Crafty Dee’s Brewpub

Crafty Dee's is a gastropub with its own microbrewery on Chole Road on the Msasani Peninsula, and it is widely credited as one of Tanzania's first craft beer makers. It was founded by Chintu Patel, who left a 12-year corporate career in communications and technology in 2016 to start brewing, offering an alternative to the country's mainstream lagers.

The beer is the reason to come. The brewery concentrates on pilsners and ales, and the ales in particular offer a broader, fruitier range of flavours than the big commercial brands. Its flagship, Dee's Gold, is a crisp pilsner with tropical fruit notes, and its pilsner won silver at the Craft Brewers Award in Tanzania in 2018. Fodor's also recommends the Belgian ale and the Lagerita cocktail. Production is small, under 1,000 litres a month in the period covered by The EastAfrican, which is why the beers are mostly drunk on site or on draught at a handful of venues in the city, such as the Four Points by Sheraton New Africa.

As a gastropub, it serves food to go with the beer, which makes it a good place for a long afternoon or an evening with friends. Ask the staff which beers are on tap, as small-batch brewing means the line-up can change, and try a few smaller pours if you want to compare styles.

Crafty Dee's suits beer enthusiasts, groups of friends and expatriates and visitors looking for something different from the usual hotel bars. It is relaxed rather than a nightclub, so it is a good choice for conversation. Note that it is closed on Tuesdays, according to Fodor's, and the brewery uses WhatsApp for enquiries, so message ahead to check opening times or reserve for a group.

Chole Road is on the Msasani Peninsula, an easy taxi ride from Oyster Bay, Masaki, Sea Cliff and the Slipway, so it fits well into an evening on the peninsula. Pair a visit with an early dinner at one of the area's restaurants, or with sunset at the Slipway beforehand. As always, use a licensed taxi or ride-hailing car to get home after drinking.