City: Bangui
Top Restaurants in Bangui
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Bangui Food Guide: 8 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Bangui
A former French colony spread around the river for which it was named, Bangui is the economic and cultural center of the Central African Republic. The Ubangi River and surrounding hills give the city a rolling landscape, with the central city located close to the river, where you will find the Presidential Palace, the Place de la Republique with its Roman style Triumphal Arch, the Boganda Museum and the central market. Further out on K-Cinq there is nightlife and another large market.
Things to do in Bangui
1. Relais des Chasses
Overall Ratings
4 based on 72 reviews
Reviewed By Tom M
This place is probably the best food you are going to get in Bangui (or in CAR for that matter) if you want something western. Have draft beer, reasonable wine. Food is french style cuisine plus pizzas and other exotic meats. All very tasty.
2. L'Escale
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By Francesca A
The place could be nice as that's an open space with some trees not far from the river. Food was bad: meat overcooked, vegetables extremely oily. Staff unpolite and not speaking good french. We waited two hours for the meal. ...Wondering about hygiene conditions of the kitchen, too.
3. Madame Mboka
Overall Ratings
4 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By Maurizio Giuliano - Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
If you are looking for something very local, the setting is nice, with tables in a large open space and music in the background, and a very friendly and lively atmosphere. However, service is bad and often awful. On one occasion, I waited two hours for a dish, and the cook then showed up, drunk, to apologise that they did not have it at that time. The menu comprises African dishes (authentic) and some international ones, and most of them are good, although rotten vegetables and old fish are common.
4. Sale Sucre
Overall Ratings
4 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By G3859ENkatherinem - London, United Kingdom
We order our lunch from this venue on a near daily basis and as such have gotten to know the menu fairly well. The chicken shawarma and escalopes are a firm favourite across the board. Freshly prepared and with great service, we would recommend a visit if you fancy a decent Sandwich. The coconut cakes are also delightful.
5. Carre Gourmand
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 41 reviews
Reviewed By Marc D - Bangui, Central African Republic
The service can be varying, so does the quality of the food. This is the favorite place for many expatriates from the development scene and international military peacekeepers. Had lunch here a couple of times before writing this review. Sometimes I had a good and decent meal, but this might be varying. Give it a try, in the evening they have local bands playing, but not great music.
Overall I find this an expensive place but nothing is cheap in Bangui.
6. Alibaba
Overall Ratings
3 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By tiralb - Tirana
Alibaba is a reasonable restaurant in the middle of Bangui - the food is not outstanding, but it is reliably good. For Bangui, that is already worth a lot.
The décor of the restaurant is certainly a bit worn. The air conditioners work, but never get particularly cold. The service can be very slow, so if one is in a hurry, it is better to warn the waiter in advance.
The food is standard Lebanese fare. There are various kebabs, an assortment of salads, and a few stuffed pastries. The food is mildly spiced - but reasonably flavorful.
The chicken kebabs are usually the best on the menu - the fatouche salad is also quite good. The beef can be a bit tough and dry. If you want beef, I recommend sticking to dishes made with minced meat.
7. 5 Fourchettes
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By tiralb - Tirana
This is a simple restaurant serving surprisingly good Indian food in Bangui. The owner and the chef are from India, so on the varied menu, it is the Indian dishes that really stand out.
The restaurant is quite popular with international clients, but it is never extremely crowded. This allows for a comfortable dining experience. The waiters are among the most efficient in Bangui, and there is a nice young Indian man, Pavan, who makes sure that guests are well looked after.
The menu includes a variety of international dishes, including hamburgers, teppanyaki, and sweet and sour chicken. The Indian dishes include such standards as chicken korma (a bit spicier than in some European or American Indian restaurants), chicken butter masala and chicken tikka masala, chana masala, Goan fish curry, and some mutton dishes. The pizzas are edible, which is about as good as it gets in Bangui for pizza.
The restaurant serves fresh orange juice and homemade lemonade. Sometimes they also have excellent, sweet fresh pineapple juice.
8. Restaurant Chinois
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By tiralb - Tirana
The restaurant really is called simply "Restaurant chinois" - "Chinese Restaurant". Given that it is the only Chinese restaurant in Bangui, and probably in the entire Central African Republic, a more creative name appears not to be necessary.
When one walks into this restaurant, one is greeted first by all of the stereotypes of Chinese restaurants. The furniture, the colors, the place settings - all look like those in typical Chinese restaurants throughout the world. This could be any 1970s Chinese restaurant in the United States.
The food, unfortunately, is somewhat disappointing. It seems that all dishes are spiced exactly the same, in other words, not at all. This is probably the blandest Chinese food anywhere - in line with a Central African aversion to spices. (There is a rumor that there used to be a Chinese cook, but that he left during recent unrest in the country. The owner is Chinese, but she does not prepare the food, leaving it to Central African kitchen help.)
As a result of the blandness of the food, the dishes all tend to resemble one another.
The service is friendly and reasonably efficient by Bangui standards. The owner is very hospitable and deserves lots of credit for keeping this establishment open through very hard times. Now if she could only add some spice to the food!
