Evening in Moshi settles in early, and the town's social life tends to start with food. Beer is easy to find here: the town sits on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro and is largely populated by members of the Chagga tribe, who are known for their warm hospitality and their love of a good drink, so getting a beer is rarely much of a problem.
Nightlife in Moshi is low-key and spread out rather than concentrated in one strip. It suits travellers who want a relaxed drink, a meal alongside it, and an early start the next morning for the mountain or a safari, as well as those happy to keep going into the small hours at the town's better-known late spot. Venues come and go, so treat the names below as a starting point and confirm locally.
Where to go out in Moshi
1. The daytime and early-evening bar-restaurants
Several established places serve food as well as drinks, which makes them the natural first stop of an evening. The Police mess, The East Africa Bar, the KNCU restaurant on the top floor of the KNCU building, and the Siesta inn, a 15-minute walk from the main street, are all named as options where you can line your stomach while you sip.
This suits a calm start to the night, or an evening that is really about eating and conversation. On the drinks themselves, the advice is to skip European imports: they are no better than the local stuff and considerably more expensive. Local beers include Kilimanjaro, Safari and Tusker, and the most common local liquor is Konyagi.
2. Glacier, off Lema Road in Shantytown
Glacier is described as a nice outdoors pub, usually with local music nights, and mostly meant for group nights out sitting around the fire. It is a favourite spot for tourists.
It suits a group evening rather than a solo one, and an outdoor setting where music is part of the draw. Note the location off Lema Road in Shantytown if you are arranging transport back.
3. Pub Alberto, for the small hours
If you want to keep the party going into the small hours, this is the place named for it. Pub Alberto is open until around 3:30AM and enjoys a reputation as something of a seedy dive. The dance floor is usually a mass of tourists, local people having a good night out, and ladies of negotiable virtue touting for business.
It suits a late, loud night and people who are comfortable in a rough-and-ready crowd. The practical advice from the source: leave your valuables at home and take only the money you need for a good night's drinking. It is not as bad as some people make out.
4. Hotel and lodge bars
Some accommodation doubles as an evening venue. Honey Badger Lodge and Safaris, in Msaranga about 6 km out of town on the way to Dar Es Salaam, is a hotel, campsite, lodge and safari company with a bar area, a swimming pool and a children's play area, and it can organise local tours and safaris, including an evening of local drumming and food.
This suits families, groups and anyone who prefers a drink close to where they are sleeping. It is outside town, so plan how you are getting there and back.
5. A drink after a day out
If your evening follows a day of activities, the Impala Hotel is recommended for relaxing by the pool and eating poolside, and the YMCA, a bit north of town, has a large, deep pool. Both are daytime-leaning suggestions rather than nightlife as such.
These suit a wind-down rather than a big night, and work well before an early departure.
How a night out unfolds
The sources describe drinking in the daytime and early evening at the bar-restaurants, with the late night reserved for places like Pub Alberto, which stays open until around 3:30AM. Beyond that, the material does not set out mealtimes or how late the town runs in general, so treat your own evening as flexible and ask locally about what is open on the night.
Frequently asked questions
What are the local drinks to try?
Local beers include Kilimanjaro, Safari and Tusker, and the most common local liquor is Konyagi. The advice is to skip European imports, which cost considerably more without being better.
Where can I eat while I drink?
The Police mess, The East Africa Bar, the KNCU restaurant and the Siesta inn all serve food, so you can eat while you drink. The Impala Hotel also serves meals poolside.
How late can I stay out?
Pub Alberto is named as open until around 3:30AM. The sources do not give closing times for other venues.
Is there anywhere with live music?
Glacier is described as usually having local music nights. Honey Badger Lodge and Safaris can organise an evening of local drumming and food.
Decide whether your night is a quiet meal and a local beer or a late one at Pub Alberto, sort out your transport, and plan the evening around the morning you have ahead.