South Sudan Restaurants and Dining

(South Sudan, SS, North-East Africa)

Dining out in South Sudan can be an interesting experience. More adventurous visitors can choose to dine out at one of the many local canteens that can be found in Juba and elsewhere.

Alternatively, international cuisine, including menus that feature dishes from other parts of Africa, is generally available from restaurants and eateries found within the city's larger hotels.

Some canteens open throughout the day, serving everything from breakfast at 07:00 to supper at 22:00. Others open for more limited periods, serving just lunch and dinner.

What to Eat

The South Sudanese diet is centred on a few staple dining ingredients. These include 'kisra', a sort of flat bread that is made from sorghum flour, which is used as a simple 'plate' on which other foods are served. 'Bamia', or 'ladies' fingers', often features in local dishes, as does 'kudra' (a green vegetable) and coconut roots. Meat and vegetable sauces usually include a paste made from peanuts.

A fine selection of fresh fruit is grown in the country of South Sudan. Fruit forms the basis of many a dessert, from mangoes and bananas to pawpaw and guava.

Where to Eat

There is no shortage of places to eat in Juba. Many restaurants offer international dining menus. These range from Chinese and Indian establishments to pizzerias and Kenyan-styled barbecue eateries. Other, more traditional establishments, give visitors a chance to eat South Sudanese food and soak up the local atmosphere.

If you don't fancy a three-course restaurant meal, there are options for enjoying a quick snack at a cafe or one of South Sudan's budget cafeterias. Ice cream cafes are also popular, often serving cakes, tarts and chocolates. Alternatively, roadside snack stalls in towns and villages offer prolific dining options for eating out. In Juba, in particular, pineapples and bean cakes are sold from small hand carts that are wheeled around the city's streets.