EXPLORE ACCRA


DINING OUT

For your free time, we have a few recommendations for places to eat, shop and to get a feel of Accra.

Chez Afrique
If you don't want to venture too far out, there is Chez Afrique, a restaurant and bar a few miles across the main street from the University. On Friday and Saturday nights, there's live highlife band playing good old Ghanaian highlife music.

Afrikiko Gardens
Not quite as busy as Osu, but also well-patronized and with great atmosphere, is this cluster restaurants that offer both indoor and outdoor dining. We highly recommend the tapas bar. There are also a Thai and an 'African' restaurant, as well as an outdoor grill. Most nights, whereever you choose to sit outside, you will hear Ghanaian music playing from one of the bars.

 

OSU ('Oxford Street')  This one strip in downtown Accra has the greatest concentration restaurants and bars, some of which have rooftop and outside seating so you can observe night life on the famous 'Oxford Street'. To give you a sense of the variety of Osu, here are some of the most popular restaurants:

  • Buka: Serves delicious Ghanaian and Nigerian food, lovely decor and atmosphere)
  • Frankie's: Restaurant, ice cream parlour, pastry shop and salad bar, serving pizzas, shwarmas, burgers, and other fast food. 
  • Monsoon: Adjacent to the On the Run/Nandos fast food chain is a cluster of restaurants serving sushi, continental and Ghanaian food. A terrace allows you to look down into the Osu street.)
  • Republic Bar and Grill: One of the coolest hangouts in Osu. Not only does Republic serve locally-sourced delicious food and cocktails, it hosts music and quiz nights, with the hippest djs and music acts. 
  • Sunshine Salad Bar:  A small restaurant with an extensive salad menu.

See TimeOut Magazine for even more dining options. 


SHOPPING

Accra city is one big market, as you will see - you can even do your shopping in from your car. But there are some places that you can go, depending on what you're looking for:

Wild Gekko, Lego This is a very popular shop just around a dusty corner from the university. The shop is set off the road in a quiet and tree-shaded corner, and is chock full of well-crafted jewellery, kente cloth, and even furniture, from Ghana and different parts of Africa. It is worth browsing, even if you don't plan to buy anything.

Arts Centre, central Accra - A sprawling population of small shops right in the city centre. It has every type of Ghanaian craft you could want in nearly every material (wood, clay, cloth, etc.). It can be an overwhelming experience so go in a group and prepare to bargain.

Crafts shops, Tetteh Quarshie - This is a smaller and less busy version of the Arts Centre and not too far from the University. They sell virtually the same arts and crafts, although not with as great a variety.

Accra Mall, Tetteh Quarshie - The first mall of its size in Accra, this has a variety of boutiques, electronic stores, grocery stores and an Apple store.

A&C Mall, East Legon - a smaller mall with a grocery store and a Woodin (fabric) shop as the main attractions. Woodin stocks a variety of material from Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and other West African countries. (You can find a bigger Woodin store on Osu RE/'Oxford' Street).

Makola Market, central Accra - A trip to this market--one of the largest in West Africa--is an adventure. If you can brave the crowds, the noise and bustle, you can find virtually anything you need from food to clothes to -- anything. Be sure to visit the block of densely packed shops selling every brand and design of the famous Ghanaian wax print material.

MORE

Check out the following websites for more to see and things to do in Accra.

www.timeout.com/accra
www.noworriesghana.com
www.enjoyaccra.com (a monthly magazine of cultural events in Accra)
www.world66.com/africa/ghana/accra/lib/gallery (for the sights of Accra)