The café culture in Asmara is the best on the continent. Italian-style espresso bars line Liberation Avenue, with terrazzo floors, chrome counters, and pastries displayed under glass. A macchiato costs the equivalent of a few cents and is served fast, hot, and very well. By six in the evening the cafés are packed with locals on the daily promenade.
For something stronger, the same cafés double as bars: Asmara Beer on tap, the local zibib (anise spirit), and bottled red wine from Eritrean vineyards near Asmara. Cinema Roma, Sweet Asmara, Bar Royal, and the bar at the Asmara Theatre are all worth a stop. Most cafés close around ten.