An open-air courtyard of grills and fryers beside the Cocody market on Rue Booker Washington, named for alloco — fried plantain — which is served here with grilled fish, chicken, attiéké and pepper sauce. Dozens of stallholders cook to order at shared tables, drinks come from the crates beside them, and the whole place runs from late afternoon into the night. It is cheap, unpretentious and entirely local.
The Allocodrome de Cocody is an open-air courtyard of grills and fryers beside the Marché de Cocody on Rue Booker Washington, less a bar than a communal night-food market that doubles as one of Cocody's most reliable places for an evening drink. The crowd is entirely local, mixed-age and unpretentious, families and groups of friends sharing benches with market workers finishing their day, and there is no dress code of any kind. Dozens of stallholders cook to order at shared tables under open sky, and the atmosphere is loud, smoky and communal rather than curated — conversation and the noise of frying oil substitute for a music programme, since there is no DJ, live band or sound system running through the courtyard. Drinks come informally from crates kept beside the stalls: large-format beer is the default, with soft drinks and bissap or gingembre juices as the non-alcoholic option; there is no cocktail list or wine service. It runs daily from about 17:00 until midnight, busiest in the two or three hours after dark, with no cover charge and no reservations — visitors simply find a free spot at a shared table and order directly from whichever stallholder is nearest. The name comes from alloco, fried plantain, which along with grilled fish, chicken and attiéké is the reason people come.
| Price | Alloco with grilled fish 1,500-4,000 XOF / USD 2.63-7.02; large beer 1,000-1,500 XOF / USD 1.75-2.63 |
|---|---|
| Cover | No cover |
| Hours | Daily from about 17:00 until midnight |
| Address | Rue Booker Washington, Danga, Cocody, Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
Good to know
- Signature
- Alloco, braised fish and attiéké cooked to order at open-air grills
Location
Rue Booker Washington, Danga, Cocody, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
5.3364, -4.0000 View on map
Highlights
- Open-air night-food market beside the Marché de Cocody
- Alloco, grilled fish and attiéké cooked to order at dozens of stalls
- Large-format beer sold informally from crates at each stall
- Shared communal tables, fully casual, no dress code
- No cover charge, busiest in the hours after dark
Tips for visiting
- Go after dark, roughly 19:00-22:00, for the fullest and liveliest atmosphere
- Seating is shared, so groups may end up at a table with strangers
- Order from whichever stall is nearest rather than seeking one specific vendor
- Bring small denomination cash, since stallholders are informal vendors
- Try the alloco with grilled fish and pepper sauce as the signature combination
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cover charge?
No, visitors pay only for food and drink bought directly from the stallholders.
What is there to drink?
Large-format beer sold from crates beside the stalls, along with soft drinks and local juices like bissap and gingembre.
Is a reservation needed?
No, seating is at shared communal tables taken on a first-come basis.
What is the best time to visit?
The two or three hours after dark, roughly 19:00 to 22:00, are the busiest and most atmospheric.