Brasserie du Café de Rome

The Café de Rome is a landmark of Dakar's Plateau: a hotel, casino and brasserie under one roof on Avenue de la République, in the heart of the business district. Its brasserie is styled as a traditional Parisian brasserie, and Arrival Guides describes the bistro as modelled on 1920s Paris, blending French elegance with Senegalese style. For many visitors it is the obvious place in the city centre for a French-style breakfast.

Mornings are the best time to come. A French breakfast at a brasserie table is a gentle way to start a day of sightseeing in the Plateau, and the hotel also runs its own coffee house and bar. Later in the day the brasserie offers a generous menu of local and international dishes, making it a reliable choice for a business lunch or a relaxed dinner if you want familiar food in a classic setting.

The wider building adds to the atmosphere. The hotel has three-star rooms and suites, and the casino, with more than 50 slot machines and tables for blackjack, roulette and poker, has its own bar. There are also three seminar rooms for 12 to 100 people, a minimarket, an ATM and a currency exchange desk, and the hotel can arrange airport transfers and car hire. Staff speak French, English and Spanish.

Opening hours for the brasserie are not listed on the hotel's website, so call ahead for evening service; breakfast is served daily. Prices are moderate. It suits business travellers, couples and anyone who wants a quiet break in the city centre; families are welcome in the brasserie, though the casino is for adults. No booking is usually needed for breakfast, but a call ahead is wise for groups.

According to the hotel, it is about five minutes' drive from the port and ten minutes from Place de l'Indépendance. That puts the Gorée ferry, the Musée Théodore Monod d'Art Africain and the Institut Français, with its garden café Le Bideew on the same Rue Joseph Gomis, within easy reach. Staying at the hotel is also possible if you want to be in the centre; reservations go through the hotel's own email and phone line.