Often referred to as the food capital of the U.S., New York City is full of exceptional black-owned restaurants serving up diverse tastes of African cuisine. This year, New York African Restaurant Week (NYARW) will kick off their fifth annual celebration of African cuisine and culture on October 1-22, 2017 with a curated selection of more than 25 restaurants, world renowned chefs, and 75 events that will bring a “taste of Africa” across the iconic foodie city. Restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn will serve prix fixe lunches and dinners reflecting cuisines and flavors from various parts of Africa and the African Diaspora. “Within the burgeoning NYC culinary scene, New York African Restaurant Week presents an exciting and unique opportunity to celebrate the best of African cuisine,” said NYARW Founder & CEO Akin Akinsanya in a press release to Blavity. “The Festival targets a culturally rich and diverse audience in the city, both residents and international visitors, who have one thing in common – a love of or a curiosity for the intricacies of African food, cooking, and culture.”

Photo: Farafina Cafe Lounge Harlem

                                              

Launched by Akinsanya in 2013, the three-week long NYARW event is a celebration with a cause. Each year NYARW partners with community organizations aligned with their mission to bring awareness to critical social issues around food security in New York City, Africa, and around the world. During this year’s festival, each Wednesday and Thursday will be coined “Harvest Day” and “Vocal Day”, where a percentage of proceeds from prix-fixe menus will benefit City Harvest and VOCAL New York, organizations working to combat hunger and homelessness in the city.

With partners like the James Beard Foundation, Nando’s, Saveur, South African Tourism, South African Airways, Food-X, Food Tank, Mahir N. Nisar Law Associates, The Africa Channel, Immersion Journeys, Toast of Brooklyn, and Flatbush Fest, this years event deliciously combines palate pleasing cuisine with community food justice. “New York African Restaurant Week is a celebration of African cuisine, restaurants, and chefs and a promotion of diverse voices in the global culinary movement – both celebrity and emerging,” said Tanaka Mawindi, NYARW Event Director and Head of Business Development. “It’s also a commitment to community development and social impact that transcends boundaries. We’re inviting all of NYC to be a part of that.”

Photo: Queen of Sheba

                                 

Click here for a list of 2017 NYARW events.