Africa

Barometre Marrakech

Step into a mad professor’s underground lab where apothecary jars and brewery piping line the dimly lit bar. Barometre is a first for Marrakesh: an experimental cocktail bar that wouldn't look out of place in...

Tucked within the chambers of the Dar El Bacha museum, this fancy salon cafe intends to bring coffee connoisseurship back to Marrakesh. Prepare to scrape your jaw off the floor when you see the opulent rooms (a...

It feels like there's a bit of Bali and a bit of Senegal in this lively yet relaxed rooftop bar with views of Koutoubia Mosque. Vintage furniture, natural materials and palm prints give the terrace a chic boho...

Mad Giant

A superlative addition to Jozi's inner city, Mad Giant offers excellent craft beers (brewed on-site) paired with delectable Asian-inspired tapas dishes at its classy restaurant Urbanologi. The spectacular...

Tiled floor to ceiling, this is less a tea shop than a decorative box, a kind of tiny theatre in which the voluble Abdellah, a born showman, mixes teas to order from piles of fresh herbs – not just mint, but also...

A craft brewery in the picturesque outskirts of Parys offering excellent brews, a lovely setting and free, informal tours. The brewmaster brings in top-quality hops and malt from Germany, and his creations pair...

In the heart of the Westlands nightlife district, the small Havana Bar packs them in tightly over two floors and is an enduring Nairobi favourite, drawing a broad cross-section of night owls, prostitutes among...

M’Rabet

There's no shortage of characterful cafes and restaurants in the medina, but this one tops them all. The downstairs space with its arches, rug-adorned platform seating and painted columns may initially present as...

The Cap d’Or, just off Sharia Saad Zaghloul, is one of the only surviving typical Alexandrian bars. With beer flowing generously, stained-glass windows, a long marble-topped bar, plenty of ancient memorabilia...

Named after the nearby lane, the mixologists here prepare some tempting artisanal libations with curious names including Knicker-Dropper Glory, Dollymop and Daylight Daisy, using ingredients as varied as peanut...

Fishawi’s

Probably the oldest ahwa in the city, and certainly the most celebrated, Fishawi’s has been a great place to watch the world go by since 1773. It's all clouded mirrors and copper tabletops that ooze old-world...

Connect Coffee

One of Nairobi's best and coolest cafes, Connect brings coffee sourced directly from farmers in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda to your table, and the barista-prepared offerings range from pour-over filter coffee to a...

A favourite watering hole for many locals, expats and tourists (and basically anyone who likes a drink) is this tropical dive bar, set in an open-air shack centred around a palm tree. There's a pool table, sports...

On the hilltop in front of Dakar's iconic lighthouse, this open-air bar draws a dance-loving crowd on Friday nights, when it hosts live music jams. On Saturday nights DJs rule the roost (the cover for either...

The Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union, representing tens of thousands of coffee smallholders, runs this stylish shop. Although it also serves good pizzas, pastas and burgers (meals Tsh8000 to Tsh18,000), it's...

Geek out about coffee at this lab staffed with passionate roasters and baristas. Their beans, which come from single farms, estates and co-ops from around the world, are packaged with tasting notes such as those...

Craft beers have been slow to take off in Nairobi, but Brew is a lesson in how to do things. The rooftop bar is a beacon of the Nairobi night for its heady mix of German beers, salsa dancing and live music. With...

Off Haile Gebreselassie Rd, tucked up an alley behind the Axum Hotel, this is Addis’ top tej bet (honey wine) and the only one to serve pure-honey tej. Signposted only in Amharic (as one local assured us, 'after...

Mooteebar

Mooteebar – a play on the Zulu word muthi – serves upscale cocktails inspired by South African traditional medicine. The hand-drawn menu describes the feelings each cocktail evokes, rather than the actual...

The street terrace at this charmingly old-fashioned cafe with wrought-iron balustrades has cracking views of the Koutoubia Minaret across the road. Despite its touristy position, it's a favourite hang-out for...