Luanda-Nightlife! Restaurants, Bars & Night Life in Luanda!

Manjara Restaurant (Portuguese Cuisine)

2010-11-07T08:29:00.006+01:00

Manjara is located on Ilha, approximately 300 meters after Bob's Burger or the new Esplanada Grill, and 400 meters before Chillout. It is in a green building that you can spot easily from the road.

From the outside, it looks a bit old and this explains why we had never tried it. But after hearing some positive comments about the food there, we decided to check the place yesterday.

There are two dining areas, one downstairs has air-conditioning, and the other one, much nicer, is in the open-air. We were surprised to have live music, which was good but as it often happens in Angola, a bit too loud if you want to have a conversation. Apparently, live music is on Fridays and Saturdays. Guests are invited to sing if they can so it creates quite a friendly atmosphere.

The menu of Manjara has mainly Portuguese dishes, such as grilled garoupinha, bacalhau con natas, bife a portuguesa, etc... First, we ordered some caipirinhas, which were ok but they were not made with crushed ice. For the food, we each had a different dish, for which we paid from 2900 to 3200 kwanzas. The portions were quite big, and we could not finish our plates. I think Manjara is a bit like Veneza, it's best to order 3 dishes for 4 people if you don't have a big appetite. On the positive side, we all enjoyed our food, which was well cooked and well presented.

I didn't have a very good camera with me so no great photos for this time.. At least you can get an idea of how it looks like..

To conclude, Manjara is good for:
- Big portions of Portuguese cuisine
- Simple, friendly place
- Outside terrace
- Near the party places on Ilha
- Live music twice a week

Manjara Restaurant Luanda
Rua Ilha de Luanda Mortala Mohamed
Tel: 222 309 348 /924 251 669 / 929 377 603

Portofino Restaurant Luanda

2010-10-24T21:30:00.005+01:00

Portofino is an upmarket restaurant located on the third floor of the building of the Deana Day Spa, on the marginal. If I'm not wrong, the place belongs to Angola's First Lady, the wife of Jose Eduardo Dos Santos (Ana Paula?) and actually, the only time I went to the spa she was there!

We went to Portofino on a Sunday evening, and apart from us two, plus two other customers, it was completely empty. It is brand new, very neat and very chic, but a bit too much in my taste. It may look like a good copy of poshier places, but it doesn't manage to have a real authentic feel...

The waiters were great, among the most professional I've seen in Luanda: Efficient, smiling and smart. I ordered the baby beef, which cost me 3,750 kwanzas and it was good, though overpriced knowing we also paid 1600 kwanzas for couverts + 1000 kwanzas for water we didn't ask for.. My friend had the risotto, which she said was the best she had in Luanda. She said it was a bit expensive but worth it for her. For dessert, we tried the cheesecake (1,600 kwanzas) which was average.. Overall, I think a full meal in this restaurant will cost you well over $100, making it among the most expensive in Luanda.

With some nice lounge music in the background and a beautiful view on the marginal, we had a very pleasant dinner. That is why I would recommend Portofino for a date, or anything intimate between a few people only. More laidback, you also have the Bahia restaurant only a few meters away if you come with a big group of friends.

Practical Information:
- Parking for customers
- Open everyday from 12h to midnight
- Free wifi
- It is also a lounge so you can come only for a drink if you prefer

Click on the map to enlarge

Portofino Restaurant
Morada Av. 4 de Fevereiro, 185
Marginal, Luanda

Tel: 937 24 76 95 / 922 39 40 15 / 929 40 04 69

SoMel Lounge (In CeFoJor or MixFM)

2010-10-23T15:06:00.006+01:00

Somel is a lounge and restaurant a bit hard to find, but worth knowing if you leave near the Sagrada Familia as it is only a few hundred meters away. To find it, you need to go inside the CeFoJor, the Journalist Formation Center (you also have MixFM there).

All the tables of Somel are outside, so you can enjoy the calm and the relaxing atmosphere of the center. There is a small garden and trees, a rare sight in Luanda and the main reason you shoud come here.

You always have some chilling/lounge music in the background, with occasionally a live DJ playing. Add to that some top notch plasma screen and sofas, and it makes Somel cool enough to attract many upper class Angolans... I think a big star was there when I took the pictures because his manager came at me very angry and asked me to delete them..

We've been twice there and we had mixed reactions concerning the food. It is quite expensive, about 3000kwz or more for a dish, and I can think of more than one place where you get much better food, or larger portions for this price (Embaixador/Veneza/Naquele Lugar/Asia Lounge, etc..). Personally, I was unlucky the first time, but the second time it was excellent (but too small). The dishes are not very original and consist mainly of grilled fish/meat à la Portugaise. On the positive side, it is well-located in an original venue, and it is very clean and modern so you will feel comfortable (but bring mosquito repellent if you come at night...). Also, the waiters, though not so experienced, were at least smiling...

Click on the map to enlarge it

Somel Lounge and Restaurant
Rua Luther King, 123/124

Marianita Pastelaria (Maianga)

2010-10-23T14:27:00.006+01:00

Marianita has become our favourite venue for breakfasts and brunches in Luanda. It is a pastelaria (snack and pastries bar), just like the ones you have in Lisbon. There isn't a big attention paid to the settings, but it is welcoming, clean and efficient.

The dishes are simple but they taste good and you have a lot of choice. No real meals though. I usually go for the freshly-made orange juice + some pastries (among which pasteis de natas of course) + pizzas or sandwich.. The service is fast and you have quite many loyal customers that we see regularly, with one of the newspapers available to read for free. For Luanda standards, I think the prices are OK: You will pay around 1000kwz for 2 snacks plus a drink.

If you live walking distance from Marianita, I recommend you this place. They also do take-away.

Click on the map to enlarge it.

Pastelaria Marianita
Rua Augusto Tadeu de Bastos, 32 R\C
Maianga, Luanda
Phone: 222 335 651 or 912 725 658

Alvalade 61 - Restaurant Grill Wine Bar

2010-09-19T09:56:00.003+01:00

As I just came back from holidays, I made some good resolutions, and in particular to write more reviews for Luanda-Nightlife.

Exploration started again, and we found a new restaurant we went to yesterday called Alvalade 61. It is very easy to find, as it is right next to Hotel Alvalade, only 15 meters away.

The place is a grill, bar and restaurant, and it is located inside a sort of basement, so you have no windows. No decoration but it is all new and clean (Alvalade 61 opened only 3 months ago, in June 2010). Soft music is played, giving it a quite intimate and cozy feel. It is still relatively unknown so no too many guests were there, only about 10.

The menu is very common for Angola with many Portuguese dishes like Bacalhau com Natas, Arroz de Mariscos, etc.. I had the Alvalade 61 grilled steak, which I forgot to make a photo of as I was so hungry.. It is basic but well cooked and filling. My friends had the chicken and sole. Both were happy. We paid a total of 4,500 kwanzas each, includung drinks and coffee, which is the average for Luanda.

I think the waiters are still in the process of learning because they seem to be somewhat hesitant.. In spite of that, everyone was very friendly.

Click on the map to enlarge

Contact details:
Alvalade 61
61 Rua Comandante Gika
Luanda

Luanda Jazz Festival 2010

2010-07-26T13:59:00.002+01:00

The second edition of the Luanda Jazz Festival will take place this weekend in Ciné Atlantico, from Friday 30th of July to Sunday 1st of August.

The expected line-up features some world-renowned singers and musicians, including Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés, US vocalist Dianne Reeves, Angolan guitarist/vocalist Waldemar Bastos and Filipe Mukenga, and the Cape Verdean singer Lura.

The Jazz festival is a rare occasion to enjoy great music in Luanda and should not be missed. For more information about the schedule and ticketing, you can visit the website http://www.luandajazzfest.com/.

Bico do Sapato (Near Coqueiros Stadium)

2010-05-12T21:42:00.007+01:00

Bico do Sapato is a very chic restaurant, so chic in fact that the owner doesn't really care about you finding it. I had heard of the place for at least 6 months but never managed to find it until last Sunday.

We went there yesterday night, very curious about what could be found inside. You have a small terrace in the open air and another, slightly larger interior room. Very secret, very discreet, a good place for bringing a date if you can afford it (but don't offer her to choose the wine, some bottles cost over 5000 dollars!!!).

All the clients inside were smart-dressed and presented well, and they are probably used to come to Bico do Sapato. The restaurant specializes in seafood, but we didn't know that so we ordered meat for all of us. It's only after we looked at other people's tables that we realized our mistake... The meat was great, but twice as expensive as the one in Veneza and almost the same quality. We ended up paying 6000 kwanzas each for our meal = 1 main dish + 1 caipirinha + couvert. It's really more than the average but it's rare to get excellent food in Luanda so we didn't regret it.

Click on the map to enlarge it
Bico Do Sapato
Rua dos coqueiros
In the Stadium, near Entrance 1 (See photo)
Tel: +244 921596666

Open from Monday to Saturday from 5PM to Midnight. Closed on Sundays.

The French wine list of Bico do Sapato:

Lookal - Sao Jorge Beach Club

2010-05-02T17:44:00.005+01:00

Lookal is the renovated Sao Jorge restaurant, to which I had never been to. The result is excellent: Lookal puts together a bar, a restaurant, a club and the beach into one single area where you can easily spend your whole afternoon, your evening and your night. There is a DJ in the middle of Lookal playing all day long an original mix of funk/house/brazilian/top 40 songs.

The decoration is perfect and at the time of writing, everything is still new so it really feels like we are in a trendy place in Europe like Ibiza. In spite of that, it is cheaper than Chillout or Caribe for the food and drinks. At night, girls have to pay 1000 kwanzas to enter with one drink and guys pay 3000 kwanzas for 3 drinks. I was a little bit disappointed at night because people were not dancing so much, and at 3AM everybody had left. I didn't try the food yet, but I will update the blog when I do.

Conclusion: Recommended place for a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon, but it doesn't beat my favourite beach bar on Ilha: The Bordão

Lookal Sao Jorge
Av Murtala Mohamed
Luanda (Ilha do Cabo)
Phone Number: (+244) 923 596 114

Capricciosa Pizzaria

2010-04-26T21:14:00.006+01:00

Two weeks ago, Luanda-Nightlife announced it had found the best pizzas of Luanda in La Pasta... Since then, we found an even better pizzeria: Capricciosa Restaurant in the Alvalade area.

If you work in Total E&P Angola, it's very close from the Impala/Palanca residences, only 5 minutes walking and you should really try it!

Capricciosa is very tiny, it seems to occupy what used to be a house's garage. There are around 10 small tables in the open air and in the back, a few more tables are under a roof near the kitchen. It's very simple but laid-back and welcoming. The manager even came at our table to ask if everything was OK.

The pizzas are quite expensive (3000 kwanzas and more), but they are made of fresh ingredients and the pizza crust is really thin. We were four people and we only took two pizzas. For once, the pizzas are not called by their typical name: No margarita, no napolitana, no quattro stagioni, each one is specific to Capriciosa. We were still a little hungry after our two pizzas but in the end, we only paid 1600 kwanzas each so it won't cost you so much if you have a small appetite.

Conclusion: Very recommended. They also do take away.

You can click on the map to enlarge it.

Capricciosa Pizzaria
Augusto Tadeu Basto, nº 59 Maianga
Open from 17 to 23h
Tel: 222 393 867

La Pasta - Italian Restaurant - Pizza

2010-04-19T20:30:00.006+01:00

La Pasta is loacated just above the Portugalia restaurant, at the entrance of Ilha. It has the reputation of being the best Italian restaurant in town. Luanda-Nightlife had postponed a visit there a few times but we were finally able to make it last Friday to see how it compares with my current favourite Italian place: Don Castellana Elio.

We had heard very good recommendations so we were not surprised to find that La Pasta is very clean and nicely decorated to European standards. There are large windows all around the room that give a good view of Luanda but it's probably better during the day than at night. They had a problem with AC that evening apparently, which caused us to leave quickly once we had finished eating because we could not stand the heat.

The dishes are quite expensive, especially if you take pasta. Pizzas will cost you around 3000 pizzas but they may be the best pizzas in Luanda: Large, lot of cheese, fresh ingredients. My friends who had ordered risotto were a bit disappointed: Their dish was good but certainly too expensive for what they got. In the end, we paid 5500 kwanzas each for just a main dish + wine (1 bottle at 3500 kwanzas). The service was very attentive and, this is the first time it happens in Luanda: We were served our dishes in no time, less than 15 minutes!

Conclusion: I recommend La Pasta if you like good pizzas, but for the other dishes, I think I still prefer Don Castellana Elio restaurant.

Broadway Bar (Sagrada Familia)

2010-03-16T09:41:00.011+01:00

That's right dear readers, Luanda Nightlife is back! After a regrettably quiet few months, and break-up of numerous marriages, relationships and friendships, and with the ever present threats of bankruptcy and unemployment looming over us, Luanda Nightlife has gone through somewhat of a revolution. But merely the kind of revolution that involves zero action and changes nothing whatsoever.

Of course, our core values remain strong, and we are almost as dedicated as ever to discovering this quite tough-to-love city of ours, Luanda.

In actual fact the only reason I ended up visiting a restaurant was purely financial: my latest date offered to pay for our dinner. Sweet! So after hours of discussion we decided on Broadway Bar, an Indian restaurant next to Andy's Boutique. Andy's Boutique is frankly the most over-decorated shop in Luanda selling items of clothing and accessories, and I understand Broadway Bar is also a part of this establishment. The entrance is quite dramatic, with all the curtains and lights making the restaurant look more like a cheesy vodka bar. The inside decoration is actually rather pleasant and not so in your face - certainly if you've visited O Caril then you would know what in your face deco looks like… In my opinion Broadway Bar is a reasonably romantic place and you see many other couples wining and dining there.

Things turn slightly confusing when you are faced with that monster of a menu, which I’m sure they only created to provide you with a talking point, an ice-breaker if you like, to give you a hand with your awkward date. There are way too many pages in this book, with description of starters, mains and tourist attractions and activities. The choice of tandoori dishes is impressive but I have never managed to read all of them and always end up asking the friendly waiter for his recommendation.

It takes a while (more than 45mins) to prepate your food but when it arrives it's certainly worth it. I was a bit disappointed with the choice of Lamb dish, but the chicken was just delicious. On average the prices over 3000kwanzas for a mains dish, not the cheapest restaurants but one of my favourite places to eat.

I would definitely recommend Broadway Bar if you like good Indian food. It makes a nice change from the usual cuisine in Luanda and you will have a lovely time with your friends.

Apparently they also do take aways - contact them for more infromation.

Click on the map to enlarge.

Broadway Bar (In front of O Padrinho Restaurant)
Indian Restaurant
Address: Rua Albano Machado, 88 - Luanda – Angola
Phone: (+ 244 2) 39 49 62 / 39 15 89 / 923592116
e-mail: andyjr@andyfashion.com

Rio Seco (Maianga)

2010-01-10T22:36:00.008+01:00

Rio Seco is a small neighborood restaurant in Maianga, that looks like a small shop from the outside. We were surprised to discover the inside is quite new and modern, and it's with renewed enthusiasm that we ordered our dishes.

Unfortunately, the waiting was very long (over an hour), barely acceptable if it wasn't for the pleasant discussion the luanda-nightlife team had about NGOs in Angola, thanks to our special guest Ms R.

By the time the food was on our plates, we were so hungry that our first impression was that fine dining had been served. A few bites later we started to slow down on the eating, realizing that we didn't really enjoy our dishes.. I wouldn't say it was bad, but it was miscooked. In the end, we were quite disappointed by Rio Seco. The only positive thing I observed was that the waitress was wearing a Christmas costume and she was funny (if I remember correctly).

Chez Wou (Ilha de Luanda)

2010-01-08T11:20:00.012+01:00

So for a second time in the space of a week we are reviewing a Chinese restaurant. And we make no apologies for it given how long we've been neglecting the needs of the ever expanding Chinese community in Luanda. Needless to say, here at Luanda Nightlife, we are not in the business of angering any Chinese people!

Chez Wou is probably the most famous Chinese restaurant in Luanda. I never know which one is Chez Wou I and which is the number II, but I'm talking about the one at the beginning of Ilha, on the way to Chicala, with the grand exterior. I think this is the more modern of the two. The building is 4 or 5 storeys high but the restaurant occupies only the 1st floor. I’ve made a lot of speculations about what could be located in the remaining floors, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it very certainly holds a massage parlour, a casino or a karaoke. The interior decoration makes you feel like you are in a Chinese restaurant, which is usually a good start. It is not grandiose, but different enough from your own kitchen to make you feel disoriented for the first 5 minutes. They seem to have people of all ages working there, from the young Chinese waitresses to the old couple who greeted me. As with every other Chinese restaurant, service is quick (15-20 minutes max) and professional. The menu is long and written in French, English, and Mandarin, with an average price of 2000 kwanzas for a main dish. We found the food was OK but not that excellent given the reputation of Chez Wou.

One thing that does distinguish Chez Wou from the other places is their rotating round tables. I'm a big fan of the old round table as you can see and talk to all your friends more easily. The rotating top also provides some fun and games for customers, no matter how old they are! And of course it's a handy way to share food with others at your table. Just look at the photos and see how we are having fun!

Chez Wou
Av. Mortala Mohamed nº 50 R/C - Ilha do Cabo. Luanda
Tel. +244 222 309 517 - Mob. +244 924 237 190
Fax. + 244 222 309 583

Shanghai Baia Restaurant (Ilha de Luanda)

2010-01-05T10:55:00.009+01:00

Shanghai Baia is a Chinese restaurants located on Ilha after Cais de Quatro restaurant. The interior of the restaurant is quite modern, and you can enjoy the beautiful view of the city over the bay.

The menu is very chinese with some very vague names and even more peculiar photos that do not particularly help. There are quite a lot of dishes in the menu, with over 70 appetizers and mains. It remineded me of the menu at Cais de Quatro, but with less variety. Prices start from 700 kwanzas for a starter to 5000 kwanzas for a lobster. It took us a very long time to finally decide on our choice of food. Some mighty fine examples of Chinglish are on offer to keep the customers amused , with the puzzling "Deep Fride Vegetarian Duck" or the somewhat amibigous "deep fride garlic Hong Kong Abderdeen style" appearing on the menu!

The service was excellent and they prepared the food extremely quickly, within 15 minutes we had our starters and main courses followed shortly. Always impressive for Luanda, even more so given that we were in a big group. The waiters were very professional and attentive. I think the food is quite adequate and authentically chinese. If you know how to navigate your way around a chinese menu you can find some superb dishes in there but even if not; most plates are nice and worth the money.

email: shanghai_baia@yahoo.com.cn
tel: +244 222 309 198
923 788 188
924 296 66

Big Bite (Kinaxixi)

2009-12-19T10:07:00.004+01:00

Big Bite is a small fast food with one unique product, the chicken roll. It is quite cheap, 800 kwanzas, and I must say I'm very fond of it even though it is junk food.

It is always quite busy and I think it is also a hangout place for many Angolans.

Teatro Elinga (Downtown Luanda)

2009-12-13T20:42:00.006+01:00

Elinga is back, and apparently it is back for good! For those who were in Luanda last year, you may have been to one of the at least 10 "Last party of Elinga before closure", which were all really great! Elinga is by far my favourite bar in Luanda for different reasons: No traffic jam to go to Ilha, excellent music (international standard DJing in my opinion), moderate price and all that in an old, historical building with a lot of charm. The place is crowded with ONG, UN and embassy workers, and it is also popular with gays, making the atmosphere quite different than in any other bars in Luanda. Many expats, probably too many, but I hope it will become more popular among locals too.

The musical program can be quite varied... Before being a bar, Elinga Teatro is a cultural center in Luanda with many art shows, concert, and other cultural events. They have reggae, house, electro, blue, jazz, samba nights.. The best you can do if you like the place is to subscribe to their newsletter: x.movimento at gmail.com.

For about six months, Elinga had become a gathering point for Angolan rastafaris, among which the always popular Remi branch, also called the D'aarti Galôong movement, which originated in the early 2000 in the urban district of Maianga. I don't know if they will still be allowed to use the locals.

Click on the map to enlarge it!
Teatro Elinga
Near the BPC Building
Largo Tristao da Cunha 17,
Rua Amilcar Cabral, Luanda

Tel. +244 92 12 71 858
Tel. +244 91 25 95 798

Multibocas Restaurante (Ilha)

2009-11-26T11:06:00.009+01:00

One of the more unsophisticated restaurants on Ilha, Multibocas is located right opposite Tamariz restaurant. It’s a very simple and unpretentious place with a strong local feel. I think most of the customers are regulars, which might explain the surprise look on the waiter’s face when we asked for a menu. For some reason they didn’t have half of the dishes on the menu so we each had to settle for our second or third choice of food. Quite understandable i think given they're a small restaurant and frankly don't pretend to be anything else, but still I felt slightly disappointed not to be able to try the tasty looking food other people were having.

The wait was relatively long – over 45 minutes or so, but thanks to the ever entertaining Brazilian soap operas on the big TV we didn’t take notice of the time too much. Another thing I really liked about Multibocas is their direct attitude: for example if you ask for some juice, they don’t waste their time pouring you a glass of juice like they would in many other restaurant. They bring you the 1L carton of juice and a glass, and you may do whatever you please with it. Personally, I like that, it makes me feel more at home.

What I didn’t like so much however, was my food. The fish was rather bland with almost no flavour (not even salty!) but having tried my friends' foods I must say their meals were perfectly adequate. The meat was particularly good and in large portions, and at the end we only paid 2000 kwanzas each including a couple of cartons of juice and a couple of beers. Very good value indeed, bearing in mind you're in Ilha.

I would certainly come back to Multibocas again for a cheap and cheerful dinner, but I will come a bit earlier to have more choice off the menu and stick to the meat dishes next time. I think this is a fine place to start your night out before hitting the bars on Ilha, especially if you don't feel adventurous enough to go for the street food on Ilha but still prefer not to spend your monthly salary in one night.

Cafe del Mar (Ilha de Luanda)

2009-11-18T14:19:00.009+01:00

Angola's very own Cafe del Mar is located near the end of Ilha de Luanda, in between Miami Beach and Coconuts. The setting couldn't be more suited for this establishment, with beautiful views of the ocean on a nice sandy beach. As you might expect it feels different, very different, to the two restaurants next door as it's more laid back and spacious. I sometimes feel a bit spaced out and claustrophobic at Miami with the army of people fighting to get on the beach at the weekend, that doesn't really happen at Cafe del Mar.

I don't know if the owners have any links with the original Cafe del Mar chain, but I think they're doing a pretty decent job of things here. They play some of the original chill out tracks and it just feels so right to sit there on a sunday afternoon with a caipirinha and watch the sun go down.

Their food menu isn't that bad either for a place that's mainly a bar. Prices are in the range of 1800 to 2500 kwanzas, not very expensive for this part of Ilha. They have some nice sandwhiches and pizzas. I've heard a lot about their sunday brunch too. The waiters are friendly and professional and you don't wait that long for your order. It's definitely becoming one of my favourite places to hang out on Ilha because of its chilled out ambience and cool music which is never played too loudly. In the evenings they also show football matches on the big screen.

I recommend a visit to Cafe del Mar, it's a great place to relax, have a drink and grab a small bite to eat.

Cafe del Mar

Avenue Murtala Mohamed, - Ilha do Cabo Luanda – Angola
Tél.: (+244 2) 30 92 41 (+244) 912 205 777 / 923 581 333
Capacity: 120 people
Open Monday to Friday, 11 am to midnight.

Saturday and sunday: 10am to 11pm.

Taberna Cafe Cliston (Near Intermarket)

2009-11-16T21:41:00.022+01:00

I've been going past Taberna Cafe Cliston (Formerly also called Halaal Restaurant) every day on my way to work and always thought I would try it one day.... and finally, I found the courage! From the outside, this place is without doubt, the most unappealing restaurant I've ever been to. The stench from the street combined with the rubbish everywhere and the never disappearing crowd next to the restaurant do not exactly entice visitors. And to top it all, when you enter the lack of air conditioning is the first thing you notice, particularly on a hot summer day. But from here on, things can only get better: the warm greetings from the owners and the waitress are a good start. The owners are Somalians and very friendly. Naturally the decor is as basic as it gets, with some seemingly random paintings from different parts of the world: Burj Dubai appears next to Eiffel Tower and a Hawaiian beach... Clearly the Somalian work ethics have been stamped on the staff, as the service was very pleasant and rapid. My food was ready literally within 3 minutes of ordering it! Surely a record in a city where fast food restaurants take at least 15mins to prepare a burger....

Of course, this is no fine dining, but the food is surprisingly good. A big plate of fish or chicken with rice, salad and fries for 600 kwanzas. The only big downside is the lack of Air Conditioning (only fans) , but as the service is so fast you don't really suffer.

I recommend Halaal Restaurant for lunch if you work nearby, as they serve decent food at very low prices with very fast service.

Actually, after I wrote this review I saw two rats right outside the back of this restaurant. I know it's more psychological than anything else, but I am honestly not sure if I could ever go back now, even though nobody felt ill after that meal...

Update: I noticed they've painted on the "Halaal Restaurant" sign, only keeping the name Taberna Cafe Cliston. I dont know why, or what this suggests but I promise to visit again and investigate... watch this space...

Terraco Bar and Restaurant (Viana)

2009-11-12T11:40:00.020+01:00

As part of our special series exploring the best of Viana night life, we visited Terraco Restaurant and Bar, a popular restaurant and hang out place for Angolans and expats in town. Friday and Sunday nights are Karaoke nights, where you pay 1500 kwanzas entrance fee, which you get to spend inside. They have a buffet service for dinner but as we arrived late (after 10pm) they had run out of pretty much everything. They gave us a couple of choices from the menu and prepared our food within 30mins. The steak cost 1800 kwanzas and the fish 2500 kwanzas. I have to admit it was not the best fish I’ve ever had, and the steak wasn’t significantly better either. In fairness, I think most people go for the buffet which would be my advice.

In any case, you come to Terraco for the atmosphere not the food! The music is certainly loud and everyone is enjoying the karaoke as much as I’ve seen people enjoy anything in life. The microphone keeps moving about with every song and you feel like everybody is having a go at singing their favourite tunes, no matter how untalented they are! But it's all good natured and I liked it. At the beginning of the night there were a number of families, with young children eating and singing along. But as the night went on, we noticed a change in the crowd, with more and more single males entering the restaurant, closely followed by groups of young Angolan girls. By before midnight the place was really buzzing with prostitutes and their pimps, and we felt perhaps it was time for us to move on...

I had a very good time in this restaurant and bar. It’s really the perfect place on a Friday night to get things started with some food and drinks amongst a friendly crowd. Another big advantage is the proximity to one of the best nightclubs in Viana, Mukua, as it’s only a short walking distance away. If you ever find yourself in Viana, be sure to visit these two cool places.

Mukua Discoteca (Viana)

2009-11-09T11:05:00.008+01:00

As a true "caluanda", I had never really ventured out of our crazy little town, so it was with great excitement that we took the infamous Estrada de Catete (the road of death swore my friend!) on a little trip to Viana to celebrate our 3rd month of blogging.

One of our targets was the Mukua night club, whose fame rivals that of Chillout in this part of Angola and is considered to be as one of the best clubs of Luanda nightlife. Unfortunately, we just came a week after a big party to celebrate the ten years of the club, and the crowd was a little leaner than usual. But we didn't really mind, that only meant we had much more room to boogie!

Mukua has too floors, yet it is quite small and I liked how it feels very intimate. The configuration makes it easy to meet people, who were quite opened and friendly with us. I was surprised to see many Portuguese and Brazilians, probably working in construction, some of them with girls much younger and prettier than them and we thought they could be prostitutes. They didn’t illuminate the club with their dance moves but still, it was good to have them in order to make us look not too bad.

For the music, I was expecting a lot of kizomba, which I must confess is not always of my liking, but there was also quite a bit of Hip-hop, Rn’B and House music, sometimes retro, sometimes more recent. The DJ was good but the music quite loud and you could feel your body kind of shaking by itself, without you having to put too much thought into it. In fact, I noticed that there wasn’t anybody in a short perimeter around the main speaker as no one seemed to be able to bear with the decibels coming out of it.

The entrance fee is 1500 kwanzas and you get 4 beers or 2 hard drinks for that.

In conclusion, Mukua is a cool disco and I recommend it if you have the chance to make the trip to Viana. Also, I would like to point out that I felt very safe in this place and in Viana in general so you should worry too much about this issue.

We took the pictures with our cellphone so it looks very dark, sorry about that!

Contact details:

Mukua Viana

Tel: 923693188 or 933490501 or 923501020

Email: info@mukua.com

Website (incredibly, they have one..): Mukua Angola

Tambarino Restaurant and Bar (Rua Cabral)

2009-11-06T11:03:00.010+01:00

A classic restaurant in Luanda, Tambarino is located in quite a discreet and humble setting. In fact if you don't know exactly where it is, you don't stand a chance of finding it as there are no visible signs from outside. The interior of Tambarino could be your own dining room, only a bit bigger and with nothing too fancy nor too showy. The service is highly professional and certainly one of the best I've seen in Luanda. They also stock one of the biggest wine selections in town (mostly portuguese wines), although apparently they had run out of most of them on our visit!

They have an appetizing portuguese/international menu with many fish dishes, their specialty. Main courses are in the range of 2300-3000 kwanzas, which is reasonable. The wait was only about 30 minutes, and we certainly didn't struggle to fill this time, thanks to the delicious couverts and the fine wine. The food itself was very well presented and we all found it was delicious. Perhaps one of the few times that nobody had anything to complain about... . Too often you hear great reviews about a restaurant only to be disappointed upon your visit, thankfully this place is an exception.

What makes Tambarino even more special is the little bar/lounge that they have downstairs. The decoration is cool and retro, and it has a very laid back jazzy feel to it. It must have been used as a cigar bar at the time smoking was allowed in restaurants. Now here lies a comfortable place to have a drink before or after your meal, or even without eating in this restaurant. I had an excellent time down there, chatting to my friends after the meal in a more relaxed atmosphere. I'm sure they could easily spice up the place with some music and better lighting, and make it a popular hang-out place, but the fact that is is very quiet is also a good thing and maybe the owner wants to keep it that way. It is possible to book the whole bar for a private gathering... If interested, give them a call!

We definitely recommend a visit to Tambarino restaurant and bar. The food is excellent, service is very efficient, and the bar is truly a great place to chill. I also advise you to book in advance, perhaps a day before, especially if going in a group because some clients had to wait for about 30 minutes before getting a table.

Click on the map to enlarge
Tambarino Luanda
Rua Amílcar Cabral nº 23, r/c
Luanda, Angola

Tel. +244-222-396884 - Fax. +244-912-240188

Cais De Quatro (Ilha)

2009-11-04T09:48:00.013+01:00

It took me quite a long time to go to Cais de Quatro, because i'm usually not a fan of places that are already well-known. Cais de Quatro may be one of the most famous eating places in Luanda, so I can say I had very high expectations and was almost certain to be disappointed. As soon as I entered though, I must say I was charmed by the atmosphere of the place. Cais de Quatro is a busy restaurant, yet very relaxed, with a beautiful view on the Bay of Luanda. It is ideally set and it is not a surprise that it is so popular.

The menu is really huge, with at least 100 dishes, among which food from all over the world, including the usual Brazilian and Portuguese favourites (the cook is a Brazileira) along with pastas, sushis or hamburgers. We took a really long time to decide since it was the first time in Luanda we were confronted to such a large choice. Once ordered, the food was served after a reasonable waiting time.

At our table, everyone agreed that the dishes were above average, but not the best ones we had experienced in Luanda, and this is too bad because had the food been as good as in Veneza, Naquele Lugar or Embaixador, I would have had no difficulties to name Cais de Quatro the best restaurant in town. But in spite of that, I recommend it very strongly.

Contact details:
Cais de Quatro
Avenida Murtala Mohamed – Casa do Desportista – Ilha de Luanda – Luanda
(it's one street after Wimpy's, with plenty of parking space)

Tel.: 00-244-222 309 430 / 222 309 286
Fax: 00-244-222 309 286
E.mail: caisdequatro@hotmail.com

Le Petit Bistro (French Restaurant)

2009-10-31T10:17:00.007+01:00

Le Petit Bistro opened less than a week ago, and it is to my knowledge the only French restaurant in Luanda. Already, some people are calling it "Chez Antoine", the name of the French owner.

It is very small inside, with a maximum capacity of 30/40 people I would say, with a simple but neat decoration.

The menu is quite short, with only a few dishes, costing a little less than 2000 kwanzas for the entrées and around 3000 kwanzas for the main dish. As we were not sure about the location of the restaurant, we had eaten a little bit before coming, so we only took a gaspacho for my friend, and a fish for me. The waiter, who speaks french, as well as the manager (who seems to be Antoine's cousin), was very patient and welcoming. We were served really fast, in maybe 15 minutes, which have to be my personal record for Luanda (after Tendinha).

We both enjoyed our dishes, even on our already full stomach. We will have to come back to try the dessert and the rest.

I think it will become a popular address, and it's nice that Luanda's town center is having more and more bars and restaurants opening..

Click on the map to enlarge
Le Petit Bistro (Chez Antoine)

Rua Amílcar Cabral nª92 Mutamba

Luanda

Tel. +244 934117817

lepetitbistrot@hotmail.com

Naquele Lugar Restaurant (Fortaleza)

2009-10-28T22:56:00.020+01:00

Naquele Lugar or Fortaleza restaurant was highly recommended to us by a good friend and fellow blogger, so naturally our expectations were raised once again in anticipation of something special. The restaurant is located in the street that leads up to the Fortaleza de São Miguel , with a security check point at the bottom of the road. You really feel like a VIP after the army guards let you enter what is probably one of the most exclusive roads in Luanda - although it's no match for Futungo de Belas.

Needless to say, parking is readily available and you feel very safe with all the guards around. When you enter the restaurant itself, you feel like you've stepped in to somebody's back garden in Sicily on a warm summer evening. Laughter is in the air with all sorts of people sitting outdoors, drinking red wine and having a merry time. I've been here a couple of times and each time I went inside I found myself smiling as if I was in a different world, holidaying in the Mediterranean with no care... I don't know if people actually live inside this place but I certainly hope they do. And if they do, I'm very jealous!

You have to wait a bit to get your order in as they seem rather short staffed. But the waiters are quite friendly and helpful. The menu resembles a short article more than an encyclopedia, but it has some very nice dishes, including steak and a few original fish dishes amongst others. It only took around 30 minutes to prepare our food, which was a nice surprise. And when it came, I for one was not disappointed. A friend who had dined at Veneza the night before inevitably made the comparison and thought his steak was somewhat tame, but hey, this is no steak house! Personally, I enjoyed my food more than I have in a long time. The portions were quite generous too. And the price: 3500 kwanzas which also included a couple of beers and a big ice cream.

I highly recommend a visit to this super cool address. Food is well worth the price (and the wait!) and a phenomenal location to have a drink or three with friends. A word of warning: it gets very crowded on Friday nights so you will have to wait a while before getting seated or make reservation.

Click on the map to enlarge

Naquele Lugar Restaurant, or Fort Restaurant (Fortaleza de São Miguel)

Calçada de S. Miguel, s/n, Cidade Alta Província de Luanda

Tel. (Updated: July 2010) : 923448311, 926323958,

926322615, 924905859