TWAS EATS @TREE TOP AFRICAN CAFE

Tree Top African Café, 620 Dundas St. West, Toronto – Reviewed by Lise Watson

Since it opened on September 20, 2014, I’ve been slowly working my way through the menu of this lovely little café located at the south end of Kensington Market.  The café itself was under construction for many months so it’s a thrill to finally have it open to the public.  There is a warm ambience and a variety of African music envelopes you as you dine, and if you are lucky you might rub shoulders with a local musician or two.

Co-owned by Njacko Backo (Cameroon) and Saikou Saho (Gambia), the café is ‘pan-African’ with something to please us all.  There’s everything from Ethiopian coffee to Senegalese Tieboujen and Ghanaian fufu (a ball of starchy dough), and you can mix and match your plantain, yam, rice or fufu with fish, goat or chicken.  They feature daily lunch specials and there is a good selection of tea, hot and iced coffees, cold drinks including smoothies, and desserts.

Especially good are the chicken samosas, goat stew, jollof rice and fufu and the freshly made cold ginger beer is amazing. Eat in or take out.  Open from 8am to 7pm. And drop in to Saikou’s African Drum and Art Crafts right next door.  He has an eclectic mix of drums, jewelry, clothing and carvings from across the African continent.