Chez Mamissa

A home-style restaurant off the beaten path, Chez Mamissa is run by a vivacious and well-travelled woman of the same name, and offers moderately priced, delicious traditional African food. The menu changes daily, and if you want something specific, you will need to order the day before, as some ingredients can be hard to find in Mayumba. There are almost always tasty fish soup, fried fish, manioc, and steamed bananas available, and her ‘piment' (crushed hot pepper sauce) is the hottest in town.

Chez Mamissa is nestled in a tranquil beachside grove off the airport road. Behind the restaurant, Mamissa has built a traditional village that she named Molokay, where visitors can come to see the Tchikumbi dance ceremony and life in Mayumba as it once was. If reserved at least 8 hours ahead of time, parties up to 15 can dine under the stars in Molokay village while serenaded by drummers by the light of traditional okume torches. Dinner is served family style, starting at 4000 cfa per person. The musical group should be tipped between 5000 and 10000 cfa, depending on the size of your party, and the dancers should be tipped 1000 cfa each. Accommodation in the village will be available in the near future. Click here to see a map and more about the village of Molokay.

On request, Mamissa makes absolutely mouth-watering handmade fish sausages (her secret, highly-sought-after recipe), atangas farcis (a local fruit stuffed with a savory fish mixture- simply amazing), and feuille de manioc that many people have called the best in Gabon. It's best to fast all day to make sure you are really hungry if you're planning to dine here, because portions are big and you will want to eat it all. The curtained terrace can accommodate groups of up to 30 people. Mamissa also caters beach parties up to 40 people. To make reservations, please call 07 87 51 06.

Mbidia Koukou

This beachfront restaurant is located off the airport road, just after Chez Mamissa's, at a recently-opened hotel owned by the Gabonese minister of tourism. They serve really good cheeseburgers and fries, lambchops, steak, prawns, fish kebabs, and various cold-cut sandwiches at very reasonable prices. One of the waitresses, Ornella, speaks some English, and all the staff are very friendly and attentive. There are several thatched roof-shaded tables on the beach and additional seating at the terrace bar. For reservations, please call 07 31 13 02 or 07 38 87 83.

Boulangerie Centrale

Located one street south of the Catholic church and elementary school (and across the street from the La Nationale airline office) Mayumba's central bakery, makes fresh bread daily, and in their tea room, also makes pastries, sandwiches, and delivers pizza to your home or hotel.

Restaurant Basse Banio

A ‘cafette', also on Mayumba's main street, which serves mostly inexpensive fast fried food, Basse Banio is a well-frequented spot for morning coffee and omelettes. They're quick and open early-to-late. There is seating inside, and outside on a small terrace, where you can watch main street Mayumba's comings and goings. The owner speaks some English.

Chez Tantine Chou-Chou (Si Vous Aimez Vous Arretez)

On special order only, they fire up the grill and make fish and beef kebabs, as well as delicious grilled fish. Ngozo Bar is located in Fouika neighborhood, steps away from the Hotel Panzou (Mayeye Foutou). Tables are set up on the outside terrace, and relaxing music and ambient lighting makes this a romantic spot to spend a weekend night. Telephone: 07 12 39 27

Coupé-coupé

A roadside stall near the main market where the ‘coupé-coupé man' slices chicken, or smoky beef off of a large slab on the bbq into a wrapper and tops it with mustard and powdered hot pepper. Inexpensive, on-the-go food that can be eaten out of the wrapper or put onto a morsel of french bread for a tasty sandwich. We love it, but delicate stomachs might want to err on the side of caution. Takeaway only.

Snacks

Various boutiques sell rolls with margarine or chocolate sauce, bags of popcorn and peanuts, and lait caillé, a frozen yogurt treat that's really refreshing on hot rainy-season days. There are two woman in the main market that make bean sandwiches for CFA 250 each. Other women sell 'beignets', a kind of unsweetened doughnut, or smoked fish, or smoked oysters or clams on a stick in season. It pays to look around, as sometimes fresh fruit like mandarins, bananas, and grapefruit can be found in the market and along most of the roads in town.