The best bars and cafés Tanzania

It's not easy to find in Tabora. This club is one of the few beacons of Tabora's nightlife, which has the merit of being very lively at weekends, especially during evening concerts. The homemade chicken soup is delicious, as are the barbecued meats. The lady who serves does her best to speak a few words of English. The place is safe even late at night, the drinks are nice and cold, the matches are broadcast live on several big screens and there's a pool table. Large selection of beers, spirits and wines.

Like a ship's prow on the beach, the small bartender's booth at Cocobello overlooks the sand by two large steps, in front of the small hotel and nightclub of the same name. Good cocktails are prepared here - divine pina colada with coconut and fresh pineapple - and the music is local, but well-chosen and danceable. The bass is pushed hard enough to create a festive atmosphere, attracting young Nungwis who hang out in small groups and tourists who criss-cross the beach. Interaction is easy, and the local staff are friendly.

Nungwi's best cocktail bar, adjacent to the eponymous restaurant and facing the sea. Friendly Italian barmaids frantically shake their shakers to prepare some of Nungwi's most creative cocktails. Apple mojito, passion caipiroska, a refreshing green garden (Bombay Saffire gin, cucumber, lime, basil, ginger ale) or a fruity italian mule (Campari, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger ale), the choice is dizzying. Wooden bleachers serve as a small terrace, but you can sit on the beach with your drink.

If you're looking for a Swahili break in the heart of the old town, Café Africa offers all the Zanzibari coffees bought from a small cooperative on the island and flavored with spices, which you'll find on the stalls: coffee with dried mango, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, banana, vanilla... and the same goes for the teas. Smoothies, avocado toast, cheesecakes... The café also sells little African zodiac dolls, made by mothers in difficulty via the NGO Vassalam (www.vassalam.org). The room is beautifully decorated.

This roots reggae-rasta beach bar always plays great music. From reggae to blues and jazz, the playlist is long. You can sit back and enjoy an almost-iced coconut, a fresh fruit cocktail or a good local beer (Kilimanjaro, Safari, Serengeti, etc.). The atmosphere is chill, especially on the deckchairs and hammocks, ideal for watching the dhows go by in front of the sunset. This is precisely the time when the local youth gather for acrobatics, strolls and meetings on the beach in front.

Africa House is one of the oldest hotels on the island, since it was already hosting the English Club in 1888, marking the beginnings of local tourism. A magnificent Swahili building well located on the waterfront, the rooms are unfortunately not maintained and renovated enough, and they remain expensive, and its restaurant is not recommendable. On the other hand, you can have a drink on its large terrace at sunset, facing the sea, and then appreciate its old-fashioned charm. Take a look at its library which has a collection of old books in English.

This cute little coffee shop is very pleasant with its nice furniture, its brightness and its modern look. It serves excellent coffee in all its forms, homemade cakes and snacks (salad or sandwiches), either on the spot or to take away. The Ridge Cafe exists in Mbeya and Dar. Its particularity is that it buys coffee from small farmers in the highlands around Mbeya, Mbozi, Mbinga, Kilimanjaro and Kigoma. The roasted beans are of high quality, following a transparent purchasing process through its cooperatives. Wifi.

This well-located youth hostel on the Masaki Peninsula has a large, refreshing garden with large tables for lunch or dinner. On the menu, a good burger from a long list of compositions (but you can also compose your own) or some simple dishes. Not great food, but it's good, fresh and affordable. Likewise, the inn is a good place for breakfast. In the evening the friendly and cosmopolitan atmosphere, the functional wifi, the nice background music and the large open air space invite you to have a drink here.

This bar is a music hotspot in Dar es Salaam, and it would be a shame to miss out. Elements produces many live concerts and local DJs. The lounge bar comes alive in the evening, the local golden youth sweats on the dancefloor on urban Tanzanian tracks, afro wave, Naija and Bongo Flava but also hip-hop... The place is open air and very Instagramable as a big "I love Dar" invites you to pose for a selfie in the evening. This is a trendy place in Dar that is worth discovering, especially on weekends.

This beautiful, trendy café is located in front of the Protea by Marriott hotel, on the city's northeast coast, on the same street as another café in the same style, Aroma café, on the famous Obama Drive, a pleasant street to visit. Here, you can drink Tanzanian coffee and eat the usual international dishes: salads, wraps, pasta and pizza, rice bowls. It's a menu you'll find just about everywhere in town, with many vegetable-rich compositions. The setting is superb, with lots of wood, well-designed lighting and cool frames on the walls. Good wifi.

A lovely place for a sweet or savoury break on the northwest coast of the Msasani peninsula, not far from the Cape Town Fish Market. A residential house converted into a café-resto. The outside terrace under the trees is really nice, as are the round wax armchairs inside. We come here for an excellent breakfast (with real espressos and freshly squeezed juices), to enjoy a cake, salad or wrap, and to take advantage of the wifi.