Thirsty Thursdays: 11 Bars and Cafés From My Time In Guinea 🇬🇳

“Calling all the stars to fall, and catch the silver sunlight in your hands” – Noel Gallagher.

The first thing to tell you all here is that Guinea 🇬🇳 is absolutely cool. This is so far my favourite country in Africa. That’s it. That’s Guinea. Mindblowingly cool, and humble to the hilt. It has blown my mind in fact. It’s wild that 223 countries down the line, 38 of them African, that I still get inspired. I referred to Guinea as “The Northern Ireland of Africa” in my first ever blog post about Guinea.

The madness started in early December 2023 when I spied a cheap flight option (1,300 zlotych) from Warszawa to Rome to Tunis to Conakry. Then I had to get an online visa secured. Then my flights in had so much drama! Conakry is Guinea’s capital city and I truly embraced and loved its vibe, while based at the trendy Hotel Du Golfe in the city’s very cool Miniere District!

Usually African capital cities make Poland’s Warszawa look organised and tame. Here, Conakry was the chilled out heart and soul I needed to escape the madness of Warszawa. I was in shock at the calm, friendly, fun-loving Guineans that I was to meet. You really won’t believe it.

The evisa was a struggle initially – getting an evisa for Guinea. But I’m no stranger to that. The day it finally came through was THE DAY before my flight. That’s how close Guinea 🇬🇳 came to not making it onto my blog. And now that they made it, thanks for a super time. Your country shines in the morning sun and I was here at the worst time, ever. The oil explosion that killed locals was the same day (Monday December 18th 2023) as my visa approval and a day before my flight to Guinean capital city Conakry.

“In my hour of darkness, there is still a light that shines on me” – Paul McCartney.

Backpacking the sights, groundhopping football geek, hotel reviews, bargaining motorbike drivers, wooden boats to Kassa Island can step aside for this post, on Conakry’s bars, and cafés. Here’s 11 bars, cafes or restaurants I managed in the 4 days I was given, and loven.

1.Au Patio, Miniere, Conakry

The most artistic bar on the menu. A tad elegant and upmarket for a curious Bangor backpacker, but nonetheless I popped in and enjoyed the design at colourful Au Patio/Le Patio.

You can sit inside, outside or up the stairs. In the world outside Au Patio’s window, is a normal nondescript street. This joint pops out a surprise.

It’s dearer than the others but it sells art, it’s cool and calm. Well of course it is – it’s in Guinea, the coolest country nobody ever told you about. I had a refershing Bissap juice in here, which cost 15,000 Guinea Francs, around £1.40, truly delicious drink.

2.Etoile De La Miniere, Miniere, Conakry

My local pub for three nights was Etoile De La Miniere. The local beer was 7,500 Guinean Francs. That’s 60 pence. The local Guiluxe Beers were cold and cheap, staff were so cool that on my third night, they knew my drink of choice. Yeah, Guiluxe.

The music plays all night with lights ahoy, whilst Real Madrid struggle on the TV to overcome CD Alaves. Away. Girls adorn the walls. Customers can dance and chat and you don’t get any hassle or bullshit as a white foreigner. You’re welcomed. This country puts Benin and Togo to shame.

And on the last night here, one of the locals let me share his shisha to smoke, without charge. A splendid place, if only for 3 nights!

3.Bacio Nero, Kipe, Conakry

On a busy day backpacking the sights of Conakry, my motorbike driver winds up in the trendy Kipe District.

He parks outside a café and while an iced cappuccino for 4,500 was my dearest drink on this trip, it was worth it.

4.Cafe Miniere, Miniere, Conakry

The best dish I had in Guinea was an unexpected stunnigator in here. Friendly staff, completely not pushy or judgemental. Outside in the darkness, two ladies were barbecuing fish and chicken. I stop and chat. They say bonsoir. They didn’t try to sell me anything, but I can smell the food. I already covered this on Friday’s Featured Food!

It smells good. By not trying to sell me anything, they won. I’m in. Soon I’ve ordered an excellent Baobab juice (loved that stuff since Senegal and Benin away), a chicken dish with maize, onion, spice, cucumber and other vegetables.

As I wait I chat to the lad working inside. He’s fixed on the television and we watch Barcelona together. I was backpacking a lot those days and so I didn’t know if the match was live or not. But it was. We watched the whole second half together as I munched this epic chicken dish. Completely delicious. Cooked by two cool local girls who might never know how happy they made me.

I munched the dish with aplomb, hands loyal of course – no knife, fork or spoon here. And why should we since we have hands? Did the industry go mad inventing spoons? My hand is a spoon…I wash my hands and tuck in.

With the score tight as a nun’s crack at Desmond, Polish captain Robert Lewandowski flicks a ball to Sergio Roberto and he slams home a winner.

5.Kankou Nightclub, Miniere, Conakry

I saunter in for a sunset beer to Kankou Nightclub. No happy hour, because the beers here were 7,000, the cheapest I had in Guinea! They don’t need a Happy Hour when it’s about 55 pence a beer!

Music pumps and I sip my cold one as a few local girls and guys strut their stuff.

6.Tidem Beach Bar, Kipe, Conakry

Before sunset on my second day, we arrive at a beach. Everyone here is chilling out. Have Northern Ireland and Poland missed a trick here? At 5 pm many of us are still working.

Grab a 10,000 cold beer, which includes your chair (reminders of when Bournemouth started charging for deckchairs). Bathe in the sun.

7.Kassa Island Private Beach Bar

The secret here is that only I can tell you about this one. It’s not a bar, and if you bring your own beer, it won’t be ice cold when you get here.

So you can organise it through Ali Camara (Call him on…+224 626545711).

You’ll have the beach to yourself. I was alone. The calm waves and waters give bliss and relaxation. A true gem, and a secret bar too 😉

8.Kassa Island Harbour Bar

Before I left the gorgeous waters of Kassa Island, there was time for a farewell presunset beer. From a shack or stall by the waiting harbour. We are waiting for our boat to come. So we have time to kill. Or to drink. From the ice cold eski, I pull out a Guiluxe. Weirdly they don’t allow me to take photos here though – not even a selfie of just me and the beer!

I sip it as we wait for a full boat to arrive, offload and take us back to mainland Guinea. It’s a truly cherished world. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

9.Only Okay Snack/My K Snack

In my district, Miniere there was also the swankier “Only Okay Snack” or “My K Snack” (both names are used) which although not licensed, does good burgers and pizza.

10.Hotel Du Golfe, Miniere, Conakry

Of course, the hotel that put me up for the hattrick of nights should be given airtime. I stayed at the Hotel Du Golfe, Miniere, Conakry.

While the bar here was alcohol free, it was no issue for the staff to buy you drink from outside.

I had breakfast here thrice also.

11.Bar At Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport, Conakry

For a final beer in Guinea, I was at Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport, Conakry and here by coincidence I met two fellow football fans, both wearing their national shirts, both wearing green and both from different countries – Moses from Ghana and Aron from Cameroon.

In here, I drank a 33 Export to use up the last of my Guinea Francs. It was 20,000 Guinean Francs, which is £1.82. Moses has agreed to help me with the Ghana Visa and to go groundhopping in Ghana. Aron exactly the same when it comes to Cameroon!

Welcome to Guinea,  the country that Africa does right. This is the African country that others wish they were, and yet I only saw Conakry and Isles de Los, and I did it at the worst time. I was here the week of the oil explosion and the fuel crisis. In fact, my visa was confirmed the day of the explosion and I flew in the day after!

If this is Guinea in despair, imagine the country in its golden hour.

Here are some videos from my time backpacking the bars and cafés of Conakry, and the islands: