Waly-Fay

Coming from the US I was highly anticipating Waly Fay ! I visited Waly-Fay in late September (2025) for dinner around 9:30 PM. I booked the reservation for 1 online which was easy to do. The restaurant is on a small street and easy to miss so pay a little attention. Entering it was very dim and comfortable feeling. I was a little confused on where to go to check in but I was welcomed and led to my table after a minute or 2. Sadly they didn’t have anymore cod frittas so I ordered the crab grantin which was pretty good with the bread and spicy sauce . I got an hibiscus mix drink it was absolutely refreshing ! I then ordered the Chicken Yassa and it was incredible! The best chicken sauce ever. Thr chicken was tender, perfectly seasoned and the flavors had that tangy, savory balance that makes this dish so special. I also got jolof rice too. The portion was generou and the service was warm and attentive even at a later seating. The atmosphere was lively yet relaxed, with great music and energy. A perfect spot to enjoy authentic Senegalese African cuisine in Paris at the start of fall.

The best meal we had in Paris came from Waly-Fay. It's a West African/Senegalese restaurant that brought some much needed flavor, spices, and seasoning to our trip. Our meals up to this point had been French heavy, and I don't want to use the word bland… but... We walked into the dimly lit industrial-chic interior, ready for our tastebuds to be stimulated again after a long day of seeing the sights and logging steps. We started with a bottle of red wine, that essentially replaced water on our trip, and ordered a small feast: soya skewers, alloco, cod fritters, 1/2 chicken with yassa sauce, jumbo shrimp creole, and the daurade royale (marinated sea bream). I normally highlight one dish as to keep these concise, but this entire meal genuinely blew us away. My girlfriend and I are still texting each other about it on the daily. The soya skewers were cooked perfectly medium rare, although I put way too much of that spicy sauce on my first one and it almost took me out. The alloco (plantains) had a perfectly crispy exterior with a soft and sweet interior, just like me. The cod fritters changed us, as they were actually our favorite thing we ordered. If you would have told me before the trip that the best chicken I had in Paris came from a West African restaurant, I would have laughed at you. But here we are. That Yassa sauce with it kicked a hole in the sky. That Jumbo Shrimp Creole was to DIE for, as these gargantuan shrimp came piping hot with this tangy creole sauce that was packed full of flavor. It also came with a HUGE side of white rice that was bangin. Some good white rice is so underappreciated. The daurade royale was a whole marinated seabream that had our taste buds dancing like a 1983 Michael Jackson. They were moonwalking everywhere. Everything in here was operating at a high level and this meal brought us back to homeostasis. It's wild that the 2 best meals I had in Paris were from a West African spot and a Japanese restaurant (Takara). I was so ignorant, as I had no idea Paris was such a melting pot for global cuisine, but that's why traveling is so great. You learn so much in such a short period of time. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

I’d been meaning to try Waly-Fay for years and finally made it. 100000% worth the wait!This was hands down some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. As someone from Trinidad, I was blown away by how much the flavors reminded me of home. I started with the codfish fritters, which were crispy, flavorful, and just perfect. Then came the whole fish with rice—amazing. The tomato-based red sauce served with it was slightly sweet and went great with the. I also had the hibiscus flower juice, which we call sorrel in Trinidad. Our version is much sweeter but the Senegalese one was still delicious in its own way. I hadn’t been able to keep food down for a few days, and this was the first meal that truly hit the spot+stayed put. I’m flying back to NYC soon and bringing my leftovers with me so my mom can try it too. So glad a place like this exists in Paris!

Recommended to us and did not disappoint! We went for lunch on a Friday around 12:45pm! the restaurant wasn’t tooo busy but got busier as we were dining. There was only 1 member of staff serving, taking payments, doing food etc so I expected and understood the service would be slower which was fine as I don’t really care about these types of things as long as the food is good and server is polite/kind which he was! We ordered codfish fritters & white sweet potato fries as starters. The fritters were amazingggg and the fries were good but required some salt. The sauce they served these with was so yummy I didn’t get the name of it! I ordered a rum & ginger juice and it was one of the best juices I’ve ever had! My family ordered ginger juice + 1 hibiscus juice they both enjoyed this. For mains I ordered the stew it was peanuty but didn’t taste too dissimilar to chicken satay unfortunately but I still enjoyed the meal. The rice was very nice and plantain was oily / overripe. I liked the plantain overripe as the edges seemed to be caramelised and crispy but my aunties did not like this but you can’t please everyone. We had the ginger + raisin ice cream at the end which was pretty standard! It would be good to have more ginger pieces incorporated into the ice cream as there only seemed to be a few. Overall I understand why this restaurant was recommended to us! I would love to come back and try more of the dishes in the future and definitely will be visiting again when I’m next in Paris!!!

What a wonderful dining experience at Waly Fay. We arrived soon after they opened and I’m glad we did because it was pretty full 45 minutes in. The food was delicious - we ordered the pepper soup, plantains, sea bream and chicken yassa. Very bold and flavorful African food in a tastefully decorated atmosphere— a must visit every time I’m in Paris! Super!

Literally… like quite literally the best African food I’ve tasted. Fantastic food I tried the whole fish dish as well as the Ndole shrimp and okra

I’ve eaten at this restaurant 3 times over the course of 2 and a half years. August of 2022 - first date with my gf actually. August of 2023 - first anniversary. January of 2025 - because it’s delicious. The posted pictures are from this visit. I don’t think I ever would have gone out of my way for west African cuisine before this restaurant. Now, every time I see it mentioned anywhere I almost make an effort to eat it. All dishes I’ve ever had are extremely flavorful and varied. The only slight complaint I have is service related (for those that place emphasis on it); sometimes they can seem a little dismissive or cold. For me - I don’t believe that’s anything to do with us more than the busy atmosphere. I’ll always return to this restaurant.

This place was an excellent find! Very authentic and delicious food. Highly recommend, can’t wait to try again. Merci beaucoup!!

OMG THE BEST FOOD IN PARIS, the seasoning was top tier! The plantains were my fav and the gumbo was also really good. I enjoyed every dish!

Food was delicious! Get there early or make a reservation as it fills up quick. I ordered the fish turnovers and the chicken with onions. Everything was amazing. Brooklyn in the house !!

The service we received from a handsome clean shaven man was less than exemplary. If you haven't been there before, the restaurant is divided into two sides- the side you enter is lovely and only had four parties of 2-4 people with 6 empty tables for 4-6 people. The second side of the restaurant was not as nice and more like a dungeon. We, 2 Black American women and one French woman, were seated at the worst most congested table in the second room. I am a bit claustrophobic anyway and when we requested to be moved to the nicer almost empty first room, as we were expecting my husband as well, the waiter barked at us that area was reserved for parties of 6. We asked if he could check and 20 minutes later he came and asked for our order. We were there for almost 3 hours as the service was SLOW and no one was seated at the 3 empty tables for 4 in the other room REMAINED EMPTY. We ordered several dishes including a shrimp dish with too much ginger, bland fish croquettes, a delicious fish soup. I will never return with so many other options available in Paris as good service and good food are important when eating out

In my four night trip to Paris , this food was my best meal. Every single thing HIT!! I savored every bite and think about it randomly even though I'm back in America :(. Idk who the cook is or what magical powers they have but bless them lol to be honest I don't remember the name of what I ordered and the website is in French. But a generic description of what I ordered was soup for an app, stewed chicken with rice for an entree, and ginger and hibiscus mix to drink. My friend ordered jumbo stewed shrimp. Truly a heartwarming meal. Disappointed I couldn't try the dessert I wanted as they ran out. I and so grateful to come across the name of this place while watching YouTube videos of Paris eats before my trip. Just so you know the restaurant close's between 3 pm and 6 pm I think so keep that in mind when going. Also for tourists the wait staff spoke no English but they did have an English menu translation printed out so that helped. I just butchered the French names and pointed. It worked out and that's all that mattered. Just go!

I love this place! The food is AMAZING, the customer service is great, the restaurant is beautiful. We ordered the fish and chicken and loved every last ounce. It was so delightful. I recommend this place to everyone I know that will be visiting Paris! Love love this place!

I have been wanting to come back to Paris. To walk around and see the sights during the day and to fo to nice restaurants at night. One of the places I had to come to in my favorite city is my favorite restaurant Waly- Fay. Since I came 5 years ago it has gotten unbelievable popular and you need to make a reservation. I do think, however, I made a reservation last time we are here. So, when in Paris instead of running to the French food (which I definitely did later) we ran to the BEST Senegalese restaurant in all of Paris. The incomparable Waly-Fay. They offer you humble and delicious Senegalese food in a slightly upscale environment so you can sip wine while waiting on your food. Which is what my sister did while I, had a Coca Cola because I decided not to drink my whole trip, and then my Mum who never drinks enjoyed her ice water. We ordered the delicious cod fritters, suya beef, and plantains with tomato sauce (which we didn't order but the guy was so busy we just ate them and they were delicious with the tomato sauce. )Hey, we're Caribbean girls. We love our plantain. My Mum ordered the delicious Yassa chicken that was so delicious! I ordered the jumbo Nigerian prawns with ginger sauce. There was ginger in a lot of dishes which I'm not mad at. The prawns were huge and plentiful. My sister got the scrumptious grilled chicken which was well-seasoned and juicy for chicken off the grill. You can tell they basted it while giving. At this point I'm beyond done but my Mum ordered the coconut custard with ginger caramel sauce. It looked fantastic and my sister helped her finish it.

Anytime my friends and I travel together, we must find an African restaurant & I'm so glad we stumbled upon this gem! Collectively we tried the soya, pepper soup (flavorful- spice could be added upon request), and the roasted fish. Other dishes served between us was ndole (beef and shrimp), Yassa de poulet, Thiep bou dièn rouge As Cameroonians, it was a nice taste of home. Will definitely be back.

Well, I have into my craving and made the 40 min trek to come back. Sadly, it coincided with their upcoming vacation time, so all the dishes I wanted were sold out for the evening. Food: Ordered ndole, a Cameroonian specialty made from bitter leaves and peanuts. It was green-forward (which I prefer based on ratio with sauce) and good if you're not used to eating it. Service: Rough. There are 2 servers for a busy restaurant, and the 30+ min to get water was the start of a frustrating eve. Worth sticking it out for a first experience but less exciting for a hangry person. Ambiance: Still super cute. We made as reservation and still ended up on the "rustic" side, which was fun for the atmosphere. Verdict: I still recommend but would suggest going early, being patient, and enjoying a fancy twist on some classics West African cuisine.

I would have pictures but the way I absorbed this food so quickly.... I've been to Senegal and Nigeria. This tasted like I was sitting in a small cafe right off the beach in Senegal . It was so good we went twice. Order the okra and plantains. Don't ask just order. The creole shrimp was outstanding! Seriously, there were 6 in our group and everyone ordered different but no one wanted to share. It was that good! There will be a wait so go early or make reservations. Either way the host were very welcoming and got us seated!

So I have to start off by saying my french isnt very good and no one there speaks english so they got my order wrong. This review is based on appetizers and eating off the plate of my friend. The food was incredible lol. We started with the gratin de crabe which was fresh and full of flavor. The real star was the pastels de possion (fish croquettes) crispy and accompanied by a spicy tomato based sauce it really hit the spot. For entree a friend and I split the Brochettes mixte (chicken lamb and veal kebabs). Its a pretty healthy portion and was good. Perfectly cooked (like everything in Paris) and served with a side of rice. Simple and good. We also had a couple drinks. We drank em got drunk they definitely did the job lol. I would go back in a heartbeat but only after practicing my french. They really have very little remorse for anyone that doesnt speak french.

While on the quest to experience some different flavors in Paris, we found this place. It was listed as having great food and a romantic atmosphere. I struggled with the menu so I ended up picking my dish via photos online. I started with the plantain appetizer. It came with a tomato sauce it was very tasty. For my main course I ordered the Nigerian jumbo shrimp creole. I wasn't ready for the taste explosion that occurred in my mouth. My dish consisted of a thick sauce with peppercorn, onion and a ton of ginger and three of the largest prawns I have ever eaten. I'm not sure what else was in the sauce I just know it was amazing. It paired well with the rice that was served with it. Let me go back to the sauce it was almost a stew of vegetables that were finely chopped. So it wasn't soupy it was thick like a chili. The dish was only slightly spicy and made such an impression on my days later I find myself still thinking about it.

Perhaps this will be controversial to some... Waly-Fay was the best meal I had in Paris. An absolutely fantastic Senegalese meal. The food was spicy and packed with flavor. We were stuffed by the end, too much food, but I'd do it again and again! We started with the pepe soup. The was single handedly the best dish that we tried. One of the best dishes that I've had in a long, long time. There was deep flavor in this fish soup and a good amount of spice. It had a thick, stewy broth. It doesn't look like much, but the flavor is there. We also had the soya (meat kabobs). Very tasty, well cooked meat, and delicious with the green sauce and pepper sauce. The main dishes were the Thiep and a grilled fish. It's hard to pin down any one dish in my mind. So many peppery flavors, it was all so delicious. The hot sauce that they gave us on the side was also a favorite. I would by jars of that constantly. Drinks were tasty as well. I enjoyed the ti-punch, and she liked the rhum bissap and rhum gingembre. The ti-punch is boozy, the other two were juicey. An epic meal.

First time trying Senegalese food, and I can say I'm a fan! A friend recommended me to check out Waly-Fay, so I went once it opened for dinner as I had no reservation. Luckily, I was able to get a spot-- within thirty minutes of opening, the restaurant was already full! Ambiance is dim and ideal for friend or date nights, if that's your type of thing. Even if I was dining alone, I still enjoyed the intimate atmosphere. As I had no idea what dish would be good to try out, I just opted for one of the most-popular ones, the yassa au poulet (chicken yassa). It came with a side of rice, and I would say that it was plenty for me. The dish itself was nothing like I'd had before: the chicken was tender and loaded with lemon and spices-- the spices themselves were indescribably complex, with an earthiness and a notable kick in the end. Really enjoyed it! I found the prices to be relatively reasonable, especially if you just stick to a single dish (which is plenty, to be fair). Service was professional and warm, and it's certainly worth trying, especially if you've never had Senegalese food before!

J'avais travaillé au Sénégal et j'aime bien la cuisine la ba. Mes amis Sénégalais sont les cuisiniers exceptionnels et Waly-Fay est superbe, formidable et délicieux! Merci !!

Amazing spot - food and server were both great. Super accommodating even tho we were a late night reservation. Highly recommend to locals and visitors.

A really unique and delicious experience. Waly-Fay offers a nice sample of West African cuisine in a hip, chic, and trendy space. This is a perfect date night spot or a place to celebrate with friends. The restaurant is large enough to accommodate a big group, but dimly lit enough to provide a cozy and intimate ambiance. Finding an English speaking waiter may be a bit difficult, but the staff are extremely friendly and will not judge you if you resort to pointing and hand gestures to get through the ordering process. The food is exceptional, and while Waly-Fay does not give the impression of being a "hole-in-wall", but it certainly has delicious, unique, and authentic Sengalese food. During my visit, I sampled the the cod fish cakes, shredded beef skewer in a peanut based sauce, and the fish pastries as starters, and they were all exceptional! For entrees, I tried the Nigerian shrimp and the meat skewers (chicken, beef, and lamb) along with a side of semolina and plantains. The food was fantastic and accompanied by the house hot sauce, which is not for the faint of heart, it was a great change of pace from traditional French cuisine. You can certainly expect a meal with a lot of love and exceptional flavor. A wonderful stop on any visits to Paris, and I can't wait to come back with my wife on any future trips.

Had a really good dinner it was first time , our waiter broke the menu down very well and made excellent suggestions, loved the yassa chicken and small fish ball it was all very delicious. Service was great he mentioned it was only two of them working but they did not miss a beat. Would definitely return on my next visit to Paris!

First time trying Senegalese food and it was great. Started off with the Pepe fish soup. Absolutely loved it. Bae got the jerked fish and it was great. I got the stew chicken it was great too. I also got this green, spinach like stew but I didn't like it; it had a very distinct taste. I didn't like the cajun sausage because it was pig blood or something, I couldn't get jiggy with the taste. Seems like something you had to grow up on. Overall, the food is well seasoned and comforting. I stayed in Paris for 6 days and this is honestly the best thing I've eaten there. Very good. They gave sorrel as a drink, and it was the best sorrel I had because it wasn't so strong. Def coming back the next time I visit Paris.

My husband and I have been going to Paris at least twice a year for the past few years. We thought it's about time to try other cuisines that are not readily available in SF. I have to say it's one of the best dining experiences of my life. There are a number of reviews saying service want good. Honestly, I think it's because they are just so busy. We came in at 9PM without a reservation and they were able to squeeze us in even if they were jam packed. Food was amazing. Musa was an amazing server giving strong recommendations about food when I was so confused which one to order first. I hope the owner and manager reads this review. He's a keeper! He was extremely busy but still managed to check up on us once in awhile. We will back and have not left the restaurant yet but have started reaching out to friends recommending the restaurant. Thank you, thank you. I'll sleep soundly tonight. No photos, sorry. But we ordered the accras de morue, mafe poulet, thiep boudin rouge and aloco. The white wine was perfect for the food but we'll probably try the hibiscus drink and the soursop sorbet next time for dessert. Tip - ask for the tiny serving of hot sauce on the side. Not sure if it was habanero or scotch bonnet or both but it was perfect to add more kick to the any of the dishes.

Impeccable food. Delicious and fresh fish specials, hibiscus tea and ginger drink. The fish patty was perfectly fried, meaty and satisfying. The stews were savory yet light, seasoned well. Chicken was tender and cooked to perfection. The spice of some of the dishes was real, nothing held back! As memorable as the food, so was the atmosphere of the restaurant and staff. It felt like family. We arrived for a late lunch and stayed almost to the beginning of dinner service. Easy going, no rush, relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

Excellent, authentic and welcoming African restaurant, what more needs to be said. Came here because of a recommendation on a website, while visiting Paris. After finding the entrance which was a little hidden, we were welcomed in by the head chef. From their we were seated and got our menus. For Americans and non-French speakers it was hard to read the menu, but with the help of google translate and guessing we were able to order 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. We ordered the okra skewers and fried plantains for appetizers, which were exceptional. For entrees we had jumbo shrimp and beef curry which were both fresh, flavorful and delicious. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a different restaurant than the normal bunch in Paris.

Great meal and superb service! I highly recommend. As Americans, we got there at 7:30pm on a Wednesday night and were the only ones there. People began trickling in around 8:45pm. To start, we got the fried plantains. So good! Definitely get these. I had the thiep bou diem (22€) and my boyfriend had the Yassa de poulet (18€). I actually thought his was tastier though I enjoyed mine as well.

I was insanely excited about going to a Senegalese restaurant as I lived in Senegal for four months, and you don't really come along Senegalese restaurants very often. I actually went to a Senegalese place in San Francisco as well, but this place was much much better. Frankly, the food from this restaurant did not taste like how my host-mom made it and maybe some flavors could have been brought out more. But all the flavors were there and I definitely felt nostalgic for Senegal. We started off with the fried plantains which had a really nice texture. It was nicely crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Just sweet enough that you could eat them on their own. They actually got pretty addicting. Ceebu jen (thiep bou diem) is one of my favorite Senegalese dishes. This one wasn't as oily and rich as the ones I've had in Senegal, but I guess we gotta stop comparing it to Senegal huh? It was very tasty and had that tomato-y tamarind-y flavor to it. I wish they served extra tamarind in it though. That's my favorite part. The maffé was also very good. The peanut flavor definitely showed up, but I would have liked some more tomato paste flavor and peanut oil to this dish. I still appreciated this dish though. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Yelp shows this place as a three euro place, but I would place it more under two euros. Dishes like Cebu jen take a lot of time and effort, which is why they might be more pricey. It's true that it's a little more upscale, but I honestly feel like this place is worth what you pay. I would definitely come again!

Hands down, best meal I had in Paris! Gorgeous waiters, good wine list and tasty cocktails! As another reviewer stated, I live in San Francisco and this beats the Senegalese restaurant there by miles! (I won't name names but there is only one).

Nicely decorated restaurant with a helpful staff. There is an english menu. The wine selection is nice albeit a little on the expensive side. The platters we ordered were very copious. We had an entry and a main course each and were too stuffed to get a desert. The food is a very good blend of african cuisine with fusion elements. You should at least try it once !

Wonderfully delicious Senegalese food with a great ambiance and a warm, friendly staff. The Poulet Yassa was so good that I considered taking a to-go meal on the Eurostar. Can't wait to visit again next time I'm in Paris.

I don't know why this restaurant had $$$ sign? The food were actually very reasonably priced. I had bitter leaf with rice. The rice was unlimited, but that was not a selling point for me because I don't eat much rice. I bought a side order of plantain with some kind of stew to go for €5. The fried plantain was the mushy type. The one thing that turned me off was the way I was treated when I got in. They asked if it was just me or I was expecting guests. I told them it was only me. The guy looked around to see if there was a corner he can put me - then I said never mind, I'll just make it to go. He then said, why don't you sit by the bar so you can have someone to talk to. Fortunately, I really did not need to talk to anyone because I was on a call. Nonetheless, I thought it would be a good idea, at least I won't be stuck in the hotel room. I eventually understood why he did not want to sit me in the main eating area, their guests come in twos at the minimum, so obviously if I occupy a table, it will be a waste for them. Food was great! I ordered fish pepper soup as appetizer and the bitter leaf with rice as the entree. My entree arrived before my appetizer. I asked him about my pepper soup, he said he forgot. He apologized and brought it within five minutes. I couldn't finish any of the items I ordered, so they nicely packed then for me to go. I will definitely go back whenever I visit again.

Very cosy place, amazing owners. It is the place to go if you want to have a Afro-Caribbean dinner !!! Menu is well explained and for every taste (even for vegan) The only drawback.... the parking, it is hard to find a place nearby but it worth it .

The food was fantastic, the staff very friendly and helpful. We especially enjoyed the jumbo shrimp creole (huge shrimp and delicious sauce), but everything was delicious.