Douala has a better restaurant scene than most cities of its size in Central Africa, driven by its large expatriate community and business traveller flow. The Akwa district has the densest concentration of options, ranging from French-influenced sit-down restaurants to Lebanese grills, Chinese places, and the basic but reliable Cameroonian diners known as cabaret bars.
Cameroonian food is worth seeking out: ndolé (bitter leaf stew with groundnuts and smoked fish or meat) is the national dish and Douala does it well. Grilled fish fresh from the Wouri River, served with plantain and piment sauce, is excellent. For street food, the moto-taxi drivers know which roadside grills have the best brochettes. The Marché Mboppi area has several good cheap Cameroonian restaurants popular with market workers.