Nestled on a corner in the wealthy Ringway Estates area west of Osu, Country Kitchen is a worthy addition to the list of accessible, restaurant-style places to try Ghanaian food. You may find yourself dodging convoys of black 4x4s on the way, however – Ringway is popular with politicians thanks to its proximity to State House, Parliament House and the ministries.
Like most traditional restaurants, Country Kitchen does most of its trade at lunchtime, when it quickly fills up with minor government workers and a scattering of embassy staff – the British and Canadian ones are nearby. On Sunday the crowds are more likely to come from nearby churches, and will eat with a fury that leaves almost everything gone by mid-afternoon. Come after 6pm on any day and you’ll find things winding down.
The environment itself is thoroughly relaxing. It’s an open-sided room beneath a high ceiling, surrounded by shrubs and flowers and fronted with a bar, over which sits the obligatory flat-screen TV – usually tuned to news on a weekday, which makes a refreshing change from the diet of foreign movies and West African soaps elsewhere. Staff are friendly, though you may have to ask for a written menu. Since Ghanaian diners know what’s likely to be on offer from a home-cooking restaurant, ordering tends to be a conversational process focused on what is or isn’t available that day.
Indeed, Country Kitchen serves all the usuals: red-red, palaver, soups, jollof, chips, waakye, and grilled chicken or fish. They’re all good, and all come in gut-busting portions that should yield leftovers for the next day. It also dishes up luscious omo tuo – rice balls in groundnut soup, one of Ghana’s tastiest dishes – on a Sunday, if you can get there before the preachers and their entourages eat the lot.
Expert Review
Nestled on a corner in the wealthy Ringway Estates area west of Osu, Country Kitchen is a worthy addition to...
Nestled on a corner in the wealthy Ringway Estates area west of Osu, Country Kitchen is a worthy addition to the list of accessible, restaurant-style places to try Ghanaian food. You may find yourself dodging convoys of black 4x4s on the way, however – Ringway is popular with politicians thanks to its proximity to State House, Parliament House and the ministries.
Like most traditional restaurants, Country Kitchen does most of its trade at lunchtime, when it quickly fills up with minor government workers and a scattering of embassy staff – the British and Canadian ones are nearby. On Sunday the crowds are more likely to come from nearby churches, and will eat with a fury that leaves almost everything gone by mid-afternoon. Come after 6pm on any day and you’ll find things winding down.
The environment itself is thoroughly relaxing. It’s an open-sided room beneath a high ceiling, surrounded by shrubs and flowers and fronted with a bar, over which sits the obligatory flat-screen TV – usually tuned to news on a weekday, which makes a refreshing change from the diet of foreign movies and West African soaps elsewhere. Staff are friendly, though you may have to ask for a written menu. Since Ghanaian diners know what’s likely to be on offer from a home-cooking restaurant, ordering tends to be a conversational process focused on what is or isn’t available that day.
Indeed, Country Kitchen serves all the usuals: red-red, palaver, soups, jollof, chips, waakye, and grilled chicken or fish. They’re all good, and all come in gut-busting portions that should yield leftovers for the next day. It also dishes up luscious omo tuo – rice balls in groundnut soup, one of Ghana’s tastiest dishes – on a Sunday, if you can get there before the preachers and their entourages eat the lot.