Before Republic, there were broadly two categories of bar in Accra: traditional rough-and-ready “spots,” all plastic chairs and overdriven speakers;...
Before Republic, there were broadly two categories of bar in Accra: traditional rough-and-ready “spots,” all plastic chairs and overdriven speakers; and upmarket international-style bars — usually generic cocktail joints (though The Honeysuckle has a British angle, and Osu expat magnet Cuzzy Bro’s was once an Irish pub). The genius of Republic was to combine both approaches, creating something with a modern, cosmopolitan style that is still firmly rooted in Ghana.
Inside is a sparse but design-conscious space. The walls are plastered with vintage West African ads and magazine spreads, and old guitars and radios are dotted around the room. Staff zip around with variable efficiency, serving a range of drinks and bar food with a local twist: the classic caipirinha becomes a “Republica,” mixed with the local cane spirit akpeteshie, and your beer can be flavoured with fresh ginger or bissap (hibiscus) syrups. On the food front there are searing pepper soups, hot chicken wings and big, crunchy yam chips – a snack to be treasured when done right, as it is here.
Outside, a stylish, well-connected “Afropolitan” crowd mingles with clued-up expats, and plastic chairs make way for an improvised dancefloor as the night progresses. Music is eclectic, touching on home-grown highlife and azonto as well as international house and hip-hop. You can also catch minor and major talents on the small stage; it was for a while the venue of choice for legendary highlife man Ebo Taylor.
If your tastes are more sedate, look out for a quiz on Tuesday nights, and occasional vintage markets at weekends.
It’s worth noting that Republic routinely observes the ban on loud noise during the Homowo festival, roughly May 6 – June 6. While that might be disappointing for anyone who is in town for those dates, it demonstrates the bar’s readiness to splice hipster cool with Ghanaian traditions.
Expert Review
Before Republic, there were broadly two categories of bar in Accra: traditional rough-and-ready “spots,” all plastic chairs and overdriven speakers;...
Before Republic, there were broadly two categories of bar in Accra: traditional rough-and-ready “spots,” all plastic chairs and overdriven speakers; and upmarket international-style bars — usually generic cocktail joints (though The Honeysuckle has a British angle, and Osu expat magnet Cuzzy Bro’s was once an Irish pub). The genius of Republic was to combine both approaches, creating something with a modern, cosmopolitan style that is still firmly rooted in Ghana.
Inside is a sparse but design-conscious space. The walls are plastered with vintage West African ads and magazine spreads, and old guitars and radios are dotted around the room. Staff zip around with variable efficiency, serving a range of drinks and bar food with a local twist: the classic caipirinha becomes a “Republica,” mixed with the local cane spirit akpeteshie, and your beer can be flavoured with fresh ginger or bissap (hibiscus) syrups. On the food front there are searing pepper soups, hot chicken wings and big, crunchy yam chips – a snack to be treasured when done right, as it is here.
Outside, a stylish, well-connected “Afropolitan” crowd mingles with clued-up expats, and plastic chairs make way for an improvised dancefloor as the night progresses. Music is eclectic, touching on home-grown highlife and azonto as well as international house and hip-hop. You can also catch minor and major talents on the small stage; it was for a while the venue of choice for legendary highlife man Ebo Taylor.
If your tastes are more sedate, look out for a quiz on Tuesday nights, and occasional vintage markets at weekends.
It’s worth noting that Republic routinely observes the ban on loud noise during the Homowo festival, roughly May 6 – June 6. While that might be disappointing for anyone who is in town for those dates, it demonstrates the bar’s readiness to splice hipster cool with Ghanaian traditions.