The best cocktail bars Tanzania

Pajé by Night is a lively spot on weekend evenings in season, with large, cosy sofas and poufs, where excellent barmaids serve cocktails facing the sea. Underneath its calm exterior, the place quickly becomes festive after dark, especially around the bar. Well-chosen music and swimming pool. The burger restaurant is also a good choice for lunch or dinner. The place also offers double rooms, all close to the beach (800 m away), but the prices are too high for the services on offer. Yoga classes open to non-guests.

This new luxury boutique hotel, opening in 2022, overlooks the Indian Ocean from the rocky coral foothills at the southern end of Jambiani, at the very end of the village. A position that guarantees true exclusivity and a sumptuous view from the heights. Its designer pool is particularly beautiful and sophisticated. If you don't want to stay here, you can always come for lunch or dinner to enjoy the setting. The drinks menu, especially the refined cocktails, invites you to stop for a drink, especially at aperitif time.

The luxurious Z Hotel has dedicated the top and second floor of its restaurant to a cocktail and champagne bar, overlooking the entire Nungwi beach and the hypnotic turquoise blue water. One of the best spots also at sunset, depending on the time. The bartender offers a champagne menu (after all, this place is worth it) and excellent cocktails (not to be missed during happy hour), house compositions and well-balanced classics. A DJ comes to play some chill tunes to let people chat on big sofas.

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.

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.