Enjoying yourself Djibouti
Timetable Djibouti
Restaurants are generally open from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. During Ramadan, restaurants in hotels and some restaurants frequented mostly by foreigners remain open as well as department stores.
Budget & Tips Djibouti
Depending on the restaurant, prices can vary from 1,500 to 5,000 FDJ for a main course. Payment is usually in cash, but more and more establishments accept Visa and MasterCard.
What costs extra Djibouti
Tipping in restaurants is not mandatory, but is always welcome. Count about 500 FDJ.
The local way Djibouti
Djiboutian cuisine is characterized by the abundant use of Indian spices. Turmeric, cumin, cardamom and other spices are used in many dishes, especially in the fragrant red sauces that accompany meat, rice and pasta. The influence of neighbouring countries is also very strong. Thus, in Djibouti-City, one eats Djiboutian of course, but also Ethiopian, Yemeni, Somali. The stuffed goat, which is served on the occasion of festivals, cooked in an ancient earthenware oven, and the Yemeni fish (makhbasa or moukbasa), covered with spices and tomatoes and cooked in a wood-fired oven, are a must of the local cuisine.
To be avoided Djibouti
Water is safe to drink in major cities, but it is advisable not to drink tap water and to avoid cut fruit, cold milk, ice cream, ice cubes and raw vegetables in the street. In general, and even more so during a pandemic, it is strongly recommended to wash your hands often, before touching food, before eating. Everywhere in the streets of the capital (and to a lesser extent in the larger cities), you can see saleswomen on stools offering pasta with sauce or cakes. In the streets, various gargotes sell grilled meat and pasta. As far as the meat is concerned, it is up to you to judge whether the hygiene is good enough, but you should know that it is always very well cooked, which reduces the risks.
Smokers Djibouti
Some rare restaurants are non-smoking, but in most establishments, except in dedicated areas, there are no rules.
Take a break Djibouti
Timetable Djibouti
In the mornings and evenings, when the temperature is mild, the café terraces are overcrowded. A moment that you won't fail to enjoy as well, at least to soak up the local atmosphere. Bars are usually open until midnight to 2am. Opening days vary from one establishment to another.
Age restrictions Djibouti
Djiboutians, who are Muslims, do not consume alcohol. However, they tolerate foreigners drinking it, provided they do so relatively discreetly. The sale and delivery of alcoholic beverages is however forbidden in all the districts of the interior of the country and in the popular districts of the capital. However, it is possible to find at least one cold beer in the facilities that welcome foreign visitors
What's very local Djibouti
Coffee, tea, sodas are the most common drinks, but hotels and some establishments in the capital offer the major brands of European beers and some from Ethiopia, as well as wine and other spirits. As a curiosity, you can taste in Ethiopian restaurants various types of arakie, which can be used as a digestive: honey arakie, coffee arakie, herbal arakie (kosso)... But also Axoumit or Gouder wine, tella (beer made of germinated cereals), tedj (light alcohol, mixture of leaves and honey)
