The best restaurants Mauritania

Timetable

Most addresses, restaurants or cafes, bakeries, etc., are open all day. Some are closed on Fridays, the day of prayer, but this does not apply to the whole territory.

Budget & Tips

It all depends on the standing of the establishment. You can have lunch or dinner of local dishes (or international dishes if you are in Nouakchott or Nouadhibou), between 250 and 400 MRU per plate. In the high-end hotels in the capital, you will have to count a little more. And even if, sometimes, some addresses seem to leave something to be desired at first sight, the service is always attentive, and you will always eat to your heart's content.

What costs extra

Tipping is not a common practice in Mauritania. You are free to ask for your change or not, and if they do try to avoid giving it back to you, we can only advise you to be patient and not to make fun of them.

The local way

Couscous, mechouis, grilled meat, fish brochettes... Mauritania, in terms of cuisine, is marked both by its many communities, and by some constraints: the vegetables are those that could be grown, mainly in the South, or imported from Morocco, when relations with the Polisario Front are lenient. Fish on the menu, thanks to the fertile and generous waters. And friendly dishes, sharing, where the dish is in the center and where everyone picks from it, Fridays day of prayer, on the occasion of festivals or gatherings. If you are lucky enough to be invited under a tent or in a local's house!

In restaurants, especially in Nouakchott, you will find local specialties, fast food, as well as international dishes (pizzas, burgers, etc.).

To be avoided

During the Ramadan period, avoid being seen drinking, smoking or eating between sunrise and sunset, out of respect for those who are fasting.