Maquis Lagune — Beninese / Seafood, Porto-Novo
Maquis Lagune occupies the Porto-Novo lagoon bank — the edge of the Lagos Lagoon that connects this city to Cotonou and eventually to the Atlantic. The fishermen whose boats are visible from the tables supply the kitchen with whatever the lagoon provided that morning.
The menu is entirely determined by the catch: fresh tilapia, capitaine, shrimp, and the various lagoon fish that the Porto-Novo fishing community harvests. All are grilled simply over coals with piment sauce and served with attiéké.
The Béninoise beer arrives cold and stays cold in the lagoon breeze. The palm wine, brought by boat from the lagoon's palm-tree islands on weekends, is the traditional alternative and the more culturally specific choice.
The Lagos Lagoon at sunset — with the silhouettes of the pirogues returning from the day's fishing — is one of the most quietly beautiful sights available in Benin. Maquis Lagune provides the platform from which to watch it.
Best Occasion: Great for Birthdays
Fresh lagoon fish, cold Béninoise, and the sunset over the water. Porto-Novo's most naturally celebratory dining setting.
Best Occasion: Works for First Dates
The lagoon setting, the pirogue silhouettes at sunset, and the freshly grilled fish create a first date of quiet atmospheric power.