Bab's Dock

Top choice in Benin


This hidden gem near the Route des Pêches is on the edge of the lagoon. Food is European in style but local in production. A secure car park is signposted from the route; from there, a boat takes you to the restaurant through thick mangrove. There's an admission fee (CFA2500) for the day, which covers the car park and boat trip.

Almost everything is made of local wood – the tables, the bar, the deck. You can swim in the shallow (but somewhat murky) waters of the lagoon, canoe and even sail or just relax in a hammock. It's 11km from Cotonou.