Black & White Lounge
Black & White Lounge operates in the Bastos area as a late-night option for professionals who aren't ready for a full nightclub but don't want to go home after dinner. The venue is a converted space with a sleek black-and-white interior (the name is literal), a bar with proper spirits and cocktail capability, booth seating, high tables, and a small area that serves as a dance floor when the DJ raises the tempo. Capacity is about 80 to 100. The cocktail menu covers classics and a few signature drinks, with prices that sit between Brasserie du Carrefour's bar menu and Le Katios' nightclub rates. DJ sets on Friday and Saturday evenings move through lounge, Afrobeats, and danceable French pop, with the volume calibrated for the transitional space between bar and club. The crowd is professional Yaounde: well-dressed, slightly older than the club crowd, and looking for an evening that involves dancing but not the full nightclub commitment. Black & White fills the gap between dinner and Le Katios, and for many Bastos regulars, it's the final destination rather than a waypoint.
What to Expect
A monochrome interior with strategic lighting that shifts from intimate to animated as the evening progresses. The bar occupies one end, booths line the walls, and a central area opens for dancing after 10 PM. The DJ starts low and builds. The crowd arrives in waves: early for cocktails, later for dancing. The atmosphere walks a careful line between lounge and club.
Sophisticated late-night energy. The monochrome design creates a mood that's both modern and intimate. The transition from lounge to dance floor is seamless.
DJ sets moving from lounge and neo-soul early to Afrobeats, coupe-decale, and French pop as the night progresses. The volume builds with the crowd.
Smart casual to semi-formal. The crowd dresses intentionally. Men in good trousers and leather shoes, women in evening-appropriate outfits. The monochrome decor encourages monochrome fashion.
Professionals wanting late-night cocktails with optional dancing. Couples continuing an evening after dinner. Anyone who finds nightclubs too intense but bars too sedate.
Cards accepted. Cash (CFA Francs) accepted. Mobile money accepted. Full payment flexibility.
Price Range
Cocktails XAF 2,500-5,000, wine XAF 1,500-3,500 per glass, beer XAF 800-1,200, entry free
Cocktails ~$4.10-8.25 / EUR 3.80-7.60, wine ~$2.50-5.75 / EUR 2.30-5.35
Hours
Thursday-Saturday 7 PM to 2 AM
Insider Tip
Arrive around 9 PM for the transition from lounge to dancing. The booth seating fills first on Fridays; arrive early or reserve. The espresso martini is the strongest cocktail on the menu. Saturday is the bigger night but Friday has the more interesting crowd.
Full Review
Black & White Lounge solves a problem that every nightlife district faces: what do you do after dinner and drinks but before going home, when it's too late for a restaurant but too early (or too much) for a nightclub? The answer, executed here with more style than most Yaounde venues manage, is a lounge that builds toward dancing.
The interior design is the most deliberate in Bastos. The black-and-white color scheme is applied with restraint: dark walls, white accent lighting, monochrome furniture, and the occasional metallic accent. The effect is sophisticated without being cold. The lighting design adjusts through the evening, starting warm and intimate at 8 PM and shifting to more dynamic patterns by 11 PM when the dance floor activates.
The cocktail program sits above the Bastos average. The bar stocks proper ingredients and the bartender executes with training. An espresso martini arrives with actual crema and proper vodka. A whiskey sour uses fresh lemon and genuine egg white. These are not exceptional achievements by global standards, but in Yaounde's context they represent deliberate investment in quality.
The DJ programming is the venue's secret weapon. The set opens with lounge music, neo-soul, and light jazz that complement conversation and cocktails. As the evening progresses and the crowd builds, the tempo rises through danceable Afrobeats and coupe-decale, reaching a peak around midnight where the distinction between lounge and club dissolves. The transition is gradual enough that you find yourself dancing without having made a conscious decision to start.
The crowd appreciates this calibration. These are people who might go to Le Katios on a big night but prefer the Black & White Lounge's controlled energy on most weekends. The conversation quality is high early in the evening, when the diplomat and NGO crowd discusses work and life. Later, as the dancing takes over, the social dynamics shift to the dance floor's own logic.
The venue's main limitation is capacity. At 80 to 100, the space fills on popular nights, and the dance area feels compressed when the crowd peaks. There's no VIP overflow or outdoor expansion option. On the busiest Fridays, arriving after 10 PM may mean standing room only. But for anyone who times it right, Black & White Lounge offers Bastos' most elegant late-night experience.
The Neighborhood
Bastos diplomatic quarter, within the orbit of Carrefour Bastos and the embassy row. Other Bastos venues are within short taxi rides. The street is residential and quiet, typical of the diplomatic quarter's character.
Getting There
Taxi from Carrefour Bastos area costs XAF 500-1,500 ($0.80-2.50). From the city center, XAF 1,500-3,000 ($2.50-5). The venue is on a Bastos side street; give the driver the specific name. Pre-arrange return transport for late-night departure.
Address
Bastos, Yaounde
Other Venues in Bastos Area
Le Katios
Yaounde's best-known nightclub in the Bastos area. International DJ sets, a large dance floor, and a crowd mixing diplomats with local professionals. Music ranges from Afrobeats to French house. Entry XAF 3,000-5,000.
Brasserie du Carrefour
French-style brasserie and bar popular with the embassy crowd for after-work drinks. Good food, cold beer, and a terrace for outdoor seating. The kind of place where UN employees decompress on Friday evenings. Beer XAF 800-1,500.
Santa Lucia
Italian restaurant and cocktail bar with a garden setting. Attracts Yaounde's professional class for dinner and drinks. The atmosphere shifts from restaurant to bar as the evening progresses. Cocktails XAF 3,000-6,000.
Le Must Bar
Compact bar near the Bastos roundabout drawing a mixed crowd of NGO workers, journalists, and local creatives. Cheap beer, occasional live music, and conversations that tend toward politics and current affairs. Beer XAF 600-1,000.