Senegalese flavors have found a home on the corner of Bedford Avenue and Park Place. For over a decade, husband-and-wife team Lamine Diagne and Nilea Alexander have maintained a slice of West Africa with their restaurant Café Rue Dix, becoming a known neighborhood favorite and destination for those far and wide.
The cafe and restaurant pull on chef Diagne’s Senegalese roots seen through a French eye from Alexander’s design know-how. The result is a comforting, close-knit bistro with touches from the West African country. Repurposed gourds hang above the bar as lights, draped in conch shells. African masks decorate the back wall and a snapshot of Senegal’s Gorée Island, taken from the couple's travels, ties the room together. In the summer, the cafe goes for the full Parisian fantasy, opening up the accordion windows and bringing its bistro tables to the sidewalk outside.
During the day, the cafe invites the community over coffee and tea. Strong pours of Cafe Touba, a popular Senegalese spiced coffee blend made with Guinean black pepper are on offer, made even more aromatic with cloves. But the teas like the Senegalese Ataya bring a sense of grounding. Served in a golden ornate pot, the tea comes poured in short shot glasses. The blackened gunpowder green tea pools a bit at the bottom of each glass, enlivened with a fresh swirl of mint brewed right inside. An order of powdered beignets, which give more chew than fluff, is most definitely recommended.
But in the evenings, the dim-lit restaurant plays for a cozy catch-up with friends to date nights. While chef Diagne flexes his roots here, some dishes reach success while some miss the mark. The Senegalese Spring Rolls with its insides of vermicelli noodles and minced mushrooms had a nicely seasoned beef inside, it was just a bit too oily for my tastes. The Senegalese deep-fried pastries known as Fataya, were fried a touch too long and only four small bites came for the price of $16. Yet the well-seasoned ground beef and spicy Senegalese dipping sauce is enough to warrant a mention. I only ask you to take a bite of the pastry first, and then dip. I don’t mind a spicy sauce, but the green, seed-laden sauce not only climbed in heat but had a tendency to linger, rendering me panting and my palate a bit useless. So I’d recommend gingerly taking a dip before diving right in.
The Spiced African Stew is one of the high points—a hearty mix of vegetables and fruits (tomato, apricot, yucca and chickpeas). The sweet potatoes and carrots give the dish a touch of sweetness and the spices bring the warmth. The stewed chicken in the Yassa Guinar is juicy and comes with a tanged onion confit that begs to be ladled on top of the generous portion of attiéké (a cassava-based grain) that it sits on. And while the dish comes with plenty of vegetables to fill you up, the steep price of $36 for one chicken thigh is enough reason to pause. The Theibou Jen, the national dish of Senegal, follows suit with a meal that can get you full off of the sides alone—yucca, eggplant, carrots and a nice smear of tamarind, plus a huge helping of jollof rice. Yet sadly, the main feature of the dish, the stewed red snapper, was overcooked and dry.
This is not to say Café Rue Dix doesn’t warrant a return visit. The restaurant’s longevity has truly built a community over the past decade. Plus, there is nothing like a summertime visit with a cocktail in hand as you listen to the rhythm of Crown Heights.
Restaurant Vitals
The vibe: This small cafe is decorated with African textiles and masks behind the bar while afro beats thrum on the speakers. In the summers, the cafe extends to the curb, bringing that bistro feel to Brooklyn.
The food: Chef Diagne balances French-Senegalese cuisine with dishes like the Croquettes stuffed with duck confit served with their signature (read: spicy!) dipping sauce. But traditional Senegalese dishes are the main feature of the menu with a full lamb shank found in the Thiebou Yapp and the spicy stewed beef known as Mafe.
The drink: Mornings call for the spiced coffee Cafe Touba or one of the restaurant's many teas for sitting and sharing. Fresh hibiscus and baobab juices are also for the taking. Many of these flavors make their way into the cocktails, like Boy Dakar. Stirred with scotch bonnet pepper, mezcal and tequila, the baobab juice helps to cool the spice level while the tamarind-coated glass gives an added zing.
Time Out tip: Build in some time to visit Marche Rue Dix next door for a new fit or book an appointment to get your nails done at the salon in the back.