Our KIN network takes us on a trip to their home cities. This time we head into the night with architect Alice Asafu-Adjaye, in Accra
Alice Asafu-Adjaye grew up in Accra and returned as an adult having worked in London. In Ghana’s capital city, she runs a boutique architecture and design studio that draws from the art of her Asante heritage, and the unique landscapes and vibrant social milieu of Africa.
“I would describe the nightlife in Accra by comparing it to food: It’s spicy, it’s hot – I mean, literally hot because of where we are geographically but there’s always an underlying heat of not really knowing what to expect and then suddenly something happens.
Your planned evening goes awry. But somehow you just manage to make work…
“So it’s like when spicy food doesn’t hit you hard in the beginning, it’s just a slow build up of flavors with so many different layers and every once in a while you want a bit of relief, but you still keep going back for more.”
People begin – and usually end – their night in Osu, a neighbourhood by the coast
“The center of Accra nightlife is really Osu. It’s where a lot of communities were formed back in the days when we were colonized because it was right by the sea (trading posts and castles were established along the coast by the Danish and British). So, it has always been the hub. Osu brings together locals, tourists and people from the diaspora. It has all these pockets, but there’s this major thoroughfare called Oxford Street, and from one end to the other it’s just full of life. It’s easily three miles long, and it starts from one big, roundabout and it ends up close to the sea, and you have these side roads that you can branch off for relief.”
It is typically Ghana and Accra that the streets basically evolve.
“While it was a planned city, the structure is a bit more flexible, more informal now. When I say informal, it’s because almost everyone I know has a side hustle alongside their day jobs. Most of these don’t have permits, people basically just get a little shop, or sometimes a disused shipping container – give it a bit of sprucing up – and then boom, they have some sort of business in the nightlife area.”
A night out in Osu – The Republic Bar & Grill, eating Kenkey & drinks at Front/Back
We have some very unique restaurants and bars…
“One of these is The Republic Bar & Grill, which is a small joint but it literally spills out onto the road and it’s grown to the extent that they now block out sections just to allow people to sit partly on the road. Now on the same street there are quite a few copy-cat bars. Their unique selling point is making cocktails using akpeteshi, a local spirit brewed from sugar cane. It’s a potent drink that was previously frowned upon because it was for people who couldn’t afford wine or spirits. But these guys basically upscaled it and use it as a base for cocktails. A couple of streets away is The Pallet Kitchen (TPK), and they use local herbs and akpeteshi in their cocktails.”
One of the things that makes the nightlife so interesting in Accra, is that it’s OK if things go wrong.
“… and that’s when you end up at Osu Night Market. It is a maze of streets with food stalls. We have a streetfood, Kenkey and fried fish, which we normally have with chilli sauce. So you can imagine when people have been clubbing and this is in the early hours of the morning, they all just end up eating Kenkey there. The first time I was there, I was just like blown away. I was like, well, why did we not start our evening here?!”
But you can have quieter moments in Accra
“There’s a members club called Front/Back and it has very design-led spaces created by artists. Over the years, they’ve really expanded. I will go there for quieter moments – maybe to avoid traffic because the city is full of heavy traffic or I will schedule a meeting for late afternoon. There’s another place if you want relief called Ghana Club, and it’s where I would say grown ups go. It was the residency of the governor of Accra, then I think around the time of independence it was established as a private members’ club. It has a well-stocked bar, and exhibitions and it’s a good place to meet to debate – whether it’s current affairs, politics. And it’s only a few minutes away from the hustle and bustle.”
But while we are calm, as a people, the nightlife in the city is quite colorful.
“Our reputation for not being the most exciting city I think has really changed over the years. It’s actually quite loud and noisy, but not in an intrusive way. You have someone who has been selling all day you know, like the fruits and vegetables, and when you pass them in the nighttime, they’re still there (and you’re thinking: What’s going on!?). So while we are not like New York in being where a city that never sleeps – there’s always something happening.”
And it’s like a community-based nightlife.
“It’s testament to how important community is because people not only conduct their business in these neighbourhoods but it’s where a lot of them actually live. No one wants to threaten their livelihood or bring a bad name to them or their neighbourhood. So there is a lot of self-policing, and it feels safe there.”
And decibels are quite high…
“There’s a lot of energy – and I can’t think of a nicer word to describe the noise and how loud it is. There’s always someone trading, and you think some people are fighting, but no, it’s just that everything is sort of escalated. People don’t think twice about setting up a boom box!”
If you can describe Accra in three words?
“Spicy, colorful and loud.”