Where to Eat in Accra

Okay, I must confess at the outset that I am no food critic. One glance at my rather "robust" frame, however, will soon reveal that I am an experienced enjoyer of food so I feel at least somewhat qualified to make a few recommendations regarding "Where to Eat in Accra." I should also admit that we were a little slow to get around to a number of the better restaurants, as fine dining is not generally the answer to the question "What should we do for fun?" when you have four young children (sorry kids...we don't love you less for it!). That said, once we had a child-minder we could trust and some good friends to break bread with, we were into local gastronomic scene with mucho gusto.

Top prize has to go to Osteria/Michelangelo's, a remarkable little Italian restaurant in Airport Residential with several different names. If it were a lesser restaurant, the apparently obsessive tendency towards re-naming itself would be unforgivable, but since the owner is attentive, the menu a masterpiece, the wine list unparalleled, and the ambiance the stuff of wedding proposals, it is easy to forgive such indulgences. Considering the meal that was laid before us--inconceivable in Ghana on many fronts--and the ever-crashing cedi, this restaurant is a bargain and a must-eat in Accra. The appetizers--some of which included imported buffalo mozzarella--made us feel we had won the food lottery and when the main course came, it was like...well, winning a bigger lottery after winning the lottery. (Pretty fancy use of language, eh? That's why I am an English teacher and a sometimes poet.)

Prior to our trip to Osteria, Monsoon was the first real stand-out for us and we were quick to return for heaping helpings of some of the tastiest sushi we've ever had. I can't honestly say whether the sushi was so much better because we were in a serious state of withdrawal, or because it was actually that good, but memorable meals are as much about company, context, and craving as anything else, and our first trip to this little culinary heaven in Osu delivered on all three fronts. I'm told that other things on the surprisingly varied menu are as good or better than the sushi, but we haven't been able to bring ourselves to order them thus far.

Our regular, most consistently dependable lunch hour haunt is Josie's Cuppa Cappuccino in Airport Residential. There are other excellent lunchtime eateries including Melting Moments and Sunshine Salads, but Josie's always won for us for its location (close to work and tucked into a quiet residential street), for its very reasonable prices, and even for its art (including paintings by local artist Borlabie). It will surprise most of our readers that we mostly opted for delicious, fresh pineapple-coconut-banana smoothies over the also-delicious coffee. Our favourites were the bacon and avocado burger and the chicken, bacon avocado sandwich, but it's all good!

A family favourite and our "local" restaurant on Spintex was La Galette. Do not let the traffic on Spintex scare you away from this little slice of Paris in Accra! The baguettes and croissants are the best you'll find this side of France and the seafood pasta is to die for. This was a regular weekend morning treat where we would spend a little quality time with one or two of the kids. Of course it was always a bit of a verbal tug-of-war to see which grown-up would get to go and have an Americano and a still-warm-from-the-oven chocolate croissant!

There are a surprising number of pretty good restaurants in Accra and I know I have overlooked many, but these were the ones that served us well during our stay in Ghana. I feel I should pass along a few honourable mentions, so here goes. La Chaumiere on Liberation is easy to get to and serves up old world France in a pretty little converted house, that fills up in a hurry. Our "best pizza" award would have to go to the Shangri-La as we had it every Tuesday at the school while waiting for Brontë's ballet class to end. Papaye quickly became our family's equivalent of McDonald's, especially since we passed it every day on the way home (they have at least one other location that I know of). You will not, however, find anything like their grilled fish skewers and fried rice on the McD's menu for roughly the same price and there is no need to super size--the portions are heroic! In the mall, Frankie's is a good bet (the original is in Osu) and Rhapsody's is pricey but reliable, but the Nigerian eba and egusi in Tante Maria gets our vote! Bon appetit!