Forget the tourist lists — this is where the community actually eats. Xiaobei (exit Line 5, look for the pedestrian overpass) is still the beating heart, an area where Africans can be found speaking Arabic, Bambara, French, Portuguese, Lingala, Malagasy, Yoruba or Igbo. For grilled fish and cheap suds, regulars head to Moustache Bar — a popular hangout amongst African expats and visitors to the city, Moustache Bar serves a mean grilled fish, plus fufu and fried plantain to round it out.

For proper West African home-cooking, African Pot in Wangshengtang is the move — a popular African restaurant in town serving traditional West African cuisine, owned by an African business man and his Chinese wife, located on the second floor of Tongtong trade city. Ghanaians swear by Asanka Royale for banku and fufuo, while Nganda Maboke gets consistent love as a much preferred African restaurant serving African food. Craving injera? Abyssinia's your Ethiopian fix.

Grocery runs happen right alongside the wholesale markets — Sanyuanli and Xiaobei aren't just for clothes and shoes, the same strips hold the spice shops and halal butchers that keep home cooking going. Sanyuanli itself draws businesses from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, with halal restaurants and currency exchange services catering to its diverse clientele. Pro tip: go hungry, go with cash, and ask around — the best spots rarely show up on Google Maps.