Going out in style: how to have a good evening

There are people who go out, and people who know how to go out. The difference is neither the car nor the bottle on the table: it comes down to three things. Choosing the right setting. Arriving at the right time. And getting home in one piece.

Choose your setting

The Cameroonian night has several faces, and each has its moment. The snack-bar for the gang and the match. The cabaret for music played in front of you. The lounge to talk without shouting. The rooftop to see the city from above.

On NiceThings, twelve places in Yaoundé and four in Douala carry the word “lounge” in their name. Yaoundé also has its rooftop in Bastos and two cabarets, in Mvan and Essos; Douala has one in Bonamouti.

The city changes its face

NiceThings has not visited these places yet: they come from the open map, and their page says what is known and what is not known yet. Do you know one? Tell us what it is worth.

The right time

Arrive too early and the room is empty. Too late and the door is closed. Going by the hours we know, 25 places in Yaoundé and 6 in Douala stay open until 11 pm or later: open late in Yaoundé, open late in Douala. Many places do not post their hours: a call before you leave is still the safest.

The five rules of a good evening

1. Ask about the house code. Some places expect a certain dress: better to know before you arrive.
2. Call ahead. For a table, for the hours, to find out if there is an event that night.
3. Look at the prices before you order. Style is also not being surprised by the bill.
4. Leave the phone alone. One photo, yes. The whole evening behind the screen, no.
5. Decide how you get home before you leave. Who drives, which taxi, at what time.

Your turn to tell

• What is a stylish evening, for you?
• Which place deserves to be on this list?
• Your number one rule when you go out?

Answer in a comment, just below.

The figures come from the NiceThings catalogue. Photos: Costawood / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opening photo) and KLO.J / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.