Here are some food/restaurants I've loved in Abidjan:
Ivorian/African
disclaimer: a good amount of these are foods you can find in Ivorian restaurants but are also street food. If your stomach isn't acclimated to the street food here, go to a restaurant
Attiéké Poussion/Poulet
Fried fish or braised chicken with a granular cassava-based side. You can get it anywhere. Honestly, I haven't had a bad version of this. Just be ready to eat a ton of raw onions and get a side of alloco (fried plantains)
Garba
Fried red tuna usually served with attiéké grain and sauce. You can also get this anywhere. This is the de facto national dish; everyone loves it and I can't go two days without someone asking me if I've had it
Futu
A dough-like side made of cassava or plantains here. In other West African countries, it's called fufu. As a Malian, I prefer futu yam over futu bannane, but both are good. Usually served with a stew and again, I haven't had a bad one yet.
Saakan
Incredible African fusion food with a great ambiance. Great drinks, tons of fresh veggies as options for the sides, and really generous portions. Easily one of my favorite restaurants
Cocody Blocuss
Great local food at unbeatable prices. If you get there at the right time, you can sit by the water! Also the drinks (even the non alcoholic mixes) are great.
Alloco Drum
Lovely lunch place by Cocody Market.
American/Western
Normina
American-style restaurant with a beautiful setup and great food. Our Ivorian friends always seem to think we miss American food, so they took us here. It feels just like any restaurant in NYC or DC. It is a bit pricy, but the portion sizes are big. Here's the website. I got tacos and they were incredible. Their wings are also great!
Lune
Okay, technically this is in Bingerville, but Lune is a one-stop-shop for any American (and some French) style food you want. They have burgers, chicken fingers, wings, cakes, and pasta. We've even gotten pizzas for a pizza party. They also have an extensive bakery and I'm fairly certain you can request cakes. Here's their Instagram.
Pasta Bar
Great "make your own" pasta options with a good amount of pasta for 6000 CFA. There's not much else to say; it's a great place to eat out or order in from when I don't feel like cooking.
Ribs Diner
Easily the best burgers in Abidjan, they taste just like those perfectly cheap and greasy burgers you get from the deli in NYC. I've gotten them delivered for #selfcaresunday two weeks in a row.
Angus Abidjan
An incredible steakhouse in Zone 4. The food is great, the wine is impeccable, and even on weekends, it has a chill, relaxed vibe. It is quite pricey though so I would save it for special occasions!
Cafe des Jardins
Tasty cafe with great brunch and lunch options. My go-to casual brunch place.
Cafe des Artisans
Great food, but they often run out of things on the menu. Great place for tea time, work, or a get together
Lebanese
Shawarma
I haven't had bad shawarma yet. I probably get it from a place near my house once a week. Great getting it on the side of the road, just be careful about what your stomach can take. I like my local place, Cheeese for shawarma, but they also sell tons of other wraps and sandwiches.
Vietnamese
Restaurant Viet Pho
Small Vietnamese restaurant on Rue des Jardins. Most of the food is excellent, but being in a different part of the world makes some ingredients harder to get and therefore more expensive. I don't recommend the pho, but everything else is great. Plus the owner and his wife are a sweet Vietnamese couple from Hanoi!
Resturant Vietamien Tuan
This Vietnamese place is in Plateau on the way to Zone 4. I've passed it a million times and finally went in December. The menu is extensive and everything is really good! It was quick lunch so I got some fried shrimp dumplings and rice. They also served me incredible lemongrass tea, which I know is a bit more local, but it was so good, I had to mention it. It is a bit pricy, so be prepared to come with 10,000 + CFA.
La Pagode
Unbeatable shrimp dumplings. I don't think there's a single bad place on the menu
Vegan
Loving Hut
Loving Hut is a Taiwanese, vegan restaurant in Zone 4. The space is an oasis, it has a beautiful outdoor seating area with a lush garden, a couples' swing, and heart-shaped string lights lining the compound. The food is phenomenal, I have friends who travel all the way from Bassam to eat here once a week. My friend in Yakro comes every time he's in town.
They do a great balance between serving meat/fish substitutes that taste like the originals and offering non-meat substitute options. The food and drinks are great, I recommend the Thai tea and the cha-chas. (a fried "shrimp" appetizer) The owner is incredibly sweet and offers us a tea ceremony at the close of each meal. It's not a cheap eat, but it's so worth it.
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