The main haunt for the expat crowd in Calabar, Freddies is run by Freddie Kawaja, a Lebanese businessman with a long history here. Inside it’s got a homey feel, with a wooden bar in one corner decorated with pictures of smiling customers and the business cards of travellers passing through this south-west corner of Nigeria.
It’s fairly consistently busy here, and it’s easy to see why: there is a real lack of continental menus in Calabar, outside of hotel restaurants. Here diners can tuck into favourites like spaghetti Bolognese (N2500), steak and chips (N2200), and even scampi (N3000). The expat feel, the transient crowd and the delightful manager Orok make it a bit like something out of a sub-par Graham Greene novel. As it’s one of the few places that sell western dishes, it’s a spot that many make their way to at least once on their stopovers here. The friendly convivial atmosphere certainly rewards those who do.
To find Freddie’s, look for Gomays Plaza and Gomays hotel on Atekong Drive, enter the courtyard, and Freddies is on the left-hand side. As a bonus there is normally a small handicraft and curio hawker outside the restaurant selling a collection of wooden carvings (including replicas of the famous FESTAC mask and some colourful batiks).
Expert Review
The main haunt for the expat crowd in Calabar, Freddies is run by Freddie Kawaja, a Lebanese businessman with a...
The main haunt for the expat crowd in Calabar, Freddies is run by Freddie Kawaja, a Lebanese businessman with a long history here. Inside it’s got a homey feel, with a wooden bar in one corner decorated with pictures of smiling customers and the business cards of travellers passing through this south-west corner of Nigeria.
It’s fairly consistently busy here, and it’s easy to see why: there is a real lack of continental menus in Calabar, outside of hotel restaurants. Here diners can tuck into favourites like spaghetti Bolognese (N2500), steak and chips (N2200), and even scampi (N3000). The expat feel, the transient crowd and the delightful manager Orok make it a bit like something out of a sub-par Graham Greene novel. As it’s one of the few places that sell western dishes, it’s a spot that many make their way to at least once on their stopovers here. The friendly convivial atmosphere certainly rewards those who do.
To find Freddie’s, look for Gomays Plaza and Gomays hotel on Atekong Drive, enter the courtyard, and Freddies is on the left-hand side. As a bonus there is normally a small handicraft and curio hawker outside the restaurant selling a collection of wooden carvings (including replicas of the famous FESTAC mask and some colourful batiks).