Les Cordons Bleus

The food was tasty and made with local ingredients, and the owner and staff were friendly. It’s a small, well-run hotel in a good location. But it’s seriously overpriced: a room for two costs about as much as two rooms at a similar small inn in Dakar.

The food was a real highlight. My stay included three courses: an excellent seafood starter, a very tender beef main with fries and vegetables, and a tiny French-toast-style dessert. My companions had fresh fried fish and fruit, plus fresh fruit cocktails with alcohol that they loved. Breakfast the next morning was a delicious omelette. The owner sat with us, offered a drink after the meal, and chatted about our lives and travels. Every staff member was kind and attentive, and I loved my time at Les Cordons Bleus. I’d happily come back and only wish I could’ve stayed for the whole trip. My little cabin was cute, spotless, and smelled wonderful. The air conditioning and electricity worked the whole time. The bathroom was very nice, with hot water and the toilet separate from the sink. There were mosquito nets, which were needed, and two comfortable beds, a twin and a queen. I slept fantastically. I was also pleasantly surprised by the two beautiful, very clean pools, one infinity pool and another long enough for laps. My tour guide had booked the place for me, so I hadn't expected them.

The setting wasn't the peaceful retreat we wanted. Music played through the day and evenings, and staff shouted to one another in the restaurant. A huge fence around the property blocked the delta views, and there were no hammocks like the photos showed, one reason I'd booked. The place also looked poorly maintained and didn't match the pictures. We stayed at Les Cordons Bleus in December 2018, and it was a letdown compared with other places we'd stayed in Siné Saloum. The manager told us drinks were included, but we were charged extra when we arrived. Room and meal prices felt far too high for the quality and service. We had checked several times that vegetarian meals were possible, but they made little effort. One meal was cheese on toast with a bit of tomato, and they kept reheating meals, sometimes for the same evening and sometimes for the next day. Appalling service. I wouldn't recommend it.

The manager was the saving grace: he was exceptional and spoke English. The rooms had working air conditioning and mosquito coils, but the hotel itself needs a lot of repairs, which wasn't what I expected for the price. Meals and excursions were expensive too. Breakfast definitely wasn't worth 6€, and the main dishes and excursions cost far too much. A water bottle was 1200, compared with 250 in town, where you can also go for meals and excursions.