22 of the Best Food Spots in Praia, Cabo Verde

After living in Praia for a year, I can tell you that places to eat in this capital are limited. Upon reflecting on the places I tended to stray to and enjoyed the most, together with the opinion of a highly trusted individual, my partner (who has also lived in Cabo Verde for four years), I am here to lay down the places to grab a bite or a drink, and why I believe them to be worth your time. In this guide, I will give you a number of recommendations for cafés, brunch spots, restaurants and something I enjoyed a lot during my time in Cabo Verde, the best food spots for chicken.
A little reminder that CVE 100 is equivalent to ~€0.90 (or to make it easier, CVE 100 = €1 with the amount being usually a little bit less).

Anabel (IG: @anabelpraia)
Location: Rua 13 de Janeiro, ASA | Wifi ✅

Above all, Anabel is *the* brunch spot in Praia. It has everything from the traditional and local dish cachupa, bagels, pancakes, toasts (I am a huge fan of their french toast!), eggs, and smoothie bowls. I highly recommend having the brunch tower which is good for two people. It comes with a juice of your choice each, tea or coffee as well (making that two drinks each), mini bagels and pancakes, toast, eggs, fruits and a number of spreads (nutella, local cheese “queijo terra”, cream cheese, marmalade). And the best part is, brunch runs all day everyday.

Anabel is also a really nice place to come for lunch as they have a selection of meals for every weekday for CVE 500. Here, you will find my first recommendation for having chicken, the “frango crocante”, which is a basket of fried chicken with different portion sizes available. I also really like Anabel for their rolled ice cream and they have a really good happy hour menu covering caipirinha, sangria and beers (the local strela/kriola, and the Portuguese, super bock) when you need a little afterwork drink.

Kero
Multiple locations: Rua 5 de Julho, Plateau; Praia Shopping

On the main pedestrian street of Plateau, you will find the first branch of Kero. As a small little shop with seating inside and on the street, this place offers a number of pastries both sweet and savory. It recently opened a second branch at the end of 2022 in Praia Shopping, which offers a nice view of the sea with the addition of a nice, cooling ocean breeze. For me, Kero in Praia Shopping has an edge over the first branch as it has a lot more options especially in the sweets department and more space as the seating area is bigger, more spread out and makes one feel more relaxed. I often came to the one in Plateau when I was passing by and running errands either taking it to go or when I wanted to people watch in the middle of a busy day.

Livraria Nho Eugenio (IG: @nhoeugenio)
Location: Av. Europa, ASA | Wifi ✅

Livraria Nho Eugenio is a little bookstore on one of the main streets in ASA which also has its own café. It offers seating both inside and outside, making it a nice spot to take your morning coffee and have a light breakfast. I also recommend trying their toasts. With a strong and steady Wifi connection, this also makes it an ideal spot to do some work for those working remotely or needing to be on their computer.

Moringo
Location: Palmarejo Baixo

Living in Palmarejo Baixo towards the second half of my time in Cabo Verde, Moringo was a place where we often went for brunch. It was first introduced to me as the best place to have cachupa. Whether it is the best depends on how you like it or if you have a family recipe, but I think most people I came across were a huge fan of the one they made here. In general, you can have it two ways:

1. Cachupa “rica”, referring to the version that was made for the rich and it is prepared with various meats and sometimes with tuna.

2. Cachupa “pobre” referring to the version that most of the poor consumed in its history, which is still made in most homes today. It is made with pork fat instead of meat as a way of reducing their spending on food.

No matter which one you have, it is definitely a rich meal. When it is freshly made, I would describe it as quite wet, moist and for me in particular, heavy as well as no matter how many spoons of cachupa I took, it did not seem to leave my plate. I personally prefer to have cachupa “refogado” which means taking any leftover cachupa, putting it back on the pan and frying it. It is often served with an egg on top and other toppings such as sausages and a fried banana. You can expect to have cachupa refogado with the toppings just mentioned served in Moringo.
Other things I enjoyed at Moringo were their fruit platter, fresh juices and toasts. I also came here sometimes for lunch where I would have a generous piece of tuna with your choice of a side for CVE 500, making it a place to grab a light, healthy and affordable meal.

D Concept (Design Store)
Location: Plateau | Wifi ✅

D Concept offers a little bit of everything ranging from meats, fish, pastas, sushi, Asian stir fry as well as lighter meals like sandwiches which can be a good option for a light lunch. Okay so maybe that was more everything than a little. To be honest, when I first came here, I found the menu to be quite overwhelming as I tried to decipher it and figure out what to eat. But because of its diversity, it is an ideal place to come to for either lunch or dinner. In the evenings, there is often live music being performed by local artists. Their fresh juices are also a must to try with a range of different fruits to choose from. A funny thing I noted is that you pay less if you take it with ice because technically, there is “less juice”. I get the logic but it is such a random thing to have on the menu.

Africafe (IG: @africafe_praia_cv)
Location: ASA

This is the place to go to for continental West African cuisine. The food is full of flavor and it is an ideal place to go to during lunch as they have more than one daily special for you to choose from for CVE 500. These usually run all day so if you go later, like in the evening, it is very possible they might run out of a dish, especially the more popular ones.

Restaurante Lótus Café
Location: ASA

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the capital which serves Portuguese cuisine. If you are a fan of meat, this is definitely the place I would recommend. Personally, I really like the way they prepare their different meat dishes; I think they are well prepared and the flavors you taste are immaculate. I would say it is a little bit less known as it is “outside” of the touristic area, but it is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of Portuguese cuisine and wanting to discover this hidden gem.

Roma (IG: @roma_ristopizza)
Location: Quebra Canela | Wifi ✅

Overlooking the hard to miss Quebra Canela beach, Roma offers consistency in the quality of its dishes. As the name suggests, this place offers primarily Italian cuisine with a few international dishes. It is a popular spot for both locals and tourists with a nice ocean view and it is a great place to go to for lunch as it offers meal deals depending on the day of the week, possibly making your go-to dish a little bit cheaper.

Osteria n.3
Location: Quebra Canela

Sitting next to Roma, you will find Osteria n.3, another Italian restaurant but with a greater focus on fish and seafood dishes. If you want to eat something local, they have a generous portion of morreia, which is fried moray eel and it is also quite affordable. Offering a nice view over Quebra Canela beach, it is also a great spot to grab a drink with friends.

Linha d’Água
Location: Prainha | Wifi ✅

As the only restaurant actually sitting on the beach, Linha d’Água is easily visited by both locals and tourists. It also has sun beds that can be rented for the day so it gives you the convenience to chill by the beach while being served food and drinks. It is owned by a Portuguese but it offers a range of dishes making it quite international. I highly enjoyed their catch of the day and the chef’s pizza. I would also recommend the Portuguese speciality, pica pau, a dish consisting of small pieces of beef in a light gravy made with beer, garlic, oil, chili, mustard and sometimes vinegar.

Terrazza Italia
Location: ASA

The sister restaurant of Roma is found in a more lowkey, quiet location in the neighborhood of ASA. As the name suggests once again, it offers Italian food and it is slightly cheaper than Roma. What I also really liked about this place was getting food delivered via WhatsApp with CVE 100 as a delivery fee. This was ideal for the days you are feeling a bit lazy and want to stay in for the night.

Titi Sushi Lounge (IG: @titi.sushi.lounge)
Location: Palmarejo Baixo

I was surprised to find some places serving sushi like this one which dedicates itself almost entirely to serving sushi (hence the name). Other places include D Concept mentioned earlier and the restaurant of the hotel Oásis Atlântico Praiamar. D Concept is not bad but I would have to say that the quality is more consistent at Titi’s Sushi Lounge and what sets it apart. The quality of sushi is also very good at hotel Praiamar but more expensive. This makes it the perfect place to go if you are craving sushi or want to have a nicer dinner as it is also only open in the evenings.

Pensão Benfica
Location: Palmarejo Baixo

Located in the midst of a quiet, residential neighborhood, this place offers a number of meat, fish and seafood dishes. If I am honest, I only came here for the half chicken with a choice of fries or vegetables, and rice all for the price of CVE 650. This is a much more casual spot if you want to grab a quick and cheap bite in a more lowkey part of the city.

A Grelha
Location: Palmarejo

Another one of my chicken recommendations is A Grelha, a place dedicated entirely to grilled chicken. I cannot stress this enough, but it is really really good and you can add portions of rice, fries or salad or all of them to you takeaway order. The place is relatively inexpensive for what you get, making this an ideal place to grab something to eat. It is also mainly a takeaway place, though they do offer some seating inside. I also recommend getting the spicy version for a bit of flavor as it is not as spicy hot as you may think.

Churrasqueira Dragoeiro
Location: ASA

This place is a chill, little nook found in ASA where I would often come to for people’s farewells and where I came to eat what you asked? You probably guessed it. Grilled chicken. For CVE 650 as well, you can get half a chicken and a side ( I usually took it with fries). With the chill vibes it offers that is often sought among friends, this is the right place for that.

American Fried Chicken (IG: @american_fried_chicken)
Location: 94 Av. São Vicente, Palmarejo

The name of the place might have been a giveaway, but this was my go to place for a different kind but equally as good type of chicken. It is a takeaway location so there is no seating available. Here I can vouch for and highly recommend the popcorn chicken for CVE 500, a generous portion for the amount and which is often sold out so do think about coming earlier. It offers other fast food items like combo sets of chicken pieces, wings, popcorn shrimp and a couple of different sides.

Secreto Iberico
Location: Av. Santo Antão, Palmarejo

Another chill place to check out is Secreto Iberico. Located on one of the main streets of Palmarejo, this place offers a number of tapas and charcuterie to try and share with friends. If you are a fan of cocktails, mango daiquiris are definitely worth a try here and this place offers a nice evening setting.

Alkimist
Location: Quebra Canela | Wifi ✅

Alkimist is a place that people often flocked to to get together and sometimes, it was a starting point for a night out. In terms of food, it offers pizzas and burgers, with their pizzas being their main attraction in terms of food. There is also live music most evenings and if that gets too mellow for you and you want to party and start dancing, there is dance floor above for you to check out. Or you might want to take off for another party elsewhere. In any case, it is a good starting point for the evening.

Bistro 90 (IG: @90.bistro)
Location: Plateau

With the same owner as Linha d’Agua, Bistro 90 offers a little bit of everything with Portuguese influence. It offers a more chill vibe and its menu is much more focused on meats and seafood dishes when you compare it with that of Linha d’Agua which is much more international.

Padaria “Nós Pão”
Location: Palmarejo

Not a restaurant recommendation, but I did want to mention some bakeries that I frequented and thoroughly enjoyed the baked goods that they offered. The first is Padaria “Nós Pão” which made freshly baked goods on a daily basis. At this bakery, you must try their bread and for me, without a doubt, their chorizo buns as well. They are divine. What I like about these buns in particular is that, for me, it is the perfect ratio of chorizo to bread which is not always the case when baked goods have fillings.

Pão Quente
Multiple locations, local chain

The second bakery I would also frequent is a local chain where I would often go to buy savory pastries, specifically pastels, which were either filled with chicken, beef or tuna. As there are multiple locations, it was an easy place to go to to get these pastries at a really cheap price. One thing that I mentioned in the bakery above is that I liked the proportion of filling to pastry (or in the previous case, bread) and here, I must say sometimes the proportion is way off. There is minimal filling and a whole lot of air. In spite of this, I still enjoyed it as a quick and cheap snack.

King Fisher Village (IG: @kingfishervillage)
Location: Tarrafal | Wifi ✅

Not in Praia, but as an additional bonus for the island of Santiago, I wanted to mention King Fisher Village. It is a small sort of boutique hotel in Tarrafal, in the north of the island. They have a menu that they curate every evening so when you eat here, I recommend coming with an appetite as you will be indulging in a 3-course meal. It is also on the pricier side but I can ensure it is well worth your money. It is also best to book in advance (at least a day) as it is a small hotel with limited seating. If you are a fan of mojitos or caipirinhas, they mix up a really good one which I recommend enjoying at sunset.

Helpful dining tips in Cabo Verde

Within the first few months of my time in Cabo Verde, I quickly started to notice something about the service. In a lot of places, it is often slow. Like *slooow*. And it is not just a one time thing, it is likely going to happent the next day too. I highly recommend not hesitating at all to get their attention as often as you would like to let them know you want to order or if an order is missing or even taking a long time to arrive. The second thing I noticed and wanted to mention is the extend to which they are informed about their role and what is going on in their place of work, and how they then communicate this to customers. For example, my partner was once waiting for a takeaway burger, only for the place to say 20 minutes later that they do not have any burgers left and if a shawarma was a possible alternative. Another example is that I have often found myself in many situations where I take charge of the credit card machine. And by that I mean having the machine in my hands, typing in the amount, paying and giving them their copy of the receipt, something that should be done by them. If I were to give my two cents on the matter, I do not think it is because workers do not know what to do; I think it is a simple case of just not wanting to do it. So there you have it. These are two things I wanted to mention for you to have in mind when you visit Cabo Verde as you may find yourself initially frustrated with how the service is provided. Ultimately, I hope this can shed a little bit of light on how things run and that this is in fact how they operate.

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