Most visitors to Accra want to catch live music at some point, and +233 – named for Ghana’s country code, something of a magic number for returnees, diasporans and well-travelled locals – is one of the best places to do it, even if Republic has begun to snap at its heels. Though it is visible from the busy Ring Road, the entrance is down an uneven dirt track off a backstreet in North Ridge; if you’re stuck for a landmark the Alisa hotel, known to most taxi drivers, isn’t too far away.
Inside you’ll find a compact bar with a small dance floor in front of the stage, and some seating on a mezzanine level. You’ll have more fun, though, on the spacious patio, which has a view of the band through the venue’s glass front and some powerful speakers to make sure the tunes are audible. In fact, the patio becomes the stage for special events, with bands setting up outdoors and playing under the stars.
It gets busy out here – on Friday or Saturday the hip, dressy young crowd arrive in their droves – so you’ll probably want to stay put, get table service and let the drinks flow, soaked up with some bar food. The menu offers decent spicy kebabs and burgers, plus blander pizzas.
As for the music, you can catch a live band – often two, or more – most nights Tuesday to Sunday, though expect to pay a gate fee of 10 cedis on weekend nights, and up to 40 cedis for big acts. The venue’s full name calls it a ‘jazz bar’, but it offers a far more varied selection than that suggests, taking in reggae, highlife, hip-hop, straight-up soul, and even the occasional expat covers band. Open and rocking until the small hours, +233 is an essential Accra night out for music fans.
Expert Review
Most visitors to Accra want to catch live music at some point, and +233 - named for Ghana’s country code,...
Most visitors to Accra want to catch live music at some point, and +233 – named for Ghana’s country code, something of a magic number for returnees, diasporans and well-travelled locals – is one of the best places to do it, even if Republic has begun to snap at its heels. Though it is visible from the busy Ring Road, the entrance is down an uneven dirt track off a backstreet in North Ridge; if you’re stuck for a landmark the Alisa hotel, known to most taxi drivers, isn’t too far away.
Inside you’ll find a compact bar with a small dance floor in front of the stage, and some seating on a mezzanine level. You’ll have more fun, though, on the spacious patio, which has a view of the band through the venue’s glass front and some powerful speakers to make sure the tunes are audible. In fact, the patio becomes the stage for special events, with bands setting up outdoors and playing under the stars.
It gets busy out here – on Friday or Saturday the hip, dressy young crowd arrive in their droves – so you’ll probably want to stay put, get table service and let the drinks flow, soaked up with some bar food. The menu offers decent spicy kebabs and burgers, plus blander pizzas.
As for the music, you can catch a live band – often two, or more – most nights Tuesday to Sunday, though expect to pay a gate fee of 10 cedis on weekend nights, and up to 40 cedis for big acts. The venue’s full name calls it a ‘jazz bar’, but it offers a far more varied selection than that suggests, taking in reggae, highlife, hip-hop, straight-up soul, and even the occasional expat covers band. Open and rocking until the small hours, +233 is an essential Accra night out for music fans.