Must-see restaurants in Africa

  • La Grande Maison

    Mahé

    At Takamaka Bay, La Grande Maison is the home kitchen of Christelle Verheyden, arguably the country's most talented chef. The atmosphere, in a restored…

  • Mad Zebu

    Western Madagascar

    The ‘crazy zebu’ is the most incongruous find in dusty Belo, possibly in all Madagascar. Dishes seem to come straight out of a Michelin-starred…

  • Le Café des Arts

    Mauritius

    This intriguing dining option is located within an old mill that has been transformed into Victoria 1840, an oddly charming gallery space, with canvases…

  • Papa Figo

    São Tomé

    This charming, well-kept and ever-popular tin-roofed patio restaurant is laid-back in style, but no slouch in the kitchen. Everything on the menu has an…

  • Restaurant Le Barbizon

    Chamarel

    Barbizon may not look like much, but it's a fabulous place. Marie-Ange helms the kitchen, whipping up traditional Mauritian flavours from her family's…

  • Fermier

    Pretoria

    Some of South Africa's best contemporary cooking is being served in a large mud-walled and tin-roofed shed in the east of Pretoria. Chef Adriaan Maree…

  • Calexico Vinyl Lounge and Restaurant

    Johannesburg

    A California-inspired Tex-Mex restaurant with a hint of craft beer and vinyl mixed in. The mix is delightful. The simple menu (nachos, ribs, sandwiches),…

  • Carnivore

    Nairobi

    Love it or hate it, Carnivore serves up Kenya's most famous nyama choma (barbecued meat) – it's been an icon for tourists, expats and wealthier locals for…

  • Cafe Clock

    Marrakesh

    Little sister to the Fez original, Cafe Clock is housed in an old school with sunset views over the Kasbah from its rooftop. The food, including vegie…

  • Amal Center

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    So many restaurants in Marrakesh reflect poorly on local cuisine, but here you get the real home-cooking deal. And, happily, it's all for a good cause:…

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    Roça São João

    São Tomé

    This well-known restaurant, an ever-popular weekend drive from the capital, occupies a sprawling deck at a classic roça administrator's house, with valley…

  • Yeoville Dinner Club

    Johannesburg

    Jo'burg's most memorable meal out is in this artily decorated cramped room with a balcony overlooking Rockey St, heart of the much-bad-mouthed, inner-city…

  • Le Trou Au Mur

    Kâat Ben Nahid & Bab Debbagh

    The menu at this classy yet laid-back contemporary restaurant is on the money with its mix of little-seen Moroccan dishes, fusion food and international…

  • Nomad

    Mouassine & Central Souqs

    Nomad's multitiered rooftop is one of the medina's buzziest venues, particularly at night when its lanterns twinkle over Rahba Kedima. The small menu adds…

  • Breezeblock

    Johannesburg

    The designers have a done a grand job transforming this old Chinese restaurant into a pastel-shaded haven of mid-century cool amid the gritty 'burb of…

  • La Varangue

    Antananarivo

    One of the best addresses in the city for real gourmet cuisine, La Varangue serves an elaborate melange of French gastronomy and Malagasy flavours. Meals…

  • Resto L'Ommima

    Hammamet

    This delightful diner, where gingham red-and-white tablecloths clash with traditional North African tiles, is worth seeking out even (and especially) if…

  • Dar El Jeld

    Tunis

    Pass through the bee-yellow front door in this 18th-century mansion and a magnificent courtyard dining space will be theatrically revealed. Start with the…

  • Le Lagon I

    Dakar

    Perched on stilts over the bay, Le Lagon is one of Dakar's top seafood spots, with a spread of culinary treasures – oysters, sea urchins, chargrilled fish…

  • La Table by Madada

    Essaouira

    Style meets substance at one of Essaouira's best fine-dining restaurants, housed in an old almond warehouse. The interior is a blend of traditional…

  • Naranj

    Marrakesh

    Naranj's ultraslick interior of khamsa (hand-shaped amulet) mirrors, low-hanging copper lamps and bar seating is quite a scene change on Riad Zitoun El…

  • Talisman

    Nairobi

    This classy cafe-bar-restaurant remains fashionable with the Karen in-crowd and it rivals any of Kenya’s top eateries for imaginative international food…

  • Populaire Saveur de Poisson

    Tangier

    This charming seafood restaurant is well worth the hype, offering an excellent, filling, four-course meal in rustic surroundings. First comes the fish…

  • Urbanologi

    Johannesburg

    Even if Mad Giant's very quaffable beers are not your thing, do not pass over on the microbrewery's fabulous restaurant. Serving an inventive range of…

  • Anna E Paolo

    Tangier

    This is a genuine, family-run bistro with Italian Tangier-born owners; it feels like you've been invited for Sunday dinner. Expect a highly international…

  • Khana Khazana

    Accra

    Tucked behind a petrol station (Engen Filling Station, next to Avenida Hotel), this outdoor Indian restaurant is a gem – cheap, delicious and with long…

  • Buka

    Accra

    Ever-popular Buka serves some of the best West African food in Accra, in stylish surroundings to boot. Hearty plates of jollof rice, tilapia and groundnut…

  • Henna Cafe

    Marrakesh

    Herbal teas, detox juices, henna tattoos, book exchange, Darija classes, good conversation…they're all on the menu at this intimate upstairs cafe, where a…

  • Sugarbush Cafe

    Lusaka

    This picture-postcard idyllic cafe is worth every kwacha of the journey it takes to get here. Chill out for an afternoon at one of the picnic tables…

  • Djemaa El Fna Food Stalls

    Marrakesh

    Grilled meat and tajines as far as the eye can see, plus snail soup, sheep's brains and skewered hearts: eating amid the mayhem of the Djemaa food stalls…

  • Café Clock

    Medina

    With a clientele of foreigners and creative young Fassis and a staff that's cheerful despite the maze of stairs in the multilevel space, Clock is an ideal…

  • Amanzi

    Harare

    Don some nice threads as Amanzi is a class act and still the special night out. In a stunning colonial house with African decor, local art (for sale) and…

  • La Maison Arabe

    Marrakesh

    La Maison Arabe's reputation precedes it: this was the first restaurant set up to cater to foreigners in the medina, in the 1940s. It was a favourite of…

  • Lambic

    Port Louis

    Set in a refurbished colonial home in the heart of the capital's chaos, Lambic is a beer buff's paradise, with dozens upon dozens of local and imported…

  • Kilim

    Gueliz & Ville Nouvelle

    This airy spot is the work of Kamal Laftimi, who launched the popular Nomad restaurant in the medina in 2014. It's his first foray into Gueliz, and he…

  • Four Sisters

    Gonder

    Now here's something special. One of the best places in northern Ethiopia for both food and atmosphere, Four Sisters has brilliant traditional food (order…

  • Salt

    Simon's Town & Southern Peninsula

    Offering a gastronomic take on False Bay cool, Salt serves mains such as wild kudu goulash, but your best bet is to focus on the small plates (R45), which…

  • Zanzibar Coffee House

    Zanzibar Town

    The top spot in Zanzibar for a serious cup of genuine East African Rift Valley coffee is undoubtedly this charming cafe. Alongside espressos and…

  • Domaine

    Grand Baie

    'Domaine' is the answer every local offers when travellers ask where to go to savour some Mauritian home cookin'. The best dishes are those starred on the…

  • Shortmarket Club

    Cape Town

    Star chef Luke Dale-Roberts' latest venture hides in plain sight on the street it is named after. It's a gorgeous attic space with a wall of paper…