After a morning threading your way through the impossibly crowded medina of Old Town Mombasa, it’s a relief to walk up the three steps and enter the Rozina.

Once a private house, Rozina is on the ground floor of one of the century-old buildings in a narrow street filled with historic architecture and lots of wooden balconies just a half-block or so from Fort Jesus (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

There are lots of biryanis, curries and other evidence of Indian influence on the menu, but look for the coastal specialties (called Swahili in Mombasa for the culture, not the language). Favorites are the dishes featuring fish, prawns, lobster, calamari and crabs (individually or platters of all of ’em).

This is not the place to look for vegetarian options: seafood rules. I’m still regretting not trying the garlic grilled oysters.

The restaurant is a favorite of tourists not only because there’s a menu in English and Coca Cola is one of the beverage choices, but because there’s free Wi-Fi as well. I sat there for a half-hour after finishing my tasty “Zanzibar Catch” (crab, fish and prawns in a coconut sauce) and no one tried to hurry me out the door.

There’s a guest book in the Rozina, and the signatures around the time I was there included diners who hailed from Scotland, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, and Kenya (I was the only American on the page).

They’re open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (and, significant for a Muslim-majority city, Rozina is open during Ramadan). Main course prices are under KES1000 unless you want something major, like a grilled T-bone steak.