Restaurant Chez Arthur (Le Roi du Kedjenou)

Restaurant Chez Arthur, widely known by its nickname Le Roi du Kedjenou ('the king of kedjenou'), is a popular lagoon-side maquis on Rue des Ambassades in Riviera M'Badon, Cocody, decorated throughout in the colors of Flag beer, the Ivorian brand that sponsors much of the maquis culture across Abidjan. As the nickname suggests, kedjenou is the kitchen's central strength: kedjenou de pintade (guinea fowl) is the most requested version, prepared in the traditional sealed-pot method that concentrates the pepper sauce without added liquid. Poisson braisé, served as the assiette du pêcheur (fisherman's plate), and attiéké garni round out a menu built firmly around Ivorian staples rather than any fusion or international detour. The lagoon-side setting gives the restaurant a scenic backdrop uncommon among Riviera maquis, and the open-air dining area, decorated in Flag's red-and-white branding, has a festive, communal atmosphere rather than a quiet or formal one. Weekends bring the busiest crowds, when groups and families gather for long, social meals over kedjenou and beer, and reservations are recommended specifically for those weekend periods; weekday visits are easier to walk into. As with most maquis, beer -- particularly Flag, given the restaurant's branding -- is the default beverage rather than wine, and there is no formal wine program. Prices run 5,000 to 15,000 XOF per person, keeping the restaurant accessible and consistent with the maquis tradition of feeding large groups affordably. The restaurant's nickname has become part of its identity in Abidjan's dining scene, with 'the king of kedjenou' functioning almost as a second name for the address among regulars in Riviera M'Badon.