In peacetime, restaurants in the major cities serve European, Chinese, Italian and Somali food. Local food includes lobster, prawn, squid, crab, fresh tuna, Somali bananas, mangoes and papaya. A traditional Somali meal is roast kid and spiced rice.
Local bands playing European and African music perform at nightclubs.
There are frequent traditional feasts with ritualistic and recreational dance, music and folk songs. Informal wear is acceptable and there is no objection to bikinis on the beach.