Zanzibar Town Restaurants

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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.

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!

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.

Favorite Dish:
The 3-course specials are good value and quality. Check the board at the entrance for the specials.

The Chavda Hotel has a nice rooftop bar with great views at Stone Town. We often came there for a drink and snack during the day or in the evening. It was a relaxed place and there was always a breeze.

Favorite Dish: At this rooftop we enjoyed also a fantastic buffet dinner on occasion of the birthdayparty of a friend. There was a good choice of soup, fish, meat, vegetables and desserts.

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This restaurant and entertainment venue is located inside the Old Arab Fort. Open everyday between 8am and 10pm, they have a large menu serving local and international food. They have a special 'Night At The Fort' every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 7-10pm. The night includes a special Buffet Barbeque with a variety of seafood, meats, salads and fresh fruit (plenty to eat for vegetarians),

'A Night At The Fort' offers Zanzibarian entertainment. Tickets are sold at the front office and are $10 for BBQ and show and $5 just for the show only.

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Close to the beach of Stone Town you can find the restaurant Mercury's. It's a good restaurant with International food. The restaurant is named after Freddy Mercury, the singer of the rock-group Queen. He was born in Stone Town.

It was a show inside the restaurant the night I was there, and was very fun to look at. A band played local music and two women were dancing. They were shaking their ass in a very sensual way. I didn't believe that was alowed to do in a muslim society. But the men around just smiled and laughed.

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The Palace is a place in making. We accidently found this very nice cafe/restaurant. The owner is busy changing the place into a small hotel.
It is a very nice cafe, with friendly service.
They also have an internet cafe on the premises.

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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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Enjoy octopus, shark, king fish, chicken, and more. Every night in Forodhani Gardens large tables of food are put up and the stallholders all have a barbecue grill on the top. You choose your dish and they heat it up. They will put a 'curry' sauce on, but not too much! It is more of a hot pepper sauce. Prices are negotiable, but watch out. Some tables will try and charge you 10 times what the next table will ask for the same thing. Negotiate a price for one piece, then a lower price for 2 and so on. If there is a tourist cruise ship in the harbour, a lot more table appear and they prices can be just the same as an indoor restaurant. Find someone who will give you reasonable prices and stay with them. Small pieces of meat or a kebab stick should be about 500-700 shillings. It is recommended not to eat shellfish in low tourist season. If you ask you can find the man who brings you cold beers to you for 1000 shillings each. This is an event in itself and not to be missed!

Favorite Dish: Octopus with some spicy sauce and an ice cold beer! And the beer man finds you!

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The Emerson & Green roof top restaurant is probably the best place in town. Situated on about the highest roof of old Stone Town, enjoying the sunset and overviewing the city, the maximum 20 guests are seated on the floor side-by-side all around. Before entering the restaurant, you are supposed to take off your shoes. Food is served on small, low tables. The food is local and of good quality, though not exceptional.
On Friday nights, traditional Zanzibar dancers will appear between the courses of the menu (about 3 times). In general I don't particularly like that kind of arranged performances for tourists, but I have to say that this one was very nice. The dancers and most guests definitely enjoyed themelves and the dancers had a great sense of humor.
Access to the restaurant is via the hotel, and the stairs from the third floor to the roof top are pretty steep and narrow. There is no elevator.

Favorite Dish: There is no menu, you simply have to do it with what they serve you; which is a five course local menu for US$ 30 per person excluding drinks. Bottles of wine are around US$ 20, cocktails around US$ 6. An adjusted menu is available if you are vegetarian or don't like fish etc.