Mwanza is not a nightlife town in the Dar es Salaam sense, but the lakeshore comes alive in the evenings. The Mwanza Yacht Club bar on Capripoint is the standard sundowner spot for the international community: cold beer, simple food, a swimming dock, and an unobstructed view of the lake turning pink at six. Day visitors pay a small fee.
In the city centre, the bars around the Tilapia Hotel and along Kenyatta Road are busier, louder, and more local: bottles of Kilimanjaro and Serengeti lager, bongo flava on the speakers, and crowds spilling out onto the pavement. Bulldog Pub in the centre is the long-running expat bar with a pool table and televised football. For coffee, a handful of cafes in the centre — including the small Salma chain — do reasonable espresso and pastries.
The largest weekend club nights happen at venues around Nyakato north of town; Friday and Saturday they run until very late. Take a taxi back to your hotel — the central streets are not a place to walk alone at night.