10 Great Restaurants in Dakar
Where to Eat in Dakar and What to Try?
Dakar’s great restaurants run the gamut from sleek eateries serving Japanese-Peruvian steak and sashimi to casual dibiteries grilling up the city’s favourite seasoned lamb. Seafood takes centre stage on the peninsula, with beachside restaurants serving fresh lobster and monkfish from tables in the sand.
Senegal’s capital is at the same time well-rooted in its traditional food culture and well-versed in international cuisines. From crispy fataya pies filled with chicken and yassa sauce to a crackle-topped creme brulee, there are tons of flavours to be discovered across the city. Here are our picks for the best restaurants in Dakar.
1. La Mer à Table
Grilled seafood and cocktails with an ocean view
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais
La Mer à Table is a relaxed seaside eatery serving seafood and Cap-Vert cuisine with Portuguese flair. Everything on the menu seems perfectly paired with an ice-cold beer from the tap, from the fresh octopus salad to meaty grilled monkfish skewers. The cachupa warrants special mention, a slow-cooked Cape Verdean stew of fish, cassava and beans.
The breezy open-air pavilion on the beach offers romantic views of the waves rolling up the rocky shoreline. It’s an ideal spot to sip on a caipirinha, a popular Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça and lime. Local musicians gather here on Wednesday nights to jam, and on Sundays, the restaurant hosts salsa and kizomba dance socials alongside lunch and dinner service.
Localização: Les Almadies Ngor Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Daily from 11 am to 11 pm
Telefone: +221 33 865 36 03
La Mer à Table
2. Le Carré
A lively lounge for the younger crowd
Ideal para: Alimentação, Vida noturna
Located on the Corniche des Almadies with excellent Atlantic views, Le Carré is a party by the sea. The restaurant lounge draws a younger crowd, is open late most days of the week and gets packed on the weekends. Live DJs set an upbeat vibe as patrons sip on fruity cocktails.
The menu of international dishes includes a ceviche of the day, dorade braisée and pepper steak. Rum punch and fruity mojitos are mixed strong and topped with flamboyant garnishes, while the bar also offers non-alcoholic cocktails, soft drinks and coffee. Call in advance to reserve one of the limited loungers with a front-row seat to the ocean, where you can catch a spectacular sunset.
Localização: Cor des Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Monday–Thursday from 11 am to 3 am, Friday–Saturday from 11 am to 5 am, Sunday from 11 am to 1 am
Telefone: +221 33 823 33 26
Le Carré
3. La Parrilla
A grill-lover’s dream
Ideal para: Alimentação, Luxo
La Parrilla is a brick-walled steakhouse serving premium meats imported from Argentina. The atmosphere is formal yet warm, with a marble bar counter and tables set close together. Its meats are charred to perfection over a wood-fired grill and served with mushroom sauce or criolla, a bright salsa of bell peppers and onions in red wine vinegar.
Tender, smoky cuts are complemented by Argentinian malbecs and starters like grilled provolone cheese with chimichurri. The restaurant is located in the south of Dakar near the Palais Présidentiel and is so popular that booking ahead is usually necessary.
Localização: Rue Place 18, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Monday from noon to 3 pm, Tuesday–Thursday from noon to 3 pm and from 7.30 pm to 11 pm, Friday from noon to 3 pm and from 7.30 pm to midnight, Saturday from 7.30 pm to midnight, Sunday from 7.30 pm to 11 pm
Telefone: +221 33 822 15 00
La Parrilla
4. Kéliba Café
Brunch with a Senegalese twist
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais
Owned by a well-known food blogger, Kéliba Café focuses on healthy dishes made with seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers. The menu feels like brunch all day every day, with a mix of traditional Senegalese dishes and Western staples refreshed with regional flavours. Think crispy Senegalese fish pies or pancakes with sticky baobab caramel.
The cafe’s kélibowls are a hearty, nutrient-packed meal, with combinations like nutty fonio with shrimp, mango and corn. Drinks include coffee, freshly made smoothies and a gourmet hot chocolate that gets rave reviews.
Localização: Hann Maristes 2, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Monday–Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm (closed on Sundays)
Telefone: +221 77 518 82 37
Kéliba Café
5. Alkimia
Chic Mediterranean dining in Les Alamdies
Ideal para: Alimentação, Luxo
Alkimia offers fine dining and a glamorous atmosphere among the bars and nightclubs of upscale Les Almadies. The menu is largely Mediterranean cuisine, with an assortment of tapas and classic French and Italian desserts complementing hearty mains like côte de boeuf and porcini risotto. Live bands on Fridays and Saturdays bring the restaurant to life.
A seat on the outdoor lounge comes with ocean views and aromas from the sizzling grill, while the chic indoor dining area offers an air-conditioned escape from the heat. Drinks include fruity cocktails and a concise yet sophisticated selection of wines.
Localização: Rte des Almadies, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Sunday–Thursday from noon to 3.30 pm and from 6 pm to 11 pm, Friday from noon to 3.30 pm and from 6 pm to midnight, Saturday from 6 pm to midnight
Telefone: +221 33 820 68 68
Alkimia
6. La Cabane du Pêcheur
Seafood doesn’t get much fresher than this
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais
La Cabane du Pêcheur is one of the best places on the Senegalese coast for fresh seafood. Located along Petite N’gor Beach in the north of Dakar, this convivial eatery has a mix of low-lit indoor seating and outdoor tables stuck into the sand. Open-air dining comes with a darling view of Île de N’Gor across the water and fishing boats bobbing in between.
The menu of the day depends on what’s fresh but can include lobster, fish a la plancha and oysters from nearby Somone. Many dishes are prepared in European styles, like the delectable swordfish ravioli. Service is unhurried, which translates to a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere.
Localização: Ndeureuhnou, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Monday–Saturday from 8 am to 11 pm, Sunday from 8 am to 10 pm
Telefone: +221 33 820 76 75
La Cabane du Pêcheur
7. Beluga Restaurant
Steak and sushi in a stylish space
Ideal para: Alimentação, Luxo
Beluga Restaurant in Dakar-Plateau offers a menu of fresh seafood and grilled meats prepared in a blend of Japanese and South American culinary traditions. Argentinian Angus beef is served with sweet teriyaki butter and the grilled lobster comes with chimichurri. Sushi is also big on the menu, with a range of choices from tuna tataki with ponzu to delicate sashimi and sauced-up sushi rolls.
Furnished in wood and warmly lit, the restaurant is decorated tastefully and prides itself on highly professional service. It’s worth ordering from the heavily French dessert menu, which includes sweet confections like crème brûlée au yuzu and a soufflé au chocolat drizzled with dulce de leche.
Localização: Rue Mousse Diop, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Monday–Friday from noon to 3 pm and from 7.30 pm to 11 pm, Saturday from 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm (closed on Sundays)
Telefone: +221 33 823 40 40
Beluga Restaurant
8. Dibiterie le Mboté
A casual spot for West African-style grilled meats
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico
Dibiterie le Mboté is one of Dakar’s numerous dibiteries, super casual eateries that serve well-seasoned meats grilled over a wood fire. Usually open until the wee hours of the morning, dibiteries are a favourite for a post-party snack or a cheap anytime meal with groups of friends.
This one is located on Dakar’s south side and offers both dine-in and takeaway. The classic dibi is grilled lamb, although chunky beef ribs and chicken legs are common as well. The most typical preparation is simply seasoned and topped with onions, although we recommend requesting en papillote that’s grilled in paper with mustard and thyme, for a super tender and flavourful dish.
Localização: Rue 6, Dakar, Senegal
Abre: Daily from 10 am to 5 am
Telefone: +221 33 842 42 11
Dibiterie le Mboté
9. Madame Kodjo
Crispy beignets and Senegalese street food
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico
Madame Kodjo has been a favourite for street food in Dakar for more than 20 years. Locals line up for the sugar-dusted beignets, which you’ll see the madame and her assistants frying up fresh at the stand. They also offer other deep-fried treats, like black-eyed pea fritters and fatayas, an empanada-esque pastry filled with chicken and yassa sauce.
The stand in the Ouest Foire neighbourhood isn’t marked on maps. To find it, head just north of the international conference centre, known as CICES, where you’ll find a Shell petrol station, and Madame Kodjo’s stand just beside it.
Localização: Ouest Foire, Dakar, Senegal
Madame Kodjo
10. Kotao Coffee
Sweet treats and healthy eats
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais
Kotao Coffee serves healthy bowls and sweet brunch dishes at 2 locations in Dakar, 1 in Almadies and 1 in Plateau. The menu is fundamentally Western but takes influence from across the globe and highlights fresh, organic ingredients.
The café’s bowls are the way to go for the health-conscious eater, with a long list of options like spicy poke and quinoa with hummus and falafel. Pancakes, waffles and homemade cheesecake will satisfy those with a sweet tooth. To drink, try a well-brewed concoction from the espresso bar or a mojito, with or without alcohol.
Abre: Daily from 7.30 am to 10 pm
Telefone: +221 77 718 76 52
Kotao Coffee
Este artigo inclui opiniões da equipe editorial dos Go Guides. A Hoteis.com remunera os autores dos textos publicados neste site, o que pode incluir custos de viagens e outras despesas.