Phare des Mamelles

The Phare des Mamelles is one of the most memorable places for a night out in Dakar, combining a restaurant, rooftop garden, lounge and club beside the city's oldest lighthouse. The lighthouse was completed in 1864 on the westernmost of the two Mamelles hills, the highest point in Dakar, and its beam reaches more than 50 kilometres out to sea. From the terrace you look over the whole Cap-Vert peninsula: the Pointe des Almadies, Ngor, Ouakam, the African Renaissance Monument on the neighbouring hill and the lights of the city.

The venue runs entertainment from Tuesday to Sunday. Early in the week, the Dakar Music Hall programme brings live performances from 21:00, followed by a resident DJ. On Friday there is live music from 22:00 before the night turns to clubbing until the early hours, and on Saturday a late-morning brunch is followed in the evening by live music and a club night. Sunday starts with brunch and ends with live music. Check the website for the week's line-up.

The food goes well beyond bar snacks. The menu includes grilled zebu, Angus entrecôte, gratinated lobster, grouper in spicy coconut milk and thiof with attiéké, the fermented cassava couscous, and the signature dessert is a fried ice cream with chocolate sauce. The venue says much of its produce comes from its own organic garden on the hill. Food is served until an hour before closing, and after midnight only a grill and burger menu is available. Prices are towards the upper end for Dakar.

Opening hours published by the venue are 17:00 to midnight on Tuesday and Wednesday, to 01:00 on Thursday, to 03:30 on Friday, 10:00 to 03:30 on Saturday and 10:00 to midnight on Sunday; it is closed on Mondays. It also hosts private events, after-work gatherings and team-building sessions, so book ahead for groups. There is a small museum of lighthouses and maritime beacons on site, with archives on the lighthouse's construction, worth a look before dinner.

The hill is on the Route de l'Aéroport in Ouakam, a taxi ride from the Plateau or Les Almadies; a walking path around the hill climbs to about 110 metres. Arrive before sunset for the best views, then stay for the music. It suits couples, groups of friends and anyone wanting a lively evening with a view.