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Entebbe’s best places to eat are its lakeside restaurants and hotel terraces on Lake Victoria, where the classic order is whole fried or grilled tilapia with chips, matooke or rice, and its small town-centre cafés and local restaurants. Established hotels such as the Protea Hotel by Marriott and The Boma serve reliable international menus, and many guesthouses cook good dinners for guests. Most international flights arrive late at night or leave in the evening, so a lakeside lunch or dinner is an easy way to start or end a gorilla safari.
Lakeside fish
The signature Entebbe meal is fish from Lake Victoria: a whole tilapia or a fillet of Nile perch, deep-fried or grilled, served with chips, matooke or rice and a tomato and onion salad.
You will find it at relaxed beach-front restaurants and bars along the lake shore and at fish places near the landing sites, where it is often cheaper and very fresh. Lunch by the water, watching fishing boats and birds, is one of the nicest ways to fill a day before an evening flight. Expect a whole fish to take a while to cook.
Hotel restaurants
Hotel restaurants are the most dependable choice for a first or last night, with international dishes, Ugandan options and card payment. The Protea Hotel by Marriott on the lakeshore has a terrace restaurant with lake views, The Boma serves well-regarded meals in a garden setting, and lakeside resorts such as the Botanical Beach Hotel offer relaxed waterfront dining. Many smaller guesthouses near the airport serve dinner and early breakfast for guests on overnight flights; ask when you book.
Local restaurants and cafés
In the town centre and along the main roads, local restaurants serve lunch plates of matooke, rice, posho, beans, groundnut sauce, greens and stews at low prices, and street stalls make rolexes and grilled meat. Cafés serve coffee from Ugandan farms, juices and light meals. Supermarkets in town and in the shopping area on the airport road are handy for snacks and water before a road trip. See our guides to Ugandan street food and Ugandan food basics.
Combining a meal with a visit
Entebbe is small, so it is easy to pair lunch with a short visit: the Botanical Gardens on the lakeshore, the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre, often called the Entebbe zoo, or a morning boat trip to Mabamba Swamp to look for the shoebill. Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a half-day trip by boat; see our itinerary combining gorillas and Ngamba Island.
Practical tips
Prices at lakeside and hotel restaurants are moderate by international standards; local restaurants are much cheaper. Hotels and larger restaurants accept cards, while small places take cash in Ugandan shillings. A tip of around 5–10% is appreciated where service is not included. Drink bottled water, and allow plenty of time to reach the airport, which is close to town but has security checks at the entrance. If you are coming from Kampala, see our Kampala traffic guide. Vegetarians will find options at most places; see our vegetarian food guide.
Frequently asked questions
Fresh tilapia or Nile perch from Lake Victoria, fried or grilled, at a lakeside restaurant.
Yes. Hotels and guesthouses near the airport serve meals, and Entebbe town is only a short drive away.
Hotels and larger restaurants usually do; small local places take cash only.
Around 5–10% where service is not already included.
