegalleries.org

Akoje Gallery & Residency

Following on the art theme, Akoje is my touring gallery, which I launched in December 2024 with my business partner Khalil Akar. We move from location to location, and our exhibitions vary from place to place. We try to keep a new and fresh approach to the gallery space. All of the works come from African and African diaspora artists. We've been lucky to display some top artists like the Nigerian sculptor, Dotun Popoola, and the Trinidadian artist, Sarah Knights, who was commissioned by Tatler magazine to paint a portrait of King Charles. Alongside the gallery we are about to launch a residency programme for underrepresented and under-privileged African artists in the UK. We've partnered with the King’s Foundation at Dumfries House in Scotland, where the creatives can spend three months improving their craft and hopefully taking the next step in their careers.

Website: akojegallery.com

Twickenham Stadium

I’m fortunate to play for both Saracens and England. If you want to watch a great brand of rugby, come to watch England play at Twickenham. It’s a nice riverside location and full of pubs. If you want game-day atmosphere, The Cabbage Patch pub is right by the stadium. People go there just before the game for lunch and drinks before walking down to the stadium in a massive crowd. On game day, there’s a lively atmosphere.

Address: Twickenham Stadium, 200 Whitton Road, Twickenham TW2 7BA; The Cabbage Patch, 67 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SZ
Website: twickenhamstadium.com; cabbagepatch.co.uk

Enish

They have a few franchises all around London. It’s one of the places where you get real, authentic Nigerian food. It’s as close as you can get to a home-cooked meal in restaurant form. My favourite dish is their seafood okra soup with pounded yam – it’s got loads of flavour.

Address: Multiple locations
Website: enish.co.uk

Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre

I'm a big theatre fan and London is full of amazing shows. The most recent one I saw was Hamilton in Victoria, which was brilliant. The play is about the American War of Independence, and it puts an interesting African-American twist on historical events. The hip-hop and pop culture influence creates a very engaging play.

Address: Victoria Palace Theatre, 126 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5EA
Website: victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk

Hampstead Heath

One of the reasons why I love London is because of all the green spaces. I like Hampstead Heath on a summer’s day. The nature here is more untamed than in Regent’s Park, but you can forget you’re in the city. There are freshwater lakes and a lido at Parliament Hill where you can swim. If you climb to the top of Parliament Hill you’ll see amazing views of London’s skyline.

Website: cityoflondon.gov.uk

Charlotte Street Hotel

I once stayed at the Charlotte Street Hotel in Bloomsbury after going to the theatre. That was a beautiful, classic, English-style hotel. The owner and designer, Kit Kemp, has put original art from the early 20th century throughout the hotel, plus a very colourful mural in the restaurant, depicting scenes of 'contemporary London life’. Good food, good service, and it’s not overly big, either.

Address: Charlotte Street Hotel, 15-17 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RJ
Website: firmdalehotels.com

Christian Louboutin

I fortunately got a few shoes from Christian Louboutin recently, including a pair of black leather MJ Moc Men loafers. So they’re my favourite shoe brand at the moment. They have a store on Mount Street in Mayfair.

Address: Christian Louboutin, 17 Mount Street, London W1K 2RJ
Website: christianlouboutin.com

Maro Itoje was talking to Noo Saro-Wiwa and Layla Quaedvlieg.