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Swahili Village OTS, Newark, NJ

Swahili Village OTS

4.3 (397)
$31 to $50
African
2 Center St, Newark, NJ 07102

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 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 397 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

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.0Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Essex

    Innovative

  • Essex

    Good for groups

  • Essex

    Hot spot

  • Essex

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Swahili Village OTS offers a delightful blend of African flavors with "amazing" service and a vibrant atmosphere. Patrons praise its "flavorful and succulent" dishes, generous portions, and lively music scene. Although service can sometimes be slow, the "attentive and knowledgeable" staff ensures a "great experience" with standout menu items like salmon bites and mocktails.
397 Reviews
  1. Ederline

    New Jersey1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time visiting Swahili, I enjoyed the food and the ambiance.

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  2. Ysha

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful staff!! We had the oxtails cabbage and the lamb chops with collard greens.. The oxtails were outstanding fell off the bone and the gravy it was in was delicious.. The lamb chops were just ok.. I got a really fatty piece and couldn’t eat it.. I actually put the oxtail gravy on the them and was satisfied… the staff was attentive it was very busy but they really tried to attend in a timely fashion.. decor was super cute

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  3. Roni

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience! Food was great. Drinks was great. Service was quick.

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  4. Ruth

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a really great time at Swahili Village. The food wasn’t bad, mocktails were great and service was superb! The best part was the music

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  5. Barnie

    New York City4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    I came with a group of 8 because I wanted everyone to try African food. We were warmly greeted and seated in the back room near the bar by two very kind ladies. The atmosphere was welcoming, and service started off well. Our waiter took our food and drink orders, but unfortunately, there were a couple of issues. I ordered the grilled goat based on the waiter’s recommendation, but I was served the stew goat instead. Since I had an event to attend afterward, I didn’t have time to send it back. The dish was okay, but not what I asked for. Also, one of my guests ordered a drink that never arrived during our meal. When we noticed it was still on the bill, I asked the waiter about it, and he ended up giving it to her to go. Overall, the staff was friendly and the vibe was good, but the service could use some tightening—especially when it comes to order accuracy and follow-through.

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  6. Phoebe

    New York City1 review

    3.0

    Dined on May 20, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    They honored my reservation even after there were so so many changes. They are so Amazing for this. There was a delay with getting our food order out. The appetizers came out at a decent time though. The chapati was soft and quite delicious, the salmon bites were so flavorful and the platter that we ordered was enough to feed our large table. The pilau though as a fellow African, needed some meat in it to add more depth and the rice could have been cooked a little (more soft). Overall, a lovely experience of flavors. Thank you to our server, he was really nice and did his best to check on our table.

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  7. Mattye VIP

    New York City86 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoy the dining experience. The food is good and the wait staff very nice. We've eaten here a number of times. It is a very good please to have dinner when you are going to an event at NJPAC

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  8. Elena

    New York City15 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I cannot believe that I have not experienced this spot sooner. To quote my nearly 11yo, "Oh my WOW"! I was looking for a place near NJPAC, for a before show dinner and fortunately came across this spot on Yelp. The service, the ambiance, the music, the cocktails, oh and the food were terrific. Portions are generous, every bite is full of flavor and our server was attentive and knowledgeable. Really 4.5 stars, definitely will go back.

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  9. Kim

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 9, 2025

    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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  10. Michael

    New York City1 review

    1.0

    Dined on May 7, 2025

    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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FAQs

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

Swahili Village OTS is rated 4.3 stars by 397 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

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 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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