Several of the hotels have restaurant and bar facilities of international standard, serving international cuisine, and most towns have small restaurants serving local and north African dishes. Hotel restaurants are open to non-residents. A particular Malian speciality is La Capitaine Sangha , a kind of Nile perch served with hot chilli sauce, whole fried bananas and rice. There is a limited choice of restaurants.
Most people tend to drink fruit juice rather than alcohol.
Malian tamarind and guava juices are delicious. Visitors to Mali may often be invited to partake in this tea ritual. Bamako has a good selection of nightclubs with music and dancing. Excellent pottery is made in the S gou region, while Timbuktu is a good centre for iron and copper articles, including swords, daggers and traditional household utensils. Malians are hospitable people and will welcome visitors gracefully into their homes.