Congo, Republic of Entertainment

The main hotels in Brazzaville have good restaurants serving French cuisine, and there are also restaurants specialising in Italian, Lebanese and Vietnamese dishes. Some restaurants, such as those at Nanga Lake and Grand Hotel in Loubomo, specialise in African dishes. Pointe-Noire and Loubomo also have restaurants and bars, usually in hotels, with table service. Some bars also have counter service.

National specialities:
• Fish (giant oysters and shrimps).
• Piri piri chicken (with chilli pepper).
• Mouamba (chicken in palm oil).
• Saka saka (ground cassava leaves cooked with palm oil and peanut paste).
• Maboke (freshwater fish cooked in large marantacee leaves).

National drinks:
• Beer.
• Fruit juice (pineapple, and mango are the favourites).

Tipping: Normally 10% in hotels and restaurants.

Local groups are popular in the main towns. Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire have several nightclubs.

In Brazzaville, there are shops and colourful markets. An arts and crafts centre at Poto Poto sells, amongst other things, local paintings and carved wooden masks and figures. The two main markets are Moungali and Ouenze. Avenue Foch is crowded with street vendors. Basketwork can be bought at the villages of Makana and M’Pila (3km/2 miles from Brazzaville), with pottery and an open-air market.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1800. Some shops close on Monday afternoon and a few open on Sunday morning.