Mbale isn’t known for its great restaurants. It’s a place you visit for scenery, for days of hiking to the peak of Mount Elgon, for mountain vistas and bubbling streams, monkeys in the trees and passion fruit for breakfast. But then there’s Almaz; a restaurant on the edge of the mountain range that has a glossy, polished name. It sounds like something you’d find in Manhattan, not Mbale.

Sadly the décor doesn’t quite match the name. The main restaurant is housed in a low-level red building that’s open to the elements. Tables and chairs are scattered through the grassy courtyard. Inside there’s a pool table, low lighting and some plush faux-leather sofas. It all looks very pleasant, but the aesthetics won’t blow your mind.

Almaz styles itself as a coffee bar and restaurant. The menu includes decent coffee, big pizzas, burgers and chicken dishes, as well as Ugandan staples such as ugali, pumpkin and matooke (boiled and mashed green bananas, served as a type of porridgey stew). We tried the quarter roast chicken and fries, which was a little on the greasy side, but then what do you expect of that kind of dish? Dessert was a bowl of fresh fruit, including pineapple, watermelon and grapes. We’re not convinced that the grapes were grown in Mbale.

The waitstaff are friendly and helpful, and service is generally swift. As well as food you can come here for a drink, a coffee or to try the shishah pipes; there is a selection of flavours including apple and mint. All in all, Almaz isn’t a destination in its own right, but it makes a perfectly okay place for a quick, friendly Mbale lunch, or to refuel after driving out to the nearby Sipi Falls.