Hay Bravo is a small thatched cabana located behind the national museum in Kings Square. Kings square is the space around which the central roundabout or “ring road” rotates in the centre of Benin City. It’s a very popular spot with locals, and surrounded as it is by indigenous trees (full of roosting fruit bats), it also serves as a cool spot away from the heat of the tropical sun.
King Square itself is really more of the attraction here. It not only houses the national museum, but also a series of statutes commemorating various leaders (Obas) in Benin’s rich history. There is a formal fountain to one side of Hay Bravo, and here young Beninans meet and greet each other whilst numerous vendors gather near the gates.
Hay Bravo is a simple affair, with plastic tables and chairs, palm kernel floors, and a basic kitchen, but the food is good. I had titus fish in a spicy pepper sauce served on a bed of rice. The food arrived on a fresh banana leaf, and it left no doubts about its freshness. Not only that, but for N300 it’s a remarkably good value for those used to paying for overpriced hotel food.
It’s also a perfect spot to sit and watch the various dramas that inevitably unfold in everyday life in Nigeria. All street life is here, you just need to grab a beer sit back and enjoy.
Expert Review
Hay Bravo is a small thatched cabana located behind the national museum in Kings Square. Kings square is the space...
Hay Bravo is a small thatched cabana located behind the national museum in Kings Square. Kings square is the space around which the central roundabout or “ring road” rotates in the centre of Benin City. It’s a very popular spot with locals, and surrounded as it is by indigenous trees (full of roosting fruit bats), it also serves as a cool spot away from the heat of the tropical sun.
King Square itself is really more of the attraction here. It not only houses the national museum, but also a series of statutes commemorating various leaders (Obas) in Benin’s rich history. There is a formal fountain to one side of Hay Bravo, and here young Beninans meet and greet each other whilst numerous vendors gather near the gates.
Hay Bravo is a simple affair, with plastic tables and chairs, palm kernel floors, and a basic kitchen, but the food is good. I had titus fish in a spicy pepper sauce served on a bed of rice. The food arrived on a fresh banana leaf, and it left no doubts about its freshness. Not only that, but for N300 it’s a remarkably good value for those used to paying for overpriced hotel food.
It’s also a perfect spot to sit and watch the various dramas that inevitably unfold in everyday life in Nigeria. All street life is here, you just need to grab a beer sit back and enjoy.