Café Abbia — Café / Cameroonian, Yaoundé
Café Abbia takes its name from the literary magazine that published the first generation of Cameroonian writers after independence — including Ferdinand Oyono and Mongo Beti, whose novels defined the African response to colonialism. The café serves the university community that continues this intellectual tradition.
Cameroon produces both coffee and cacao of excellent quality — the coffee from the western highland Arabica regions, the cacao from the southwestern lowlands that produce some of the world's finest beans. Café Abbia uses both with genuine attention, producing a single-origin filter coffee and a drinking chocolate that represent the country's agricultural gifts.
The light menu — beignets, sandwiches, the daily plat du jour — serves the university community's practical needs. The Cameroonian puffpuff (fried dough) at breakfast is the kitchen's most beloved preparation.
The café's literary identity means that books and magazines are available on the tables, conversations about Cameroonian literature arise naturally, and the university community that uses the space brings an intellectual energy specific to Yaoundé's identity as Africa in miniature's most educated city.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Solo Dining
Cameroonian single-origin coffee and drinking chocolate, with the university intellectual community at adjacent tables. Solo travel's most specifically Yaoundé morning.
Best Occasion: Works for First Dates
The literary name, the coffee from Cameroon's own highland farms, and the intellectual atmosphere create a first date with genuine cultural substance.