Bars in Mbale range from hotel lounges and restaurant bars to more social city spots, so the right choice depends on whether you want conversation, food, a late drink or somewhere to meet before dinner. We have two of them on one property: the 1950s Bar and Roots Bar. Both sit a short walk from Masaaba Restaurant, the gardens and our guest rooms.
Choose by the Kind of Evening You Want
A bar can serve very different purposes. A business traveller may want one quiet drink after meetings. Friends may want a social evening with food nearby. A couple may want somewhere that works after dinner. Guests staying overnight usually want somewhere they can walk back from without arranging transport.
Start with those needs before you choose a venue. Location matters more after dark, particularly if you do not know Mbale well. Food matters if the group has not eaten. Noise matters if people actually want to talk. Transport matters if alcohol is part of the evening.
Our two bars suit people who want to keep the evening on one property. If you have eaten at Masaaba Restaurant you can move to a bar afterwards, and if you are staying with us you can go back to your room without leaving the grounds.
The 1950s Bar
Our 1950s Bar takes its name from the decade our building comes from. We furnished it to suit the period rather than making it a generic modern lounge: timber panelling, low lamplight and a room that feels older than it is loud. We pour cocktails, wine, spirits and local drinks.
It is the natural stop for guests who want a drink without leaving the property. It also works before dinner at Masaaba Restaurant, or after a business meeting when colleagues want to carry on talking somewhere less formal.
If you are interested in the building itself, this is the room where the period is most legible — see our history page. Do ask our staff about service on the night you come, since we adjust bar operations around events and busy periods.
Roots Bar
Roots Bar is our second bar, and it is the more relaxed, garden-facing of the two. We serve cocktails, local beer, fresh juices and spirits there. It has a different job from the heritage-led 1950s Bar and we run it that way deliberately.
A garden bar works well for casual conversation and small groups, and for people meeting before dinner who want to sit outside while the weather holds. Mbale evenings do turn cool, so an outdoor seat will not suit everyone all night — there is indoor seating either way.
Having two bars means we can serve different moods without sending you to another hotel. Which one is quieter on a given night depends on what else we have running, and our staff will tell you honestly.
A Bar After Dinner
A drink after dinner is easier when the bar is close to the restaurant. Ours are on the same property as Masaaba Restaurant, so couples, friends and business groups can finish a meal and then decide whether the evening continues.
That is particularly useful if you do not know Mbale. There is no hunting for transport or picking another venue late in the evening. If you are staying with us, you can go straight back to your room when you are ready.
If your group is not drinking alcohol, the bar still works as a social space. We keep fresh juice, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic choices so the evening stays open to everyone.
For Business Travellers
Work trips often end in informal conversation. A visiting manager may want to speak with local colleagues after the formal meeting without booking another room, and a hotel bar does that well when the subject is not confidential.
We already host conferences, workshops and business stays, so our bars sit naturally beside that trade. A group can move from one of our meeting rooms to dinner and finish with a drink, all on one site.
Keep confidential work in a meeting room, though. Bars are public spaces. Use ours for relationship building and ordinary conversation, not for sensitive personnel or contract discussion — and if you need a private room at short notice, ask us.
For Couples
Couples usually want a bar where conversation is still possible. We can offer you a choice between the character of the 1950s Bar and the more open, garden-facing Roots Bar, with dinner at Masaaba Restaurant before either.
For an anniversary or a planned date, ask us whether another event is running that night. A wedding or large function changes noise levels and seating, and we will tell you which area suits a quieter evening.
If you are staying overnight the logistics are simplest of all: finish the evening and walk back to your room rather than arranging a late drive.
For Groups and Friends
Groups of friends need enough seating and a clear plan for food. If there are a lot of you, contact us before you arrive. A bar table that works for four does not work for fifteen, especially on a busy evening.
If you are marking a birthday, a graduation or a company occasion, decide whether it is still a casual meet-up or has become an event. Decorations, cakes, speeches and a reserved section need an event enquiry, and we would rather set that up properly than improvise it on the night.
Let us handle the food through the restaurant rather than expecting bar snacks to carry the whole evening. Eat at Masaaba Restaurant first and move to the bar afterwards.
Drinking Responsibly
Decide transport before the evening gets late. If you are staying with us the answer is easy, because your room is on the property. If you live in Mbale or are staying elsewhere and plan to drink, arrange a driver, a taxi or another safe way home first.
Make room for people who do not drink. A good evening out does not depend on everyone ordering alcohol, and we keep juice, soft drinks and other options for exactly that reason.
And eat properly if there is alcohol in the evening. Starting with dinner here is the simplest way to do it.
Before the first drink: decide how everyone gets home. A room, a designated driver or arranged transport is easier to plan at the start of the evening.
Bars as Part of a Mbale Weekend
Most visitors come to Mbale for Sipi Falls, Wanale, Mount Elgon or work, and then have an open evening. A hotel bar gives that evening some shape without adding another excursion. After a day on the road or the trail, staying near your room is often the better call than crossing town again.
A weekend here might be a daytime visit to Sipi, dinner at Masaaba Restaurant and a drink at one of the bars. The next day might stay entirely in Mbale — our gardens, spa and pool give you other ways to spend the hours between meals.
Do not turn every evening into a programme. Sometimes one drink and an early night is the right plan before another early start.
Food, Bars and Planning the Late Evening
Do not leave food until the end of the night. If your group plans to drink, settle where dinner happens first. Our restaurant and bars share one property, which makes the sequence straightforward: eat together, then move to whichever bar suits the mood.
If you are staying elsewhere in Mbale, check closing arrangements and transport before the evening starts. Our service hours do change, and third-party listings for us are often out of date — call us directly to confirm a planned group visit.
And if you are leaving early for Mount Elgon or Sipi the next day, keep the evening short enough to protect the morning. A late night and an early hike do not pair well.
Bar Etiquette
You do not need special rules to use a bar in Mbale, but ordinary courtesy helps. Ask before moving tables together, keep walkways clear, and speak to our staff if your group grows beyond the original reservation. Our bars serve local residents, hotel guests and event groups at the same time, so no one party owns the room.
Keep your belongings close rather than spread across spare chairs. If you are meeting someone for the first time, pick a table where conversation is easy and both of you are comfortable. If you are travelling with a passport or travel documents, leave them in the room safe rather than carrying them out for an evening drink.
Ask us about payment options if you are unsure, particularly if the group plans to settle one bill at the end. We would rather sort that out at the start of the evening than at midnight.
Sport and Social Evenings
Some evenings are built around a match, music or a gathering rather than quiet drinks. What we are showing or hosting changes week to week, so ring us and ask about the night you have in mind rather than relying on an old social media post.
If a match matters to your group, confirm the arrangement with us before everyone arrives — screen position, seating and sound all affect whether the room works for that plan. If you would rather have a quiet evening, ask us which bar or seating area is less busy that night.
Big social evenings also affect restaurant timing. If you plan to eat first, book the meal and leave enough space before the bar so nobody is rushing between tables.
Bars FAQ
Does Mount Elgon Hotel have a bar? We have two: the 1950s Bar and Roots Bar, alongside Masaaba Restaurant.
What is the difference between the 1950s Bar and Roots Bar? The 1950s Bar draws on the age of our building — classic drinks, older character, more enclosed. Roots Bar is the more relaxed social space, with a garden setting.
Can non-residents use the bars? Yes. Our bars are part of the food and drink we offer to Mbale residents as well as to our guests. Call us if you want to confirm access on a particular night or reserve for a group.
Can I eat before going to the bar? Yes. Masaaba Restaurant is on the same property, so dinner comes before drinks without another transfer.
Are the bars suitable for business groups? They work well for informal conversation after meetings. Keep confidential discussion in one of our meeting rooms.
Should a large group reserve space at the bar? Talk to us first. Large groups, birthdays and company gatherings usually need seating or event arrangements beyond an ordinary walk-in visit.
Visit Our Bars
At Mount Elgon Hotel & Spa you get two bar choices on the same property as Masaaba Restaurant, the gardens and our guest rooms. Call +256 709 748 009 or +256 781 392 961, or email info@mountelgonhotel.com, if you are planning a group evening, dinner followed by drinks, or an overnight stay. Mount Elgon Hotel & Spa, Plot 30 Masaba Road, Mbale.