Épi d’Or

Épi d'Or is a café and bakery on Samora Avenue, one of the main streets of central Dar es Salaam, with a Lebanese slant to its menu. It is a practical and pleasant stop for anyone sightseeing or working in the business district.

The counter is the main attraction. Breads, pastries and cakes are baked on site, and you can take them away or eat in with a coffee. For a more substantial meal, the café serves breakfast and lunch, with snacks, salads and Lebanese mezze such as houmous and baba ghanoush, the smoky aubergine dip. It is a useful choice for vegetarians, who will find more variety here than in many of the grill-focused restaurants downtown.

The café suits office workers, solo travellers and anyone sightseeing in the city centre who wants a break from the heat. It is best for breakfast, a light lunch or an afternoon pastry rather than dinner. Prices sit in the middle of the range for central Dar es Salaam: more than local eateries, but less than the international hotel restaurants nearby.

Samora Avenue runs through the heart of the old city, and the café makes a convenient base for a walking tour. The Askari Monument stands on the roundabout where Samora Avenue meets Maktaba and Azikiwe Streets, and the Clock Tower, built in 1961 when Dar es Salaam became a city, is further along the same avenue. The National Museum, the Botanical Gardens, St Joseph's Cathedral and Azania Front Lutheran Church are all within a short walk, as are the city centre hotels on Kivukoni Front and Sokoine Drive.

Opening hours are not published online, so it is worth calling ahead, especially on Sundays and public holidays, when much of the business district is quiet. Go early in the day for the best choice of pastries, and if you are planning a picnic for an island trip or a long journey, pick up bread and pastries the day before. Keep your bag closed on the busy pavements of Samora Avenue, and use a licensed taxi or bajaj to continue to other parts of the city.