One of the best parts of traveling to Ghana is the range of traditional local dishes you can try while visiting. Ghana is a foodie’s dream, as it offers a wealth of culinary experiences.
Filled with fresh local produce, herbs, spices, and foundational bases like tomato, traditional food in Ghana is rich and flavorful.
Where you get your first taste of Ghanaian food is just as important.
Thankfully, Accra has no shortage when it comes to places that serve tasty traditional dishes.
*Disclaimer: While I may indicate that some of the restaurants in this blog post have card payment available, please note it is best to have cash on you in case the network is down, and POS machines are not working*
For other restaurants in Accra of varied cuisines check out my blog post on restaurants in Accra to try!
Buka Restaurant – Osu
If you ask anyone where the best place to try local food in Accra is, I can almost bet that they would recommend Buka Restaurant to be your first stop, and it’s for good reasons!
Around since 2003, Buka is a great entry into staple Ghanaian foods in a beautiful open-air setting with plenty of seating.
Buka is loved by both Ghanaians and foreigners because of its warm atmosphere, great service (as great as it can get in Ghana, lol), and delicious food.
From soup to stews, and even dishes you may find difficult to try, like red-red as a first-time visitor to Accra, are served at Buka.
Check out my popular video review of Buka here on TikTok!
Price: $-$$
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Red-Red Stew
Oseikrom Aduanipa – East Legon
Oseikrom Aduanipa is the first place I’ve ever had my first traditional Ghanaian meal when moving to Ghana.
I would best describe Oseikrom Aduanipa as an indoor larger version of a traditional “chop bar.” Chop bars in Ghana are small outdoor food joints typically found on the roadside that serve local food.
Oseikrom mainly serves soup-based dishes with protein, so I recommend trying one of Ghana’s many soup dishes at this establishment.
Available for delivery 24/7, if you ever find yourself in the mood for local Ghanaian food at all hours of the night, consider ordering from here!
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Groundnut Soup with Omo tuo (rice balls)
Living Room – East Legon
Living Room is one of the first places I always recommend and bring people to when they are visiting Accra.
An affordable local food restaurant in Accra, this is another place I suggest having your first Ghanaian dish. The food here is delicious.
Living Room is said to have been a former home transformed into a restaurant, hence its name.
While jollof rice is a Ghanaian staple, not all jollof is created equally, so when I find a place that consistently does it well, I have to share!
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Jollof Rice with Grilled Chicken
Baobab Traditional Restaurant – East Legon
A fairly new local food restaurant in Accra at the time of writing this blog post, Baobab is hidden near a roundabout in East Legon.
The restaurant’s decor adds a soothing touch to the atmosphere. Once you find your way to the entrance, the woven baskets dangling from the ceiling immediately grab your attention.
The seating area is cozy, with gray and orange closed into wooden tables.
Baobab Traditional Restaurant features common Ghanaian dishes, which include jollof rice, banku, fufu, and grilled tilapia.
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Palava Sauce with Plain Rice
Birthday Bar N Grill – East Legon
Birthday in Accra is a fairly lowkey place in comparison to the other restaurants mentioned on this list.
Birthday is more of a chill sports bar vibe where men come to gather and talk over drinks, especially after a long work day.
I remember when my friend first told me about this place, and I was surprised because I’d never heard of it, but I ended up visiting one day at night.
Birthday has plenty of local food options at a relatively low price.
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Waakye
Mum’s Kitchen – East Legon
Mum’s Kitchen in Accra is another great place to try Ghanaian soup-based dishes.
As you walk in, the menu of the day (which is usually the same daily) is plastered on a large dry-erase board.
Everything offered is not always written on the board, so feel free to ask the waiters and waitresses if there is anything you want to try. They have always been very helpful when I have any questions.
Mum’s Kitchen is located right next to the Starbites location in East Legon (to the right of Starbites, a few feet away). You can miss it if you’re not looking for it, but the images below should help!
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Chicken Light Soup with Fufu
Bow – Labone
Bow is Ghana’s first African fast food restaurant, serving African food on the go!
The first of its kind I’ve seen in Accra, this is a cool concept with great potential to continue growing throughout the country.
African food can take a while to prepare (though it’s always worth it because it’s so good), so being able to grab a meal without a long wait may be worth the visit.
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor (mainly) + Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Tilapia and Banku
Dimaensa Restaurant – Abelemkpe
Dimaensa Restaurant is another popular spot in Accra known for its delicious dishes.
I’m sure you’ve probably seen the entrance sign somewhere on Instagram if you’ve started researching Accra and Ghana at large!
Greeted with tunes of Highlife music, Dimaensa is a great place to have lunch in Accra.
It feels like a neighborhood-friendly establishment and a great place to catch up with friends.
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Chicken and Vegetable Jollof with Charcoal Grilled Chicken Wings
Zion’s Hut -Tse Addo
Zion’s Hut is a more exciting way to get a delicious bowl of Ghanaian food.
The ordering process is the best part of visiting Zion’s Hut for me as a foreigner.
Instead of sitting down and having someone come to take your order, you have to go up to one of the many window counters, each serving its own dish, to order.
The tricky part is that you are also “competing” with other hungry Ghanaians (mostly men) who are used to the process, and you may get lost in the crowd!
It was intimidating to me at first, but my friend would not help me order in hopes of helping me be more independent, and it was a fun little learning lesson.
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor and Outdoor (There is an upstairs section that is outdoors)
Card Payment Available: Yes
What to Order: Kenkey with Okra Stew
La Bawaleshi Road – East Legon
When I first visited Ghana in 2019, my hostel was close to a street/area in Accra La Bawaleshi, commonly referred to as “Bawaleshi”.
This was my go-to spot when it came to getting fresh, affordable local food in Accra. The street is filled with take-out and sit-down local restaurants of all sizes.
It’s even more of a local feel compared to some of the restaurants in Accra I’ve mentioned on this list.
Although I haven’t been in a while, Sekina is a restaurant I used to frequently visit for their rice and stew, one of my favorite Ghanaian dishes!
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor and Outdoor Options
Card Payment Available: Strongly recommend having cash
What to Order: Plain Rice with Stew
Oxford Street – Osu
Oxford Street is my favorite street in Accra. It’s known for its vibrant atmosphere, with many shops, restaurants, and businesses lining the street on both sides.
There’s always something going on at night on Oxford Street, which is why I recommend visiting at night time to try some street foods.
You’ll find someone grilling or standing behind a booth at almost every turn, so take advantage of trying all the different ones while experiencing the energy of Accra.
Price: $
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor and Outdoor (There is an upstairs section that is outdoors)
Card Payment Available: Strongly recommend having cash
What to Order: Kelewele, Kebab, Fried egg and bread
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