Le Colibri

Le Colibri is a long-standing local bar in Gombe, Kinshasa, dating back to the 1950s, and has built its identity around two things: one of the widest selections of Congolese and Belgian beer in the city, and its signature toast cannibal, a raw beef tartare served on toast in the classic Belgian-Congolese style. There is no chef pedigree attached to the venue; its draw is heritage and consistency rather than culinary innovation, with the toast cannibal serving as an almost ritual order for regulars and first-time visitors alike. The beer list is the other major draw, running through draught Tembo and a wide range of bottled Belgian imports, reflecting Kinshasa's Belgian colonial-era drinking culture as much as its Congolese present. The dining room retains an old-school, unpolished bar character rather than a modern restaurant fit-out, with simple furniture and a lived-in feel that regulars consider part of the appeal; noise levels rise through the afternoon and into the evening as the bar fills with a mixed local and expatriate crowd. There is no wine programme to speak of; beer is the centrepiece of the drinks list, alongside a limited selection of spirits. Dress code is entirely casual, and reservations are not usually necessary given the bar's walk-in, drop-by character, though a table may take a few minutes to open up during the busiest early-evening hours.