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Swahili Village OTS, Newark, NJ

Swahili Village OTS

4.4
4.4
389 Reviews
$31 to $50
African
2 Center St, Newark, NJ 07102

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for groups
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Lively
Coming Soon!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    African, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, East African
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Wed, Sun 11:00 am–1:00 am Thu–Sat 11:00 am–3:00 am
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive chef
    Chef Alfredo Hernandez
  • Catering
    www.swahilivillages.com | 202.798.7701
  • Private party facilities
    www.swahilivillages.com | 202.798.7701
  • Neighborhood
    Newark
  • Cross street
    Corner of Center Street and Mulberry Street
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    NJ Transit, Light Rail, Amtrak
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 389 people are saying

Swahili Village OTS reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Essex

    Innovative

  • Essex

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Swahili Village OTS offers an energetic atmosphere with "amazing service" and "delicious food." The menu features African cuisine like goat, jollof rice, and salmon bites, complemented by creative cocktails. While some mention slower service and a pricey menu, the "flaming margaritas" and "authentic and tasty" dishes make it a unique dining experience.
389 Reviews
  1. Kim

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Get ready to eat! Excellent food wonderful service. We were a party of three we decided to get the platter. Best decision ever. Could’ve fed Five. Delicious drinks. Everybody was happy.

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  2. Michael

    New York City1 review

    1.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Waited for along time to get service… Food was a little cold…Service could have been better…

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  3. Vincent VIP

    New York City6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Overall, a good experience with good food and a pleasant environment. But the service was slow and not very attentive.

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  4. Yvonne VIP

    Greater Boston62 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice taste of Africa in New Jersey. Welcoming bar scene, easy for single diners.

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  5. Patricia

    New York City13 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 1
    Music was much too loud even after we advised staff. It took an hour to receive our dinner from when we entered at 6. Such a great location, I don’t think I’ll be back…

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  6. Anthony

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good night out. Service was exceptional while the atmosphere was energetic. Some of the drinks were not to my liking but the flaming margaritas were great. Food was decent, but large portions at a nice price

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  7. Daaiyah

    New York City25 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall, i was impressed. I was a bit hesitant at first because i rarely eat African food but decided to give it a shot and wasn’t disappointed. I would come back. Services was amazing .

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  8. Karen

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    All around great experience. Food amazingly delish! Strawberry flaming margaritas amazing as well.

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  9. michael

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was amazing. The ambiance was nice and an eclectic group of diners. The food took quite awhile to come out which was the only downside. We were seated promptly (we had reservations). The appetizer (salmon bites not on the menu) were amazing excuse me AMAZING! The dinner was great as well. The sides of spinach in a coconut milk was DEliciious The collard greens were Okay. The flatbread was really good. Both the salmon and shrimp were outstanding. My wife loved her chicken dish as well. For dessert we had mango mouse which was unreal. Definitely heading back again once I save up some money. It was on the pricier side.

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  10. Chuck VIP

    New York City7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Try the goat. Similar, but just a little bit tougher than lamb chops

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FAQs

Swahili Village OTS offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (973) 494-7379.

Swahili Village OTS is rated 4.4 stars by 389 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. New Jersey
  4. Essex
  5. Newark

Make a reservation


Booked 5 times today
Google Map for Swahili Village OTS

2 Center St, Newark, NJ 07102

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Corner of Center Street and Mulberry Street
  • Neighborhood
    Newark
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Wed, Sun 11:00 am–1:00 am Thu–Sat 11:00 am–3:00 am
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    African, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service, East African
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Public transit
    NJ Transit, Light Rail, Amtrak
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Alfredo Hernandez
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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