Eat · Polana (evening)
Costa do Sol (seafood restaurant on the bay)
A bayside seafood restaurant for a slow prawn lunch or a sunset dinner: go by taxi, book for weekends, and agree the prawn price before the kitchen starts.
- Bay views and prawns
- Book for weekends
- Take a taxi both ways
- Order: Prawns with a bay view
- Table seating
- Walk-in window: before 12:30
- Queue risk: 12:30–14:30
- Bring cash
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 11Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…Chapas (shared minibuses) are crowded and not for suitcases
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
- Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
- Mozambique ↗Many Western passports are visa-exempt for 30 days but still need an approved travel authorisation from the official evisa.gov.mz portal before departure; it cannot be bought on arrival.
- Mozambique ↗Carry your passport or a certified copy at all times; police document checks are common.
- Mozambique ↗Governments advise against travel to parts of Cabo Delgado province in the north; check your own government's advice for the exact areas.
- Maputo and the Deep South ↗Do not drive between Maputo and the southern beaches after dark; potholes, animals and unlit vehicles make night driving the main road risk.
- Maputo ↗Chapas (shared minibuses) are crowded and not for suitcases: use a taxi or a pre-booked car whenever you carry luggage.
- Maputo ↗After dark, ride between hotel and dinner even for a few blocks; keep phones and cameras out of sight in the street.
- Maputo ↗Do not photograph police, soldiers, government buildings, the port or the airport.
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Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Lunch and dinner; check the day
Busy this hour
Estimate by hour below
Easiest walk-in
before 12:30
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Paying
Bring cash
Per person
MZN 1,000–2,5002026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
Tip
Format
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Your first order
- Grilled tiger prawns (per kilo)camarão grelhadoThe reason to come.MZN 1,200–2,500
Menus and prices change; the board on the day wins.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
How to order
- Book by phone and ask for a table by the sea.
- Order prawns by weight and confirm the total in meticais.
Tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
Allergies and diets
- AskVegetarian · Limited to sides; ask. · say: “Não como carne nem peixe.”
- NoVegan · Very hard.
- Not on fileHalal · Seafood is halal in principle (check).
- AskGluten-free · Grills are simple; ask about sauces.
- NoShellfish allergy · Not safe. · say: “Sou alérgico a marisco.”
- AskPeanut allergy · Matapa and some sauces use peanuts; ask. · say: “Sou alérgico a amendoim.”
Paying
Bring cash
- Ask for the bill before dessert if you are short of time.
- A 10% service charge may be added; check.
- Cards accepted at many tables; cash also.
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Reservations
- Taken
- Note
- Book for Friday to Sunday and for groups (check the phone number).
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
The pin marks the centre of Polana (evening): this place has no exact point on file.
Eat in Polana (evening)
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
- 1Book by phone and ask for a table by the sea.
- 2Order prawns by weight and confirm the total in meticais.
No shared language? Tap dishes in the order builder below and show the waiter the full-screen list in the local script. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom dia | bom DEE-ah |
| How much is this? | Quanto custa? | KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Not spicy, please | Sem picante, por favor | sem pee-KAN-tch, poor fah-VOR |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favor | ah KON-tah, poor fah-VOR |
| Help! | Socorro! | soh-KOH-hoo |
| Thank you (man / woman) | Obrigado / Obrigada | oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| Delicious! | Delicioso! | deh-lee-SEE-oh-zoo |
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Weight: Prawns are weighed raw and cooked. — Ask which price applies.
- Service: A service charge may be added. — Ask before tipping.
Paying and tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
- Ask for the bill before dessert if you are short of time.
- A 10% service charge may be added; check.
- Cards accepted at many tables; cash also.
- Tipping: Not fixed: round up for drivers; 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added.
- Check the bill for a service charge before you tip.
At the table
- Book a taxi back before dark; do not walk.
- Agree the price of seafood before it is cooked.
- Drink bottled water and skip ice from street stalls.
- Order rice or chips with grills and share dishes.
Price and paying
- Typical spend
- MT 1,000–2,500 per person (2026 estimate)
Paying, diet and allergies
Paying
Meticais in small notes; the safest method.
Cards accepted at many tables (check).
M-Pesa and mobile wallets are common for locals; visitor use varies (check).
Some tourist places take US dollars at a poor rate; pay in meticais.
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianask
Limited to sides; ask.
Show: Não como carne nem peixe.
- Veganno
Very hard.
- Halalnot on file
Seafood is halal in principle (check).
- Gluten-freeask
Grills are simple; ask about sauces.
- Shellfish allergyno
Not safe.
Show: Sou alérgico a marisco.
- Peanut allergyask
Matapa and some sauces use peanuts; ask.
Show: Sou alérgico a amendoim.
What is in the dishes
- Grilled tiger prawns (per kilo)camarão grelhadoshellfish
- Grilled fishpeixe grelhadofish
- Salad and breadsalada e pãowheat
Read from the menu names and notes; recipes vary and cross-contact is not tested. Check with the kitchen.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Who it suits, booking, closures
- How to book
- Book by phone.
- How far ahead
- A day ahead for weekends and groups
- No-show / cancel fee
- Cancel by phone if you cannot come
- Dress code
- Casual; smart-casual for dinner.
| When | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Public holidays | check before you go | Short hours. |
| Weather | check before you go | Storms may close the terrace. |
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Hour by hour, with queue times
Quietest listed hour: 12:00 (light).
- 12:00lightlittle or no wait
- 13:00heavyexpect a lineBook ahead
- 14:00heavyexpect a line
- 15:00lightlittle or no wait
- 18:00busya short wait is possible
- 19:00heavyexpect a line
- 20:00busya short wait is possible
Desk estimate of crowd on a weekday; weekends and public holidays run one level higher. Not live data. No line length is on file, so waits are in words.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Restrooms
- Restroom on site · accessible restroom: check
- Seating
- Chairs at tables
- Kids
- kids' menu: ask · stroller: ok · Plain fish suits children
- Access
- step-free: check · Bayside restaurant; check steps
Hygiene
- A regular restaurant; choose hot dishes.
- Ask for bottled water.
Facts
- Reservations
- Taken — Book for Friday to Sunday and for groups (check the phone number).
- Capabilities
- food · seated_rest · toilet
- Getting there
- Costa do Sol, north on the Marginal by taxi (field-verify the address) · ~3 min walk
Cons
- Far from the centre: a taxi in both directions.
- Weekend queues and slow service.
- Prices are higher than the Baixa.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Camarão grelhado | Grilled prawns. | Ask for the size and the price per kilo. |
| Matapa | Cassava leaves cooked with peanuts and coconut. | A rich local dish; ask if it has shrimp. |
| Cerveja | Beer. | Ask for the local brands. |
Price check
- locals pay
- Menu prices are the same for all; tourist menus add a service charge.
- tourist price
- Prawns are priced by weight and the price changes with the catch.
- rule
- A 10% service charge may be added; check.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Prawns are weighed raw and cooked. | Ask which price applies. |
| Service | A service charge may be added. | Ask before tipping. |
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Do I need to book?
Yes for weekends and groups; lunch on weekdays is usually walk-in (check).
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
How do I get there?
By taxi; ask the driver to wait or book the return.
Is it worth the price?
For the bay view and a slow prawn lunch, yes; for a cheap meal, go to the Baixa.
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
All places to eat in Maputo, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Maputo in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Maputo
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.