Okay. I must admit that Angolans I have found pretty difficult to tell apart. I guess this is a good thing. I may be fiercely dedicated to identifying and serving my community of African Londoners but in the same way that people often get my nationality wrong is with the same conceit I admit to doing the same with others. Once I hear the Portuguese however; it narrows itself down to Cabo Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea (Equatorial and/or Bissau) and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Quite a few of my Angolan friends have told me they can tell the difference between when Angolans and someone from Cabo Verde (yes – there is a sizeable Cape Verdean community in the UK) or Guinea is speaking Portuguese – my eyebrows raise – but when I come to think of it – I can tell the difference between when a Nigerien French speaker and a Congolese French speaker. I’ll never forget one time when I was on the train home from Tattenham Corner and I met a guy (Carlos) from East Timor fluent in Portuguese. You learn something new each day.

Back to the point. It is estimated that approximately 30,000-35,000 Portuguese Speakers reside in the borough of Lambeth alone (Nogueira, Porteous & Guerreiro 2015). Wow. There’s an article from LagosinLondon asking why there are no ‘Angolan Restaurants in London’ – Partially incorrect! There are but as usual with the African community Restaurant scene, many start, few continue. I remember seeing an Angolan Cafe/Bar near Canning Town around 15 years ago. Don’t where it’s gone now.

Besides this, there are a handful of Angolan supper clubs and pop up food store emerging. Checkout Patricia Pascoal (pictured above) Angolan Cookbook and Supper Club i’m expecting to do big things when it launches later this year. But no1 will have to be Nelma’s Cuisine (pictured below) in London. They do some great Angolan and Portuguese Food!

“Caros amigos, voltei para ajudar aos meus irmãos Angolanos cá em Londres e não só, a organizar os melhores eventos, almoços, festas e tudo mais!Faça encomendas de bolos, salgados, cubas de pratos típicos da banda… TUDO A UM BOM PREÇO! Passem a palavra por favor! Estou disponível a tempo inteiro!O meu terminal é o 07506722317 Nelma Lane.”

There are loads of Facebook Groups (of Restaurants, Clubs and Community Groups) where you can join, connect and meet with Angolans and Friends of the Angolan Community such (based in the UK) such as Angolan Students Society – UK, Kizomba 101, Clube Vicio, Mulher organista, Silvaneide em Record Precoce Natural dos 9 aos 20 anos, Angola Festival UK Alcides Garcia, Mangopes, Kizomba Eemhadi, Voz de Sao Tome e Principe and Radio Angola – Uma Radio Sem amongst others.

You’ll find some Angolans at restaurants and bars such as the Ocean Bar Restaurant in Leyton. As well as sizeable communities in Stratford, Woolwich, North London, Midlands and North West England such as the Angola Association of Nottingham.

Furthermore, do Tweet to @LizMula, @AngolanAuthur, @ZenaidaMZ (from Mozambique but an expert on UK/Africa Lusophone Affairs, @YPrenda and @MsRebelleSoul who are proud Angolan Social Media pros and well connected to the Angolan UK Community. 

London based Angolan Entrepreneurs & Organisations (Recommended):

MANAGEMENT TO LEARN