The Best Spots to Eat Banku in Accra

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Kwame Aidoo

Some call banku a food for warriors or champions, and this might be because this energy-packed, palatable Ghanaian dish doubles as a powerhouse food that recharges the body’s battery or due to the fact that one of Ghana’s famous boxers—nicknamed Bukom Banku—claims that he eats the meal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. While Accra‘s restaurants offer a wide range of international and local dishes, here are a few of the restaurants and eating spots where visitors can find irreplaceable-traditional Ghanaian favourites like banku.

Buka

Many of the best restaurants serving banku can be found in Osu. At Buka, situated close to Osu’s centre, there’s almost no empty table to grab at lunchtime. Their cocktail bar is a unique addition to the dining experience, and their menu includes many West-African specialties to pick from aside from the banku the restaurant always serves warm with tasty fish, assorted meat, crab, or all kinds of soups and sauces. Buka is open from 12 pm–9 pm Monday-Saturday.

The Chop Bar

The Ghanaian Village

Highly recommended for its appealing sea-side atmosphere, the lighting, design, and woody furniture add to the good vibes that makes the occasion worth remembering. Their banku can be ordered with fish yassa, flavour-filled grilled tilapia, lobster, prawn, or meat and with a savory sauce. The Ghanaian highlife and range of world music that emanates from the live band rockets restaurant goers into another world from the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel courtyard.

Chez Afrique

While getting soaked in traditional-harmonic sounds from the country’s symphonic shelf, patrons can simultaneously have the unforgettable experience of filling their tummy with Chez Afrique’s banku served either with freshly-grilled tilapia and ground pepper (made less spicy for customers on demand) or savory-okra soup. There are also tasty meat chops of all kinds and locally-tapped appetizers and cocktails. In the neighbourhood of the Jacque Prevert French School, Chez Afrique is open from 7 pm–12 am Monday-Saturday.

Katawodieso

The Katawodieso kiosk is a street-styleatery in Osu with an interactive atmosphere and nice decorum. It is easy to locate it because of how popular it has become in Accra. It is an attractive sight to see banku, fufu, waakye, and jollof rice being cooked from enormous pots and served hot. Improvements in logistics could go a long way to help make things function more appropriately, but customer service by the warm-hearted waitresses is satisfactory, even at rush hour.

Country Kitchen

The nice and relaxing atmosphere that makes Country Kitchen one of the best spots to have lunch in Osu is just one of the restaurant’s many attributes. The delectable dishes and quality service here are two more. Whether alone, with a partner, or with friends and family, patrols will enjoy a tasty serving of banku and red fish with sauce or with mutton, beef, or fried/grilled chicken steaks from 8 am to 10 pm Monday-Saturday. Their main course costs around GHc ¢25-50 and they offer delivery services.

Duncan’s Bar

Osu’s Duncan’s Bar is one of the most popular banku with tilapia joints in Accra. The interesting part involves guests being able to select the enticing tilapia while it’s being grilled on the open-barbecue grill. Duncan’s also offers freshly-cut vegetables including savory slices of avocado. The outdoor plastic chair seating right by the roadside is the best introduction to the unforgettable Accra-street-gourmet scene. Just behind the new Oxford Street Mall near The Republic Bar & Grill, the large-blue gates remain open from 9 am until 11 pm or sometimes a bit later.

Asanka Local

This modernized-chop bar has branches in Osu on the road that extends from Koala and in Legon near the University of Professional Studies. Contrary to the demerit that other restaurants have, Asanka Local has an open serve-yourself kitchen with a varied assortment of meat and fish. Visitors can have their banku with chicken, steamed, grilled or fried fish, snails, or grass cutter. The soups and sauces include groundnut, palm, green vegetable, light pepper, kontomire, or tomato sauce. The space opens daily from 8 am until 8 pm.

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