Angola — Food and Dining
Cuisine
Tables should be booked well in advance in the few restaurants and hotels. Many dishes are made using palm oil beans. There is a noticeable Portuguese influence in Angolan cuisine, particularly in the spicy seafood.
National specialties:
• Calulu (dried fish or meat layered with fresh fish or meat, onion, tomatoes, okra and sweet potato leaves).
• Chicken muamba (seasoned with palm oil hash).
• Mufete de Cacuso (fish seasoned with pepper and lemon).
• Farofa (cooked manioc flour).
Tipping: Where service charge is not added to the bill, 10% is acceptable, although tipping is not officially encouraged. Tipping can be in kind (eg cigarettes).
Nightlife
There are nightclubs and cinemas in Luanda. Angolan music is a fusion of Caribbean, Brazilian and Afro sounds. Cinema seats should be booked in advance. The Lenarius, a gallery and cafe, is situated behind the Ministry of Defence and is open until late in the evening.
