Zanzibar Island Restaurants

One of the most amazing sites to behold in Zanzibar are the Forodhani Garden vendors at the waterfront. The garden has a carnival-like atmosphere with a frenzy of people buying and selling food and curios to the light of gas lamps and flaming woks. There are dozens of stalls set up with tables full of grilled seafood. There are stacks of kingfish, tuna, barracuda, white shark, red snapper, blue marlin, small prawns, large prawns, lobster, mussels, and clams all on kabobs. Behind the kabobs are piles of crab claws, calamari, octopus tentacles, cassava, breadfruit, falafel, chips, salad, nan bread, and chapatti. We chose our kabobs from the spread where they were immediately put back on the grill to warm. We were ushered behind the stall to a bench where children were stringing raw chunks of fish onto skewers. We ate our feast on paper plates with small toothpicks. Two minor inconveniences were getting hassled every few minutes about what to drink and arguing over the final price. We overlooked these inconveniences as this was the best and cheapest seafood meal we have ever had.

If wanting to while away the hot mid-day hours, that can be done in a slow manner over some drinks and easy-food at Blue's. Semi-covered sea front location, but can still be very hot here. Find a table with a breeze...
For dinners, don't forget to check out the next-door Forodhani gardens first, and see if you should maybe eat there and thake your dessert and drinks at Blue's ..?

Favorite Dish: Something on the seafood side. I had a sea food spaghetti and was happy with that. But this South African chain has the full gamit of international fairly-fast foods. Nothing out of the ordinary, except the location.

A great rooftop restaurant at the Emerson's & Green Hotel in Stonetown, it is regarded as a "must". But that depends. See my warning tip...
I found this place excellent, but then I like protracted meals and the quiet conversation while sitting on the floor. A very special place as sun sets and night falls. The food is excellent.
Reservation essential, only one seating per evening, and it's small.

Favorite Dish: There is a set menu, several courses, and the general theme is African crossover food. Sea food emphasis, but veggies and meats are in ample evidence, too.
Drinks are extra, and while there is a good selection, the cost is fairly high.

This is the Blue Oyster Hotel's restaurant - also open to people not residing in the hotel. The restaurant is simple and nice, with a view of the Indian ocean.

The food is especially tasty, spicy, and is 'homemade' so it is authentic Zanzibari cuisine. The seafood is great here - freshly caught by the fishermen (so it is no surprise that sometimes cerain items are not available).

Favorite Dish: Lobster, and the PiriPiri chicken dishes were great!

This is a restaurant situated on the roof of the Dhow Palace Hotel, in the middle of Stone Town. Especially nice at dusk, with the view of Stone Town beneath you and enjoying a nice, cool sea breeze.

The food is varied, from seafood to indian dishes - and very tasty!

PS: No alcohol is served at this restaurant in compliance with Muslim beliefs!

is a small restaurant near the beach (about 6 tables), inside the Rosa dei venti BB. If you wanna eat here you have to book in the morning for the evening, table and what you wanna eat. The owner buys fresh fish in the local fishermen village.

Favorite Dish: the best try is pasta with crabs, or hoctopus soup in coconut sauce with rice. I love it!!!
they have also grilled or fried seafood or fish, pasta, vegetables and for italian only ....real espresso!!!

At the beach of Stone Town you can find a special bar and restaurant, Mercury's, named after Freddy Mercury, the flamboyant singer of the rock-group Queen.
He was born in Stone Town as Farok Bulsara. In Mercury's you can find pictures of him and Queen and buy T-shirts.

Mercury's is a lovely place at the beach. Several times we spent our lunchbreak here, because of the cool seabreeze in the roofed open-air bar in combination with the perfect view at the beach, the blue ocean and the tiny islands just in front of the coast.

Favorite Dish: The salads are delicious. There is a salad with the name Freddie's choice, telling it was his favourite. Maybe, maybe not. Farok left the island as little kid and never came back.

Along Nungwi's beach front there are lots and lots of scattered Wooden restaurant buildings serving everything from woodfired pizzas, pastas to african delicacies and more. This is just one. I went to a few. Cant remember which ones. But they were all nice. Just watch out for the cats that sometimes jump you laps at some!

Favorite Dish: There was one that had woodfired pizza. Yummo. Much enjoyed....