The best bars and cafés Bamako

Little maquis under a paillotte. Musical atmosphere and concerts. The price is correct. A nice place to drink a beer or eat skewers.

With some of the most interesting musical programming in the capital, Le Savana is one of the most popular addresses in Bamako. Many concerts take place every week, especially the Djibee 5 group on Wednesdays. Giant screen karaokés are also organised on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Possibility to dine on site (pizzas, grills…).

Good groups come there regularly. Good atmosphere.

Camp at the foot of the Falaise cliff. The rooms are simple, clean, authentic and comfortable: single rooms (or terrace) with mosquito nets, showers and toilets.

Set on the street of thirst, this hotel impresses first with the space allocated, where the throne is a huge bar. The DJ, slightly elevated in the ornate decor of candlelight, goes through salsa and African music. Concerts are held a few nights of the week. There are lots of toubabs, expatriates or tourists who have had a drink or dance on the track.

Repaire des expatriés de Bamako. The decoration, very original, entirely made from local materials, is particularly successful. The entire location is now air-conditioned. Chic and trendy. However, beer is more expensive than others. It is possible to eat, the dishes are rich and fine. On the welcome side, it is regrettable that the smile of servers sometimes'optional '. Pictures of photos or paintings are very often organized there.

It is a very pleasant place where one comes less for the kitchen (suitable) and service (very long) than for orchestras. From 23 p. m. we can hear Malian music often tinged with Cuban sounds. Behind the garden (which is more an inner courtyard), there is a more fashionable nightclub in Bamako. The average age is high, and it speaks business and politics.

Very nice maquis to drink a beer. Some claim to be eating the best Bamako chicken in Bamako!

A little eccentric in the area of Faladié, (at the roundabout of the Tower of Africa, take direction Kalaban and a few hundred meters on the left, a light sign will tell you the place), the Parc des Princes organizes concerts every night. «Sizes» of Malian music occur regularly.

Komoguel is the name of a neighbourhood of Mopti where, during the colonial period, Africans resided. This is absolutely incredible: It looks first like a large three storey building under construction (which is still a little bit). Once you have passed the grid that gives access to a long naked corridor, you arrive in a large inner courtyard. This is the heart of the Komoguel: the bar, the dance track and the stage on which groups occur twice a week (Wednesday and Friday) and all around, the terrace. But it's not finished, this place, huge, has many rooms (some of which are still in work), many atmospheres… On the floor of the rooms. On the terrace on the top floor there is a bar where you can come and enjoy skewers from 18 am and admire the sunset. This place, which breaststroke people from all walks of life, is one of the high places of the bamakoises nights. A guaranteed festive African atmosphere.

This maquis is very popular with the. There is a nice drink, especially in the small outdoor garden. Some evenings of the week, griots and cherries come singing for the greatest pleasure of the public. You will see Malians'farotter ', i. e. distributing tickets to their laudateurs! The atmosphere is very lively.

One of the places where you have to go to listen to Malian music. Between two Tours, Toumani Produit performs quite frequently. Side restoration is a little slow. But we don't go for it!

Not far from Bla Bla, you will find several little maquis where beer is 500 CFAF. The atmosphere is often very hot!

Youssouf offers varied dishes and sandwitchs, as well as numerous drinks to drink you. Very nice, he lived in France and will be able to advise you for your visits.

A beautiful and decorated terrace. It is nice to come there with a drink. The famous player of Kora Toumani Diabaté comes with his troop every Friday night to put the atmosphere. A local color output… The diplomat is also a restaurant. 

Radio Libre has become the indispensable rendezvous for live music lovers and especially reggae. Its owner is Tiken Jah Fakoly, famous reggae singer from Côte d'Ivoire. A star in West Africa for its committed texts.

This is the restaurant at Hotel Badala. It is very nice to have a drink on the terrace on the edge of the river. Calm guaranteed.