Zanzibar Island Restaurants

We had a couple of dinners in the rooftop restaurant of this old hotel, centrally located in the middle of Stone Town. Prices were reasonable, the seafood curries spicy and the views over the roofs of the old quarter picturesque. Unlike some other Stone Town hotels, the Chavda serves alcohol, so we could wash down our curry with a cold beer or two. We were happy enough with the Chavda to choose it for our last evening’s meal in Zanzibar; however I’ve read more recent reviews that suggest it’s gone downhill a little since our visit so you may want to check it out for a light lunch before committing to a larger meal – and bill!

I don’t seem to have taken any photos here, but there are a couple on the website below which look just as I remember it.

After our dolphintour we had our lunch in Kidizi Restaurant, a nice roofed open air restaurant. Because of the sea-breeze the temperature was bearable. The view at the ocean and the bay were marvellous.

We took all the time for our lunch and our drinks, before going back in the steaming heat of the inland. There were changing rooms and showers. The in the guide mentioned phone-service was out of order.

Favorite Dish: We had fish with the local coconut sauce for lunch.

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The outside looks like a French-style veranda from New Orleans with cushioned seat and lush mini-gardens keeping the tables cool. From this little oasis of tranquillity you can oversee the harbour and nearby islands. This is an excellent, but not cheap, place to enjoy a cold tropical drink. The daily specials are written up on a chalkboard at the door.

Service is good quick and friendly. Some night they have Arab-style music. Menus vary, but do contain many African dishes. They have a 3-course meal for about $10. If you order wine, be specific! If you ask for red wine they just bring the most expensive one.

The inside is lavishly decorated like an Arab home. Low tables are accompanied by a myriad pf cushions to sit on the floor. The walls are decorated with different art objects and lighting reminiscent of North Africa. The only problem? It is VERY HOT inside. Dress in shorts and t-shirts would be in order!

Favorite Dish: There are different 3-course specials on the board. They are good value and good quality.

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This restaurant, named after Freddy Mercury, is a very nice place. The food and service is very good. It is a great place to sit and have one of the local beers, watching the sunset.
The location is great, with views of the waterfront, beach and the harbour.

Favorite Dish: Masala Masala – you can choose beef, prawns, fish or chicken
Halua – a local sweet

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While on the Spice Tour (see my Things to Do tip) we stopped for lunch in a local village. As you see from the photo, the setting was pretty basic, and we sat on the floor surrounding the plastic “table” cloth. The meal was also basic (vegetable curry, boiled rice, bread) but absolutely delicious – one of the tastiest meals we had on the island. However I have to say that I paid for it later that day with frequent visits to the bathroom! Nevertheless it was worth it ;-)

Earlier in the tour we stopped at a roadside stall where we enjoyed coffee, doughnuts and fresh pineapple. Both this and the lunch were included in the $10 cost of the tour, making it excellent value.

This is the smartest hotel in town, and although we didn’t stay here we did come here to eat, as I had a birthday while we staying in Stone Town and this was an obvious choice for a celebration meal. The restaurant is located right at the water’s edge, giving great views out to sea (even after dark the lights are lovely and dhows can be seen drifting past) and the menu combines international and local cuisine. For my birthday dinner therefore I enjoyed a starter of potato dumplings with a spicy lime chutney, a main course Swahili dish called Kuku wa Kupaka (chicken cooked in a coconut sauce, which we both loved for both its taste and the name!), and a dessert of crème brulée.

Before dinner we had cocktails in the bar, which overlooks the elegant swimming pool and sea beyond, and looks west towards the sunset.

In Zanzibar service is slow and it's very hard to experience great cuisine. Mostly there are no refrigerators to be seen and places serve rice and fried fish…boring!
I found the best option is either the nightly food market (hopefully seafood will be fresh) in the square in old town or Radha Food House, an indian restaurant near the bank. Simple environment, cheap, accessible, honest food.

Favorite Dish: Amazing quality thali (it think it's gujarati food ). All vegetarian. The vegetarian dishes are quite inventive and not too overpowering. It all comes with with amazing plickles, sweet, hot and sour to go with the hot chapatis). I loved a black peppercorn sprout pickles, and a sweet lime chutney I ate there. It went well with everything and I never foud anything similar again.

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I call this Bollywood Grill, but it actually has no name. The owner is a nice man who runs a hygenic place to eat at a great price and the sodas are ice cold. He actually has a grill outside of the restaraunt and a grill man (pictured in the corner). Everything is covered and made fresh. A large plate of meat, salad and fries will cost you about $1.

I call it the Bollywood Grill because the owner has decorated the walls with Bollywood movie posters.

A little hard to find but worth it.

Favorite Dish: Grilled chicken & beef skewers