Burkina Faso Going Out

Food and Drink

Outside hotels, there are few restaurants in Ouagadougou and in Bobo Dioulasso. Staple foods include sorghum, millet, rice, maize, nuts, potatoes and yams.

National specialities:

• Rice with sauce.
• Beef and aubergine with sauce.
• Local vegetables and strawberries are available in season.
Brochettes (meat cooked on a skewer).
• Chicken dishes.

National drinks:

• Beer is the drink of choice and is fairly cheap.

Tipping:
Service is generally included in the bill (about 10 to 15%) although it is customary to tip taxi drivers, porters and hotel staff. Tipping is more expected in the better-class restaurants.

Nightlife

Nightlife is particularly good in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso. There are several nightclubs in Ouagadougou, some with live music, and several cinemas, both open-air and air conditioned. Bobo Dioulasso has a lively street-cafe scene, good open-air bars and restaurants and a number of open-air and air-conditioned discos. The Wassa Club and Les Bambous are popular venues.

Shopping

Good markets exist in Bobo Dioulasso, Dori, Gorom-Gorom, Ouahigouya and Ouagadougou. Bargaining in the traditional marketplace is recommended. Purchases include wooden statuettes, bronze models, masks, worked skins from the tannery in Ouagadougou, jewellery, fabrics, hand-woven blankets and leather goods and crafts ranging from chess sets to ashtrays. The Grande Marché in Bobo Dioulasso is much smaller and less cramped market.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1800. Some shops may be open Sunday and there are daily markets in the main towns.
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