Cote d'Ivoire Dining and Restaurant Guide

Abidjan boasts a wide range of restaurants, including African, Chinese, French, Lebanese, Italian, Vietnamese and Caribbean. But throughout the country you'll find maquis, open-air eateries where the food is good and inexpensive. The local cuisine is excellent. Try foutou, made with yams or plantains; attieke (pronounced ah-CHEH-kay), a manioc couscous served with fried fish; and fried plantains. Another good local dish is kedjenou, chicken cooked with vegetables and sealed in banana leaves. For a beverage, Ivorians like lemburuji or nyamaku ji (a sweet ginger drink with a dash of lemon). It's very tasty, but be aware that it's not always prepared and packaged in the most sanitary manner, and you may find yourself with intestinal problems after drinking it. The local beers and tchapalo (homemade millet beer) are nice. Fresh fruits such as pineapples, melons, papaya and mangoes are delicious.