Food and restaurants in The Gambia
Eating well is one of the pleasures of a holiday in The Gambia. Alongside traditional Gambian dishes and fantastic fresh seafood, you'll find an impressive choice of international restaurants across the main coastal resorts.
You can keep things wonderfully informal with lunch beside the beach, try authentic Gambian cooking, head out for dinner in lively Kololi or make an evening of it at one of the country's more sophisticated hotel restaurants.
And because many of the principal resort areas are relatively close together, staying in one doesn't mean you're restricted to eating there. A short taxi journey can open up an entirely different choice of restaurants and evening atmosphere.
If you're still deciding where to stay, our guide to the resort areas of The Gambia is a useful place to start.
What food should you try in The Gambia?
Gambian cooking makes excellent use of rice, vegetables, peanuts, fish, chicken and warming spices. Recipes vary between households and restaurants, but there are several dishes we'd particularly recommend looking out for.
Benachin
Sometimes described as a Gambian version of jollof rice, benachin is a flavourful one-pot dish in which rice is cooked together with vegetables, tomatoes and either meat or fish.
Domoda
One of The Gambia's best-known dishes, domoda is a rich peanut-based stew traditionally served with rice. It can be prepared with meat, chicken or vegetables and is well worth trying during your stay.
Chicken Yassa
Chicken yassa combines marinated chicken with plenty of onions, citrus and seasoning to create a fresh but deeply savoury dish, usually served with rice.
Superkanja
Superkanja is traditionally made using okra together with fish or meat, onions, seasoning and palm oil. It's another excellent example of the hearty home-style cooking found across West Africa.
Don't be afraid to try something local
It's easy to stick with familiar international food on holiday, but we'd recommend trying at least one traditional Gambian meal while you're here.
Ask your hotel team or our local representatives where they currently like to eat. A simple local restaurant can sometimes become one of the most memorable meals of the holiday.
Fresh fish and seafood
With the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the River Gambia running through the country, fresh fish and seafood feature heavily on local menus.
Depending on what's been landed, you may find locally caught fish, prawns and other seafood simply grilled or incorporated into more traditional Gambian dishes.
Beachside dining is particularly enjoyable in The Gambia. Sitting outside with freshly cooked fish while the sun goes down is one of those simple holiday experiences that's difficult to replicate back home.
Where should you eat in The Gambia?
Each resort has a slightly different dining atmosphere, so where you choose to eat can depend just as much on the kind of evening you're looking for as the cuisine itself.
Kololi – the biggest choice of restaurants
If eating out regularly is important to your holiday, Kololi is difficult to beat. The Senegambia area has one of the greatest concentrations of restaurants in the country, with Gambian and international choices sitting alongside bars and evening entertainment.
It's a particularly convenient choice if you enjoy being able to walk out of your hotel and decide where to eat when you get there.
Senegambia Beach Hotel places you within easy reach of this restaurant and nightlife scene while still providing a large beachfront resort setting.
Kotu – beachfront dining and relaxed evenings
Kotu offers plenty of dining choices but generally has a more relaxed atmosphere than central Kololi. You'll find restaurants and bars around the resort as well as opportunities to eat beside the beach.
It's also easy to take a taxi into Kololi when you'd like a greater choice for the evening.
Kombo Beach Hotel is a particularly good base for combining a beachfront stay with restaurants and bars nearby.
Fajara – special dinners and quieter evenings
Fajara suits visitors looking for a quieter and slightly more sophisticated evening experience.
Ngala Lodge is one of the best examples. Its oceanfront location and restaurant make it an excellent option for couples or anyone looking to turn dinner into a special occasion.
Bijilo – resort dining and luxury hotels
Bijilo offers a quieter setting while still being close enough to Kololi to visit its restaurants and bars by taxi.
For travellers who particularly enjoy dining as part of the hotel experience, Coco Ocean Resort & Spa offers a choice of dining environments within a luxury beachfront resort.
Cape Point and Bakau
Cape Point and Bakau offer a more laid-back base with local communities, beachfront settings and restaurants within easy reach.
Properties such as Ocean Bay Hotel provide hotel dining alongside the opportunity to head out and explore the surrounding area.
Which resort is best for eating out?
| Area | Dining style | Best for |
| Kololi | Large choice of local and international restaurants | Eating out frequently and lively evenings |
| Kotu | Relaxed restaurants and beachfront dining | A balance of choice and relaxation |
| Fajara | Quieter restaurants and destination dining | Couples and special occasions |
| Bijilo | Hotel and resort-based dining | Luxury stays and quieter evenings |
| Cape Point & Bakau | Local restaurants and relaxed coastal dining | A quieter resort atmosphere |
Read our full Gambia resort guide if you'd like to compare the areas in more detail.
Our team's restaurant recommendations
Restaurants can change surprisingly quickly. New places open, chefs move and the restaurant everyone is talking about one season may be different the next.
Rather than relying on a long static directory, we regularly share a smaller selection of places our team has enjoyed and would recommend to customers.
See our latest restaurant recommendations in The Gambia ›
Eating at your hotel
You don't need to eat out every evening to enjoy good food in The Gambia. Many of the hotels we feature have their own restaurants, with some larger resorts offering several different dining choices.
This can work particularly well if you like the convenience of eating at your hotel but still want the freedom to head elsewhere occasionally.
Hotels with a particularly broad dining offering include Coco Ocean Resort & Spa, Kombo Beach Hotel, Senegambia Beach Hotel and Ocean Bay Hotel.
Bed & breakfast or all-inclusive?
Choosing your board basis can make a surprisingly big difference to the kind of Gambia holiday you have.
Bed & breakfast
Bed and breakfast gives you maximum freedom to explore. Have breakfast at your hotel and then decide where you'd like to eat for the rest of the day.
This can be especially appealing around Kololi and Kotu where there's a good choice of restaurants within easy reach.
All-inclusive
All-inclusive can make budgeting particularly straightforward because meals, drinks and selected facilities are already included in your holiday price.
That doesn't mean you have to stay inside the hotel for every meal. You can still head into a resort for dinner whenever you'd like to experience something different.
Prefer to know more of your holiday costs upfront?
An all-inclusive Gambia holiday can take much of the everyday budgeting out of your trip while still giving you the freedom to explore local restaurants whenever you choose.
Explore all-inclusive holidays
See typical holiday costs
How much does eating out cost in The Gambia?
The amount you spend depends on where you choose to eat. A casual local restaurant or beach bar will naturally cost less than an evening at one of the country's higher-end restaurants.
This variety is one of the attractions of eating out in The Gambia — you can mix inexpensive lunches and local food with the occasional special dinner.
Because prices and exchange rates change, we maintain our example costs separately. See our guide to how much things cost in The Gambia for current planning information.
Dining out and nightlife
Dinner doesn't necessarily have to be the end of your evening. In Kololi in particular, restaurants sit alongside bars and entertainment, making it easy to carry on for drinks afterwards.
Kotu and the quieter resorts offer a more relaxed alternative, with beach bars, hotel entertainment and laid-back evenings.
Our recently updated guide to nightlife in The Gambia explains which resort areas are best suited to different styles of evening.
Getting to restaurants outside your resort
Don't feel restricted to restaurants within walking distance of your hotel. Taxis make it relatively straightforward to eat in another resort and return afterwards.
Agree your fare before setting off and, if helpful, arrange a return journey with the same driver.
See our guide to getting around The Gambia for more practical advice.
Make food part of your Gambia experience
Try a traditional Gambian dish, eat freshly prepared seafood beside the beach, ask our local team for their latest restaurant discovery and make at least one evening about going somewhere special.
It's one of the easiest ways to experience more of The Gambia beyond your hotel.
Explore Gambia nightlife
View latest Gambia holiday offers
Frequently asked questions about food in The Gambia
What is traditional Gambian food?
Popular traditional dishes include benachin, domoda, chicken yassa and superkanja. Rice, peanuts, vegetables, fish and chicken feature frequently in Gambian cooking.
Is it safe to eat outside your hotel in The Gambia?
There are many established restaurants used regularly by visitors throughout the main resort areas. As you would anywhere, use sensible judgement when choosing where to eat and ask your hotel or our local resort team if you'd like current recommendations.
What is the best area for restaurants in The Gambia?
Kololi offers the greatest concentration and variety of restaurants, particularly around the Senegambia area. Kotu also has a good choice while generally offering a more relaxed atmosphere.
Can you get vegetarian food in The Gambia?
Yes. Vegetarian choices are available at many restaurants and hotels, and dishes based around vegetables, rice and locally grown produce are widely available. If you have specific dietary requirements, we'd recommend discussing these when booking and again with your hotel.
Do hotels in The Gambia have restaurants?
Yes. Most holiday hotels have at least one restaurant, while larger properties may offer several dining choices or additional à la carte restaurants.
Is all-inclusive better than eating out?
It depends on the type of holiday you prefer. All-inclusive makes budgeting simple, while bed and breakfast gives you more freedom to explore the local restaurant scene. Many visitors choose all-inclusive but still eat out occasionally during their stay.
