Brazzaville

 

Local bread, white and whole wheat, is of good quality. You can buy fresh bread from the following bakeries:

La Mie Dorée

located close to la mandarine

Casino Bakery

inside the supermarket

Boulangerie de la Plaine Ex Leon

located down the street and around the corner from score, next to the marchã© de la plaine fruit and vegetable market

Exotic Palace

Ex. la manne across from pharmacie mavre, close to the roundabout,

 

Bread is cheap and sells out quickly. The best times to shop are between 9 and 11 a.m. on weekdays and between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on the weekends. However, "street bread" can be found throughout the day for 100-150 FCFA. You can also find imported white and whole wheat bread from a few grocery stores, but they are expensive and sell out very quickly.

Small boutiques mostly run by north Africans are on every corner. You can find soap, pasta, croissants, basic goods here. They are reasonably priced.

Marché du Plateau Craft Market

located across from nenuphar restaurant, close to bdeac. here you find a selection of crafts, mostly from the neighboring area. bargaining is a must.

Tala Na Miso

located on the same road as the marchã© du plateau craft market. this store specializes in wood carvings and some brass work. shop owner gives a good deal if you are a frequent customer.

Poto Poto Painting School

located in the poto poto area. excellent selection of paintings from local artists. school is one of the best places to find local paintings.

Open Air Painting Market

next to the post office. here you can find paintings by local artists. you can also find copper items and wooden sculptures. bargaining is a must here.

Souvenir D’Afrique

a few shops down from marchã© du plateau, on the same road. here you can find local souvenirs and trinkets.

 

Olympic Palace Hotel Craft Shop located at Olympic Palace. Here you can find local crafts, but they are very expensive. You can get better prices at the local craft markets listed above.

 

There are two good butcher stores in town that sell both local and imported meats and seafood. There are also a few stores that sell frozen meat and seafood.

Nénu Viande

located on the same street as exotic palace, close to park n shop. this store is run by a french butcher. it has a good selection of local and imported meat, but a limited supply of seafood. check with the butcher to find out when seafood arrives. it also has an excellent selection of sausages. you can call and place an order for pick up later the same day. tel: 81 4659 general number.

 

'*Guenin or Coup:' Located opposite the entrance to the ‘Beach’. Store sells frozen meat, fish, chicken, etc.

 

Currently, there are two major grocery stores in Brazzaville, as well as a few convenience type stores which carry some of the same products. Below is a list of supermarkets and convenience type stores:Casino used to be Score is the second largest supermarket with Park N Shop new super market recently inaugurated. Everything is overpriced here, but if you need your frozen pizzas, . Tel: 81 03 35.Park N Shop close to the Mpila roundabout and Tower Nambemba. Tel: 548 2936 Ste. Regal located close to Park N Shop, on the same street as Tower Nambemba. Tel: 527 5260

With enough patience, shoppers can usually find most of the brands what they are looking for which they are accustomed.

The major grocery stores and a few other stores have a good selection of imported fruits and vegetables, but prices are a bit expensive. You can get a wide selection of local and fresh fruits from local markets around town. Below is a list of the local markets frequented by Americans and expatriates:

Marché De La Plaine

located around the corner from casino supermarket. here you can find a good selection of local fruits and vegetables. be prepared to bargain for good prices.

Marché Du Plateau

located close to bdeac, across from nenuphar restaurant. here you can find some local fruits and vegetables, but you will find a better selection at the marchã© de la plaine. as always, bargaining is a must.

Total Market

located in bacongo. this is a large local market where you can find a good supply of fruits and vegetables, and local food products at low prices. all prices are fixed and displayed on products, so no need for bargaining.

Marché de Poto Poto

in poto poto. this is the west african part of town.

Brazzaville is a very very expensive city, as you will find all kinds of things but almost four times the price in Dubai or elsewhere. For example if you are looking to buy a can of Pepsi Cola which is usually 1 UAE Dihram in Dubai and you will get it for XAF 750 Central African CFA Franc which is equivalent to 5 UAE dirhams. Same goes for other things. So if you are planning to come here, bring usual day to day usage stuff along with the you.

There is a HUGE market close to the Cathedral where one can buy decent African wear and bright colored materials - an adventure in itself.