The best restaurants to eat in Dakar

• Remy

Dakar is a great city for restaurant lovers.

Like any great cosmopolitan capital, you will find everything for all tastes and budgets with a very wide range of restaurants and different influences.

Eating local in Dakar:

We recommend local canteens which are excellent and very inexpensive a Tiebou dienne in a local canteen/restaurant can range from 500 to 2000 FCFA max

Our addresses:

  • Canteen of the Ministry of Finance
  • Canteen in front of the Pasteur Institute
  • Canteen of the Town Hall (Plateau)
  • Canteen in front of the Institut Français
  • Canteen Gallery (Plateau)

Most often discreet do not hesitate to push doors to find your good addresses, or to be advised by the dakarois. Everyone has a good canteen close to their place of work, just find it.

On set you can contact Aby at +221 77 615 00 15 who makes meals for the Ministry of the Interior. If you warn her well in advance (morning for noon) and you bring your tupperware, she can prepare one of the best Tiebou dienne in Dakar for 1500 – 2000 FCFA. It can be found here

Have brunch in Dakar:

  • Grocery shopping in the Plateau : for those who are in need of French products. Formula Duo at 10,000 FCFA
  • Kotao : Avocado Toast, salmon … safe value, but a lot of people.. Almadies on the US Embassy side, new address in the Plateau opened at the end of 2021.
  • Melo : Mamelles, hyper frequented on Sundays get up early or go there during Ramadan. Very typical brunch menu
  • Dionevar : at the forefront of almadies, brunch tray unique formula, more quantity than quality, neat setting. 
  • Mawa's: in Hann Marist American pancakes in a garden with bucolic decoration. 
  • At Fatou at Almadies plages: the setting is nicer than what's on the plate
  • L'Océanium: small cornice in Plateau, never tested but appetizing on Instagram
  • Big brunch buffet in luxury hotels with pool access formula: Terru-bi / Pullman / Marina Bay (never done but positive feedback)
  • At Fatou
  • At Fatou
  • Dionevar
  • Kotao
  • Kotao

Eating by the sea in Dakar:

  • For seafood lovers: go to the tip of the almadies. Restaurants in rows. Preference for the one really all at the edge of the water "The Tide". 

You will have oysters, cockles (pectonic), lot skewers. Very affordable, good franquette

Eat a Pizza/Italian in Dakar:

  • Mama Pizza, by far the best tray address. The room is not interesting to eat there, it is better to be delivered, possible up to the Mamelles, but they arrive a little cold. Thick dough pizza, Neapolitan type.. 
  • Trattoria de Alex – formerly Colorado (Point E). To eat on the spot with the joking Italian boss or get delivered. Pizza with thick dough.  
  • Reine Margherita (Ngor): restaurant that does not look good from the outside but very good food. The pasta is excellent, pizza with fine pasta.  

and other addresses that we will let you discover for yourself: Francesca … 

  • Sekubi (Plateau): One of the best value for money. formula at 10,000 FCFA for lunch for starter / main course / dessert. Different menu every week. Cuisine with a neat presentation, Italian, gourmet and original. The setting is amazing, right next to the Independence Square but super quiet with sea view and soothing garden. The service is fast, perfect for professional lunches. A la carte service in the evening, much higher price.     
  • Sekubi

Eating Lebanese in Dakar:

You will find a lot of choices.

On our side, we advise you: Chez Farid (Plateau), very nice pleasant terrace that rivals the Oriental (just next to the French institute, Plateau too). 

Eating a burger in Dakar:

  • Brasil Burger at Point E and Olympia Cinema. Good value for money. 
  • Classic Burger in Tray: super expensive for not much. Disappointed. 
  • Chez Lulu: Belgian concept store and restaurant. VOTED BEST BURGER IN DAKAR BY JEAN MICHEL VOYAGE: The Afro burger with avocado and sweet potato to die for. Only à la carte on Wednesday and Saturday lunchtime. No service in the evening. Nice place for coworking. 

Other restaurant addresses:

  • The Seoul (Plateau): Korean restaurant, BBQ, delicious BiBimBap. Asian decoration, we eat in a quiet courtyard next to a pool in the middle of the plateau. Good value for money. 
  • Bidew (Plateau): Restaurant inside the Institut Français. Hyper colorful decoration in the garden, always animated by people passing through, draft beer, cuisine between French and Senegalese, very good value for money. All-you-can-eat buffet formula on Saturday lunchtime. 
  • O small African club (Ouakam): On a rooftop, cooked Senegalese with French influences. Plus: Collection of vintage vinyls, you can choose the songs you want to listen to while you eat there.  
  • The Thai Garden (Point E): Thai cuisine, table in a beautifully decorated garden with small dim lights. 
  • Casa Mara (Point E): Spanish cuisine, tapas, and tortillas, sangria. On the roof of a mansion, quiet, very discreet address. 
  • Flavor of Asia (Plateau and elsewhere): Chain of Asian restaurants, nems, sautéed noodles, rice cantoned. Safe bet never disappointed. 
  • Dakytori (Plateau and elsewhere): Japanese restaurant chain. If you miss sushi, sashimi, miso soups, ramen. Very good qualities, hyper trendy frame and neat presentation. 
  • O Sushi bar (Plateau and elsewhere): Also chain of Japanese restaurants. Platter, hyper attractive lunch formula for 5000: mizo soup, sushi assortment, maki, california, drink. 
  • Seoul 2 (Sicap): Nothing to do with Korean cuisine, we eat traditional skewers (called dibiterie) of meats, pork. Served with rice or attiéké, allocos. 
  • The Bazoff (Point E): to drink a shot and eat in a large table watching a football match, hyper lively in the evening, dibiterie (grills, skewers pigs, oxen .. ) with classic accompaniment fries, athiékés, rice, allocos …
  • Sarayi (Plateau): Chocolate specialist, very popular address on weekends, people go outside for a sweet break. Crazy recipes and cards mainly with chocolate: cookies, brownies, pancakes, ice cream. All at the same time and on the same plate it is possible.  
  • Seoul
  • Sarayi
  • Sarayi

If you miss French cuisine:

  • Le Kermel (Plateau next to the Kermel market): French brasserie type, lunch formula very good value for money (approx. 8,500 FCFA: starter / main course / dessert / coffee). The mashed potato is excellent as well as the eggs casseroles. Vitime of its success, service a little long at noon. 
  • Le Dagorne (Plateau next to the Kermel market): French restaurant rather chic with neat decoration, dish from 10,000 FCFA
  • The fork (2 restaurants plateau next to the Kermel market): ditto French restaurant chique, decoration hyper neat, animated on Thursday evening with singer. 
  • The Lagoon (Plateau, small corniche): Very nice restaurant by the sea, fish specialty, we eat on the pontoon, the service is impeccable. Dish from 15,000 FCFA. 
  • The Corsican Club (Plateau, small cornice): drink a shot, eat on the go and play a game of petanque on the plateau with sea view.

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