So while options were limited in our neck of Kinshasa I was able to venture out a few times to O'Poeta, an Italian restaurant down the street from the hotel. With a constant bead of perspiration over my brow, the cooling patio fans and chill vibe were a nice break from the overpriced VIP airs that our hotel deemed itself worthy. Whether you are going to kick back with a beer and a couple of friends or to have a quiet dinner, O Poeta has the perfect atmosphere for both.
For the English speakers out there, there is one waiter with an adequate understanding of the language but be prepared to whip out your middle school/high school/college French to communicate in any form or fashion, lest they stare at you dumbly while you try to pantomime your order. And Americans, you're in luck, DRC might be one of the most expensive African countries I've visited to date, however, they trade in US dollars (but still give you change in Congolese francs that you will never use).
I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing selection of pizzas, despite the depressing number that included pork. They were tasty and while they were much more expensive than I would ever spend on a pizza in most countries, they were reasonably priced for nice restaurant in Kinshasa. While explaining I wanted a chef salad sans porc ou olives (I mean really, is it THAT difficult to understand? It's.the.exact.same.words.) was quite a debacle and included two waiters to A) understand my terrible French accent and B) understand why I wouldn't want these perfectly reasonable items on my salad, the salad itself was quite filling. Again, a bit horrifying to pay $16 for a salad, but not as terrifying as paying more for sub-par food at our hotel.
Anyway, the waitstaff is great, they're there when you need them and not hovering when you don't. The food is good and it's a great place to kickback and just chill. Bon appétit!
For the English speakers out there, there is one waiter with an adequate understanding of the language but be prepared to whip out your middle school/high school/college French to communicate in any form or fashion, lest they stare at you dumbly while you try to pantomime your order. And Americans, you're in luck, DRC might be one of the most expensive African countries I've visited to date, however, they trade in US dollars (but still give you change in Congolese francs that you will never use).
I thoroughly enjoyed the amazing selection of pizzas, despite the depressing number that included pork. They were tasty and while they were much more expensive than I would ever spend on a pizza in most countries, they were reasonably priced for nice restaurant in Kinshasa. While explaining I wanted a chef salad sans porc ou olives (I mean really, is it THAT difficult to understand? It's.the.exact.same.words.) was quite a debacle and included two waiters to A) understand my terrible French accent and B) understand why I wouldn't want these perfectly reasonable items on my salad, the salad itself was quite filling. Again, a bit horrifying to pay $16 for a salad, but not as terrifying as paying more for sub-par food at our hotel.
Anyway, the waitstaff is great, they're there when you need them and not hovering when you don't. The food is good and it's a great place to kickback and just chill. Bon appétit!
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