Restaurant
Le Lagon 1
Seafood restaurant built on stilts over the sea in 1956, with views of Gorée and a nautical dining room, still run by the founding Calendini family.
La Fourchette
Long-established Plateau restaurant mixing French technique, Asian touches and Senegalese produce, with live music on Thursday evenings.
At a glance
- Type
- Contemporary international
- Area
- Dakar Plateau, Dakar, Senegal
- Price
- $$$ · Upscale
- Official site
- fourchettedakar.com
Good to know
- Live music
- Dinner reservations
Why we recommend it
La Fourchette has been one of the Plateau's reference addresses for creative cooking for around three decades. Saveur magazine described it in 2024 as having been open for 31 years and noted that it is run by the same owners as Alkimia in Les Almadies. Saveur adds that it has hosted many well-known guests over the years, and it remains a place for a polished dinner in the city centre.
The cooking combines French technique with Asian flavours and Senegalese ingredients. Dishes picked out by Saveur include chateaubriand with creamed spinach, prawns in coconut curry and alloco, fried plantain. An earlier guide singled out local thiof, the prized white grouper of Senegalese waters, glazed with five Senegalese spices and served with leek fondue. The menu changes, so ask about specials, particularly fish of the day. Arrival Guides sums up the style as fine dining that brings an Asian twist to European haute cuisine, and the business travel magazine Voyages d'Affaires described it as a modern, design-focused room serving world cuisine alongside Senegalese specialities, so it is a good choice for a group with varied tastes.
The interior is modern and design-conscious. Music is part of the identity: live local music is a regular feature, with Thursday evenings the main night, which makes it a good choice for a lively dinner rather than a quiet one.
Prices are upper-middle for Dakar, so it suits couples, business dinners and groups marking an occasion. Booking ahead is wise for Thursday evenings and weekends. Smart casual dress fits the setting.
Rue Parent is in the Plateau, the city's administrative and business district, a short taxi ride from Place de l'Indépendance and the Corniche Est. If you are staying in the Plateau at the Pullman Dakar Teranga or Seku Bi, it is within easy reach. Combine dinner with a sunset drink by the sea on the Corniche Est, or book it to end a day of museums in the city centre, such as the Musée Théodore Monod d'Art Africain on Place Soweto. If you enjoy the cooking, its sister address Alkimia, on the Route des Almadies, is a calmer cocktail bar and restaurant in the west of the city.
La Fourchette FAQs
What kind of food does La Fourchette serve?
Contemporary cooking that mixes French technique, Asian flavours and Senegalese produce.
What dishes are recommended?
Chateaubriand with creamed spinach, prawns in coconut curry, alloco and thiof prepared with Senegalese spices.
Is there live music?
Yes, live music is a regular feature, especially on Thursday evenings.
Do you need to book?
Booking is recommended for Thursdays and weekends.
How long has it been open?
Saveur reported in 2024 that it had been open for 31 years.
Where is it?
At 4 Rue Parent in the Plateau.
Is it expensive?
It is in the upper-middle price range for Dakar.
Who owns it?
It is run by the same owners as Alkimia in Les Almadies.