The Ntinda bar round up 2023

Us OG people of Ntinda we like our beer. And when i say OG, i mean Yakobo’s, The Deep, The Shallow end days, the days before Rock Catalina was a clinic, before a supermarket was erected to erase what was truly a landmark strip.

Another thing that we like, is the simplicity, ease and camaraderie of beer drinking. People from different places come together to laugh, shoot pool, (play pool?) and most importantly, talk. Do not think of beer as just a drug. In this instance, I beg you to think of the act of drinking it with community as well…a salve.

Back then, the bars tended to be quite simple places, where anyone could join any group and bond. This has changed, and sometimes for the better, but in most cases it has meant that the beer price has gone way up. Beer for as much as 10K! In Ntinda! Blasphemy!

Now the holidays are coming up and if you’re looking for somewhere decent to have some affordable beer, I’ve got you.

Old timers 7K

Does anything spell Ntinda in the last couple of years like this place? They shifted about before finally settling in Ministers village, but at each of those places, you would find the same people. And listen, you don’t have to talk to everyone or anyone for that matter, it’s just comforting to see them. Kind of like a sign that says, ‘You’re in the right place.’

The soul of this place is somewhat intangible… I’m recluse to share too much least y’all flood it and kill it. I once met a group of young ladies there who asked me, ‘Do they only play old school here?’ I nodded happily, before directing them to a place where they could find “happening” music.

I daresay that a big part of this soul lies in 5 letters, PETER. You can practically feel it when he hasn’t been there for a while. Peter if you must leave, teach the next person to do what you do.

Beer here goes for 7k

The corner Table 6 and 5K

They have cornered the market on local food AND customer care. Everyone, from the Askari to the person in the kitchen is so lovely. And it’s not just because I’m a regular. Everyone I’ve directed to the place promises to and does return. Trust me, I’ve kept track.

At present, they have the most affordable beer for a decent place in the area. The place is green and the loos are always clean (the girls’). I don’t know about the boys’.

The fact that they serve food from the North and the East makes them especially unique. It is hard to come by diverse cuisine in Ntinda. Malewa? They’ve got that. Malakwang? That too. Boo? You bet.

Beer is 6k and 5k at happy hour on Friday and Saturday.

Nameless bar 4k

It’s not called Nameless bar, I just don’t know its name. Since we are in the Minister’s village area, allow me to direct you to Nameless bar. Now. You see where UNEB is? Go up there, before the church. Awo awo.

This is another mainstay of Ntinda, bars with no names/signs. Nameless bar has a guy who roasts meat and I’ve been told it’s good. The soul of the place is old old old school.

At 4k, this place has the cheapest beer i could fine. I didn’t go to the loos because I was having a good day and didn’t want to shock myself.

PS: There are a few places in this area that look like shops and other things in the day time but turn into drinkeries at dusk. Plastic chairs are pulled out, cars parked, bottles opened and conversation flows. Before you cough at that, know that this is also a common phenomenon in parts of Rome. (I went to Italy nanti.)

EDIT: I went back to this bar in the day time. There was not much rough about it actually. Even more exciting was the fact that the bathrooms were spotless; cleaner than some of those places selling beer for a lot more money. The whole place was really clean.

Another thing that made it a stand out was that people there were so warm: “Hello’s” all over the place. I haven’t seen that in a long time. A priest, with a collar, also passed by and said a prayer for us.

Elements 4.5K

It looked nice and green and the music was at a controlled temperature so i ventured. It was beautiful and affordable and had that cosiness that so many giant bars lack. I REALLY liked it. But then I asked to see the loos before settling in annnnnd I left. Ain’t no bady gon drink beer and squat over a loo, no thank you.

At just 4500shs a beer, the price was too high for me to pay.

Inyamat 7K

So then I crossed over to Inyamat Village. It’s good over there. The green is divine, the loos are decent, the beer is 7k.

One day at Inyamat, the power went off briefly and I could hear MCLyte rock the party over Elements but not even that and the promise to save 2500shs a bottle could convince me to brave their “bathrooms”.

Another good thing about Inyamat is that they take feedback. Their music used to be painfully loud, they listened to their customers and adjusted. Now you can enjoy the beauty of the place without getting a headache and losing your voice in a bid to talk to your company.

The Sleak place 7k

The Sleak place is okay once in a while. It’s pretty tight and loud in there but they somehow make it work. They also used to have great pizza, but if they changed their chef, i can not vouch for it today.

The Sleak place, I think, is able to serve 2 audiences, the ones who genuinely want to have a beer in a nice place and those who would rather be SEEN to have a beer in a nice place. This is a tenuous rope they are walking and I don’t know how they are pulling it off but they are.

Beer here goes for 7k

Nameless bar 2 5k

Before I leave this area entirely, I must tell you about the bars across the road from The Sleak place. They are the old town Ntinda bars incarnate. There are quite a few but I’ll focus on the one at the bottom with the Ffene tree. This little place can comfortably sit about 5 people on the inside. There is external sitting to the right but no one really likes to sit there so people tend to happily crowd on the veranda and on the left.

If you want a memory of Yakobo’s, but cleaner visit here.

Beer goes for 5k.

Know a place that should be on the list? Let me know and happy holidays!