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Swahili Village OTS, Newark, NJ

Swahili Village OTS

4.4
4.4
221 Reviews
$31 to $50
African
Coming Soon!

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 8 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • 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
    (973) 494-7379
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Owned/operated by
    Black/African American, Middle Eastern
  • 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 221 people are saying

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
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

221 Reviews
  1. RobinsonL

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 9, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Good food and great ambience… definitely worth it. Going back as soon as I can.

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  2. AnitaM

    New York Area

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was delicious and the presentation of the food was awesome. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and made great suggestions.

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  3. EdwardC

    New York Area

    31 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on September 7, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience3
    The food is always good. The service has gotten better but still needs work

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  4. ShannonB

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing spot for date night, girls night, happy hour or any event. The drinks are hittin’ and the food is slammin’. Also it’s a great location if you are going to an event near njpac/prudential to grab a nice dinner before heading to a show.

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  5. ShameekaL

    Tampa

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 1, 2023

    overall5food4service3ambience5
    Happy hour cocktail pricing is great! However the pineapple juice in both the white and red sangria was overpowering. The dinner portions and flavors are fantastic!

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  6. Monique

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Delicious food. Excellent atmosphere. Reasonable prices.

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  7. DKNJ80

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 19, 2023

    overall5food5service3ambience4
    We sat at a table near the bar on a Saturday and had a great time! The ambiance and crowd were great...grown and sexy. The DJ was on point and matched the vibe of the restaurant! The food is always delicious every time that I've gone there. I am vegan and was able to find something on the menu to eat (win for the restaurant in my book). The service is so-so, I guess depending on where you sit, you will be serviced faster than other sections of the restaurant. This restaurant is a great addition to the downtown area of Newark!

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  8. DeeMC

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on August 18, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience4
    Several items on menu were not available. the dishes we had were delicious, would definitely eat there again. Beware of the photo lady- nice pics for remembrance of a special occasion but too pricey and they don't give a discount if you want to get more than 1 photo.

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  9. 3Weekids

    Denver

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on August 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I’ve never had African food if any kind before eating here. Now I crave it all the time! I live going to Newark just so we can go here!

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 3, 2023

    overall4food4service3ambience5
    Best part about this place was the music. Food was good just not as tasty as I expected it to be. Service was good n respectful . The restaurant itself was clean

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  11. AliyahF

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Had an amazing time. We dined on a Tuesday evening for date night and the ambience was amazing. It’s so beautiful and spacious inside. We started with the wing appetizer and the flavors were sensational for everything we selected. I chose the baked salmon, jollof rice and cabbage and bae had the Lentil stew, cabbage and fufu. We were more than satisfied! My favorite part of the evening was the saxophone player coming to our table to serenade us, the music was outstanding!!!

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  12. Debbie

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 30, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience4
    Great food and the staff was very attentive. Would definitely recommend.

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  13. VanessaD

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 27, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience3
    Our waiter was horrible . No energy, not personable and didn’t seem to want to work. Bad experience . Won’t be coming here for a while . Smile people ! It makes a world of a difference!

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  14. GailF

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 27, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience5
    Great Bday Lunch venue. Drinks and food were very good.

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  15. OtisB

    Poconos

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Hands down the best food I ever tasted! Even the drinks and desserts were delicious. The ambience and vibe was amazing. The staff is friendly and kind all of us had an awesome experience. I’ll definitely be back again. It felt so homely and inviting we didn’t want to leave. Swahili Village is the best. You have to experience it for yourself to understand. By the way, I got all the praise for taking my family and lady there for her birthday. 😂🤩

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  16. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Amazing experience at Swahili. I booked a table for 8 guests to celebrate my aunt’s birthday and we had the time of our lives. The decor and ambiance is beautiful. They payed special attention to the birthday girl & even upgraded us last minute to the VIP room. There happened to be a DJ on site for that day, he played a nice mix of music and even gave her a birthday shout out. The food was delicious our fav was the Lamb chops with Jollof rice & spinach. Everyone loved the food. The service was exceptional I would highly recommend then for any special event you may have.

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  17. WILSONO

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 22, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience3
    Seating area was not comfortable. Everything we requested was not available. Tusker , Tea Masala , Krest . Overall food was great

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  18. BevJ

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    My friends and I dined here over the weekend. It was my second visit and everything was wonderful - delicious food, very friendly and helpful staff. The restaurant is spacious and beautifully decorated too!

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  19. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 10, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Swahili Village far exceeded my expectations. The artwork should be in a museum! The quality of the food was magnificent, as was the service. I will definitely revisit Swahili Village.

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  20. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Ordered the samosas as an appetizer. Delicious. We also ordered the platter for five and exchanged the fufu for plantains. The food was well cooked and seasoned. I wish there was more than one small chicken breast with the platter. The beef was good the goat was the best. I will definitely be returning.

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  21. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on June 25, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    Excellent place to eat: fantastic food, wonderful and kind servers. Only complaint: they tend to forget to bring out the piri-piri sauce even when requested, which is what takes the food from great to outstanding.

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  22. MelissaC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We had a great time. The food was delicious and the ambience was perfect.

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  23. HappyTraveler

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5
    This was a nice dinner. Plenty of servers for a nice big crowd including some political celebs. Menu was pricey but the food was really tasty. My spouse is from Kenya and she enjoyed her meal. That’s all you need to know right there. Get the goat meat, chapati and the greens and you’ll be set. The samosas(appetizer)were spicy and tasty we could just ordered 8 of those bad boys and been happy. The music got cranked up at 630, a bit early for me but just a minor thing. I hope they keep up the quality cause we’ll be back.

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  24. JoeD

    New York Area

    7 reviews

    1.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall1food3service1ambience3
    Horrendous service. Stay away. Visited with my wife early on a Saturday when it was busy but not crowded. We sat for 10 full minutes before a waiter showed up to acknowledge us. We had to flag down a manager to get menus. The table was wet so we wiped it with a napkin. That dirty balled up napkin sat at the edge of our table, uncollected by waiter or busboy for the entire meal. Later we stacked in on a dirty dish that also sat uncollected for 45 minutes. Dinner took Forever to come out. When it did they brought only my wife’s entree without explanation. I sat for 10 minutes with nothing. The waiter, who I had to flag down because he never checked on us, blamed the kitchen. Then my meal comes out with a second entree which was supposed to be what my wife ordered! She had been eating the wrong thing the whole time!! ( we didn’t notice because they were both beef and we are unfamiliar with Kenyan food). My second drink order took 10+ minutes (a soda) and I never got the lime we asked for. The lamb I had was tasty (all three bites of it) but the sides we utterly flavorless paste. Overall this was a terrible experience. We saw at least three other patrons complaining to waiters or managers about the horrible service. To add insult to injury, the check automatically includes a 20% tip for every table, regardless of size! Thus, the staff doesn’t need to hustle. They don’t need to pay attention or worry if you’re happy or not. They get their money. And the restaurant is across from NJPAC so there’s big turnover. They don’t have to rely on regulars and repeat business. I’ve been a waiter at many restaurants and so I always tip 20%+ even in mediocre places. This place was soo bad I seriously contemplated just subtracting out the mandatory tip, paying for the food and drinks and walking out. I was itching for someone to finally pay attention to us and run out after me. My wife talked me down so I swallowed my disgust and paid the whole tab. Avoid this place

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  25. margiet

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall2food2service1ambience3
    Interesting place near NJPAC. Food was pretty good but as previous reviews mentioned, service was definitely lacking. Music was blasting, not good for older people. Food was ok. Will not be going back.

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  26. Denise22

    New York Area

    91 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    91 reviews

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Absolutely Wonderful Food!!! The restaurant was BUSY because we were there before an event at NJ PAC. But the restaurant was able to serve us so we were done on time. The food was absolutely wonderful and delicious - I can't wait to go back! This will be my go-to restaurant for all NJ PAC events - it's right across the street!

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  27. Foodie

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall3food4service1ambience3
    We (couple) ate here before show at NJPAC. Experience was brought down by very slow and erratic service. We had reservations but seating seemed random - people were waiting at the front desk even though tables were ready. Staff were wandering around with food not knowing who ordered. We had one course and our meal took 90 minutes - skipped apps and dessert because we could see we didn’t have time so edited our order. Tap water took ages to arrive, wine order was forgotten, side dishes came after my husband had eaten more than half his main course and only after we asked where they were. We ended up running to NJPAC. Food was ok. My goat stew with plantains and spinach was very tasty - stew was hearty and delicious but FULL of big and small bones and lumps of fat, spinach looked frozen not fresh. My husband’s beans in coconut sauce with sides of starch and a kind of dry salsa was ok: sauce was delicious but overall, meh. Restaurant is beautiful with a good vibe but my main memory will be the unpredictable and very slow service. Two plates of food and a glass of wine for $100. Hmm. Our waitress was constantly apologizing I felt sorry for her. Management needs to sort out service issues - more responsive, less errors, staff knowing destination of food, starters and sides arriving together or almost together, bring drinks. A slightly panicked looking manager (?) was circulating asking if everything was ok - at this point we’d been there for an hour with no food. We just smiled, there seemed no point telling him we were in a noisy room looking at an empty table honestly wondering if we would have time to eat or if we’d just end up leaving.

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  28. Richard

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food, atmosphere and service. I would highly recommend going there.

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  29. ndc06

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 18, 2023

    overall3food3service1ambience4
    Poor service. Waited 10 minutes for server to greet us. I had to ask another server to get ours server. She came back 5 minutes later and said she was our server. No water or beverage were on the table when the appetizers came out. No plates at all when appetizers came out. I had to ask to speak to the manager just to let him know. I told him politely that the service was below expectations given my previous experience with the venue. He apologized and said he would make it up to us. Service did improve. The manager served us personally and the server checked on us more regularly. The food was OK. No one in my party raved about it. It’s a beautiful place but this experience left much to be desired.

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  30. OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 18, 2023

    overall2food5service1ambience4
    This was my second visit and this time, I made a reservation. Because of an event at NJPAC, I was a bit late and called to inform them. They were gracious and we were seated almost immediately anyway. The DJ had the place jumping with a great mix of afrobeats, dancehall, and oldies RnB. For dinner, my mom and I got curry chicken and goat, and both of our meals were extremely satisfying. However, our server Monique was the downfall of our experience. It took her over 10 minutes to come to our table, and when she did she took our water order (still or sparkling), but failed to bring them straight out. At this point, we’d been sitting for about 20 minutes and there was nothing on our table. Another waitress even came over to ask if we had been helped. Monique came back to take our orders for food and drinks, but arrived with no water. After taking our orders, she finally brings our waters a few minutes later. The food comes out great and timely, but Monique never came to check in to see if we were okay at any point. When we finished eating, we had to call yet another waitress to find her just to get the check. When it came, there was a discrepancy, which took another 10 minutes to correct. It took over 30 minutes from the time we finished eating to when we finally paid our bill and left. I really like this spot. I like the vibes, the food is amazing, and the drinks are tasty. But our waitress Monique (light skinned, freckles, reddish fro, glasses) was terrible. If I return, I will specifically request to not have her.

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  31. TraceyH

    Orlando

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    We had a 5p reservation - we were seated in a rear back table and never addressed - so we left after 30 minutes and Niko’s accommodated us immediately - we were hoping to try the cuisine.

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  32. JamaicanDiva

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 12, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    I wouldn’t recommend this place it was very unprofessional. The servers rushed our order and forgot some of the items our group ordered and when he was questioned he made it seem as if we didn’t order it instead of admitting he forgot. When we finally received the food it was was burnt and disgusting. The drinks were also nasty.

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  33. JeremyC

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 11, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    If you have not been to this restaurant for a date night you are definitely missing out. The vibe is on 100 the food and service is top tier you will not be disappointed if you enjoy authentic African food.

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  34. JeriW

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The food is a little pricey but I definitely enjoyed it.

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  35. ShellyRS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    So I first went to Swahili Village in Washington DC and everything from the food, the atmosphere, the smooth African music, the drinks, and the service was excellent, that whole DC vibe was awesome. Well when I realized we had a Swahili Village here in Newark, NJ - I had to come. Well the Newark location’s food was very good, the service very was good, our drinks were also very good BUT it is missing something… the atmosphere was off. They had a live DJ, whom I suppose is there to bring in the crowd, but to me the DJ seemed unnecessary and the music was a bit too much and too loud for an early 4:30 pm after work dinner, but maybe it’s just me. Oh, it’s also a little pricey so be prepared. We split our bill in 3 and owed $70 each (with the tip of 20% already included), we had no drinks containing alcohol and no dessert.

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  36. Bobby

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on May 28, 2023

    overall4food5service3ambience5
    The food was amazing the music was ok; The service was ok… there were multiple times when chairs were removed from the table after my party was seated; not the worst thing in the world but annoying

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  37. Lynda

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 27, 2023

    overall3food4service2ambience5
    Good and drinks were delicious. The service wasn’t too good. It took almost 30 minutes for someone to come to our table so we could order drinks and appetizers. Overall the it wasn’t too bad just need better service.

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  38. Uriah

    New York Area

    29 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on May 23, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience2
    Perhaps we can chalk it up to a bad day. Hostess was quite irate to see us show up. Took almost 10 mins to seat us despite having a reservation. Another 5 to clean the table and another 5 to take our order... not the end of the world, except we had tix for the show next door. The food was hit/miss. We just did appetizers and a bottle of wine. There's someone there who knows how to cook, spice work was on point. But then a few misses like crappy factory style fries and a samosa that was fried in oil that was too cold. Lastly, music was blasting - could have been brought down a notch.

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  39. apqueen

    New York Area

    20 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on May 23, 2023

    overall2food4service3ambience2
    I don't want to leave a bad review, because it wasn't terrible, but fellow diners should know what to expect. We had a reservation, we arrived and were told there were no tables available. We explained we had a time constraint as we were seeing a show and there wasn't much care about the fact we had a reservation (I really don't mind waiting 10/15 minutes for a table usually, even with a reservation as we are realistic but we didn't have time). The issue was the opentable system showed they had multiple time slots available, with multiple tables, I just don't think they were using its they were just seating people as they came in without deference to reservations. Then, while we were waiting, other people came in after us and were seated before us. We would have left but there wasn't anywhere else close by to go to, so we took a chance, and we chose our food before we were seated. Once we were seated (30 mins after reservation time) we did put in our order and asked for them to bring the check with our order. They were helpful, they did that and our food came out in about 20 minutes giving us time just enough time. The food was good enough - 2 of us had goat stew and 3rd had lamb chops. The goat was good, the lamb was not (and priced at $42 we would expect it to have been good). The atmosphere was loud, energetic and a bit impersonal. The wine list was nice, good South African wines, that was definitely a plus. We would possibly go back, only if we were going to a show at NJPac again, and we had at least 2 hours for convenience. I would hesitantly recommend it for convenience and an alternative menu knowing the other constraints.

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  40. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 22, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience4
    The ambience is good , food is ok and service was. I will not blame server for the bad service as she was polite but the place was under staffed , first someone left the food next to the table and we were waiting for server, by the time she came food was cold , by the time she served , the cleaners took away old silverware and we waited for a while after sometime we went to empty tables and grabbed silverware. Food was ok and South African wines were very good too. The bar was paying very loud music as if it is a club 😁 Do we go back there ? Not sure.

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Safety precautions

  • Screening

    • Staff is vaccinated

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 221 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 8 times today

Order delivery or takeout

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
  • 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
  • Owned/operated by
    Black/African American, Middle Eastern
  • 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
  • Phone number
    (973) 494-7379
  • Catering
    www.swahilivillages.com | 202.798.7701
  • Private party facilities
    www.swahilivillages.com | 202.798.7701
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