Thirsty Thursdays: 9 Bars And Cafes I Visited In Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼

Thirsty Thursdays: Bars I Visited In Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼

Well who’d have thought Guinea-Bissau would wire me up to inspire creative writing via bar hopping, poetry and the room of hope? I flew in from Guinea, just after the unfortunate timing of arriving in Conakry the day after the Oil Explosion. I was able to get a visa on arrival at Bissau airport. Here, life chilled down to a halt in this former Portuguese colony. Bissau could be the calmest African country of all time.

Blue and white Mercedes pass me every minute as I stroll gently through this calm, easy capital which is a ghost town by day. At night though, a different ball game arrives here. I stayed for three nights in Bissau, my first two nights I slept in the luxurious and excellent Coimbra Hotel And Spa. That was a magnificent experience. For my final night in Bissau, I backpacked it loyal at the cosy Pensao Creole! Both were brilliant places to stay and I love getting the mix of budget backpacking and cosy luxury!

Although oysters and beer were certainly on my itinerary when my day plane landed in Bissau, I didn’t expect the bars to inspire my creativity like they did. After getting a classic easy visa on arrival, I headed to the Coimbra Hotel to check in and get some blogging done. By the time dusk, and darkness had fallen on calm Bissau, it was suddenly time to explore the city’s nightlife. I was to be enchanted and surprised.

I was to find another inspirational writer’s lair. Coqueiros is first on the list…

1.Coqueiros

This is sublime. This is where it was at for me. Coqueiros has everything a bar, cafe or restaurant needs. And more! Welcome to my room (or rooms of hope…

A green calm exterior hides within it, gems. I pop in for a Cristl beer into the front bar.

Then I order and devour the most delicious oysters I’ve ever tried. I mean  it. These were top notch! Coqueiros was just starting…

After the oysters, I moved onto cocktails which included Caiprioska and Caiprinha! I love those – glory days loyal backpacking Brazil away and the Caribbean came reeling back. I went through a few of the cocktails on the menu but more surprises in Coqueiros were in store. I had backpacked here and had my books and writing in my backpack, and then I found out about the extra bar out the back…a writer’s lair.

Without further ado, I headed into the room out the back which is an absolutely superb Writer’s Lair! Books adorn the walls with all kinds of quirky items on the shelves and walls. This just reminded me so much of Jozef K bar in Gdansk, my favourite and key writer’s bar in the world…take a step into my world…

I later met Juan and Isabel the restaurant owners first and then their son who was the brains and design behind the art room at the back!

Then there is the external art. The walls on the side street are well decorated. This inspiration flowed like my cocktails here.

2.Kaipirinha

Imagine sipping a bottle of 60 pence beer whilst sitting on a plastic chair on mud, staring across at a swanky 5 star hotel. Here at Kaipirinha, you can do just that and it is bang in the city centre of Bissau, on Avenida Amilcar Cabral, the main drag in the city.

At Kaipirinha, I did just that! The contrast was staggering!

Of course, I’d have a beer at the swankaday 5 star hotel the next day too, to compare and contrast it!

3.Imperial Bar

On the corner at the top of Amilcar Cabral Avenue sits The Imperial Bar within The Imperial Hotel/Hotel Imperio.

I popped in for a Christmas Eve cold beer here. I chose Cristal, which is Portuguese but they didn’t have local Guinea-Bissau beer. The service was slow and in typical fashion in these parts, they never have change from banknotes. Due to that, I skipped the idea of eating pizza here, although the pizza looked decent.

4.Hotel Royal Bar

The swankiest Hotel in the country is either The Ceiba Hotel or The Hotel Royal. I decided just to have a beer in one of them so I chose the Royal Bar, this was the dearest beer I had on my visit to the country, but it was still only 4 Euros, yes in a 5 star hotel in downtown Bissau!

5.Paladares Diferentes

My first meal in Guinea-Bissau was here, at Paladares Diferentes. It’s a Portuguese style restaurant and bar, bang central and opposite my hotel.

I had a really decent beef dish here, a bit of Mexican/Portuguese style at Paladares Diferentes with a Portuguese Super Bock.

6.Pub Balafon

As Christmas Eve turned into Christmas Day in Bissau, I found myself here at Pub Balafon. It was the nearest I came to a nightclub in Bissau. Girls were up dancing and the music pumped a louder beat than anywhere in town. I had 2 quick cheap Cristal beers and headed back to my hostel as it was only about a 5 minute walk away.

7.Pensăo Creola

During my entire time in Guinea-Bissau, my cool abode at Pensăo Creola was the ONLY place I could find the local beer, and therefore the only place I could drink the local beer!!

I had searched everywhere for a bottle of Djumbai!!

Although this is a hostel, not a bar, it has to go on my list of best bars since I had my first ever Guinea-Bissau beer here! Great hosts and a relaxing, cosy garden to drink it in.

8.Coimbra Hotel And Spa

Coimbra Hotel And Spa is where I stayed for my first two nights in the country and I loved it. They have a bar upstairs on the veranda and this is where I had my first ever Guinea-Bissau beer!

9.Stadium Bar

Opposite one of the football stadiums, is The Benfica Bar. The city has two rival football bars for the two most supported Portuguese clubs, Sporting Club and Benfica.

 

I actually visited 11 or 12 bars in Guinea Bissau but some of them were more like a quick drink or a carryout and I don’t remember all the names. The thing is, I was pleasantly surprised not just by Guinea-Bissau in general, but its happy and calm bar scene. Here are a few more videos from my time at Guinea-Bissau away.

Here are some videos from my time in the bars and cafes of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau: