As of 2026, this Zanzibar food guide covers 13 restaurants by category — including Lukmaan Restaurant, Passing Show Hotel, Stone Town Cafe & Bistro. See prices, locations and must-try dishes below.
Zanzibar is Zanzibar is Swahili spice-island cooking — grilled seafood, biryani, urojo soup, and Zanzibar pizza — from the Forodhani night market to Stone Town's Lukmaan. We've organized 13 restaurants across 5 categories. Each entry includes prices, hours, local tips, and a Google Maps link so you can plan straight from the page.
ZanzibarFood Map
Click pins to see restaurant info · 13 restaurants
The benchmark for everyday Swahili food in Stone Town, popular with locals and travelers alike. There's no printed menu — you walk to the counter and choose from the buffet, salad bar, and grill. Honest, cheap, and consistent, just behind the Anglican Cathedral and old slave chamber.
$3-8
(TZS 7,000-20,000)
Approx. 07:00-22:00 daily
Local tip: Most plates land around TZS 5,000-10,000 ($3-6), making it one of the best-value meals on the island. Go at lunch when turnover is highest and the buffet is freshest. Try the biryani, octopus curry, and a fresh juice. It's a casual, busy room — point at what looks good. Cash is easiest.
Pilau, beef/chicken curry, chapati, beans, fried fish
A long-running, no-frills local canteen near the Darajani market end of Stone Town — a roadside terrace where Zanzibaris come for cheap, filling Swahili lunches. Daily-changing pots of pilau, curry, and beans served quickly and simply.
Local tip: About as local and inexpensive as Stone Town gets — a full plate runs TZS 5,000-10,000. Best at lunch (it's mainly a daytime spot) when the food is fresh; later in the day choice thins out. Don't expect English menus or polish; expect honest home-style cooking. Cash only.
A relaxed garden café on Kenyatta Road bridging local and tourist tastes — Swahili curries and seafood alongside breakfasts, salads, and cakes. A comfortable, shaded spot to sit out the midday heat with a coffee or juice.
Local tip: A safe, comfortable middle ground if you want Swahili flavors with a calmer setting and English menus. Mains run roughly $5-12. The garden is a good escape from the lanes and the touts. Cards are sometimes accepted but carry cash. Service is relaxed — don't come in a rush.
The island's iconic open-air food market, setting up in the seafront gardens by the Old Fort each evening from around 6pm. Dozens of stalls grill seafood skewers and fold Zanzibar pizza — a thin dough wrapped around egg, meat or seafood, and vegetables — beside sugarcane-juice presses.
Local tip: Go for the sunset atmosphere as much as the food. The honest caveats: it's tourist-oriented, hygiene varies stall to stall, and some vendors overquote or pad the bill — always ask the price before they cook, and choose stalls with high turnover and visibly fresh seafood. Treat it as street snacking, not a full dinner. Cash (shillings) only.
Fresh Indian Ocean catch — grilled fish, octopus, prawns, and lobster on the coast
The Rock Restaurant
The Rock · Pingwe (Michamvi, east coast)
5
#1
MUST TRY
Seafood platter, grilled rock lobster, catch of the day, cocktails
Zanzibar's most photographed restaurant, perched on a coral rock in the tidal zone off Pingwe Beach. Reached on foot at low tide and by boat at high tide. The setting is the main event; the menu is seafood-led, with lobster and the daily catch.
Local tip: Expect $30-60 per person for a meal without drinks (more with lobster, cocktails, or imported wine), and book ahead — a non-refundable $10-per-person deposit is required and is deducted from your bill. Arrive within 30 minutes of your time or risk losing the table. It's a 1.5-hour drive from Nungwi, so plan it from an east-coast base. Reserve via the official site.
Grilled catch of the day, prawns, calamari, lobster (market price), coconut rice
A popular beach grill in Nungwi serving fresh Indian Ocean seafood — pick from the day's catch displayed on ice and have it grilled. Casual, sand-underfoot dining near the swimmable north-coast beach.
Local tip: Seafood here is often priced by weight or 'market price' for lobster, so confirm the cost before ordering to avoid a surprise bill. Mains run roughly $10-25; lobster is the splurge. Nungwi's non-tidal beach means you can swim before or after. Sunset tables fill in high season — come early or reserve. Carry cash.
Grilled seafood, fresh fish, pizza, themed cocktails at sunset
A breezy seafront restaurant named for Freddie Mercury, who was born in Stone Town. An open wooden deck right on the water near the port, with sunset views over the Indian Ocean and nearby islands. Menu spans fresh fish, seafood, pizza, and international plates.
Local tip: More about the location and Freddie Mercury connection than fine dining — come for a sunset drink and a relaxed seafood dinner. Prices skew higher than back-street spots; mains roughly $8-20. The deck is a good pre-ferry or pre-dinner stop. Cocktails are themed. Reserve a waterfront table for sunset in high season.
Stone Town's signature sunset rooftops over the Indian Ocean — cocktails and Swahili-fusion plates
Emerson Spice Tea House Restaurant
Emerson Spice Rooftop Tea House · Stone Town (Tharia Street)
8
#1
MUST TRY
Five-course seafood-based tasting menu (changes daily)
A rooftop fine-dining experience atop the Emerson Spice hotel, with 360-degree views over Stone Town and the ocean and low Swahili-style seating on Persian rugs. One nightly sitting of a set, daily-changing, seafood-led tasting menu.
$40-50
(TZS 100,000-125,000)
One seating nightly from 19:00 (welcome from 18:00; reservation required)
Local tip: Around $40 for the five-course set menu, with one seating at 7pm for about 35 guests — so book ahead. Guests are welcomed from 6pm for the sunset hour. It's a special-occasion meal as much for the rooftop and atmosphere as the food. Check current closing days when booking, as the schedule varies. Reserve directly with the hotel.
Grilled octopus, catch of the day, mishkaki (beef skewers), sunset cocktails
A waterfront grill and wine bar in Shangani with terraces and a rooftop overlooking the Indian Ocean — a reliable sunset spot. Fresh seafood, grills, and a longer wine and cocktail list than most of Stone Town.
Local tip: A dependable sunset choice with happy-hour cocktails and good grilled octopus. Mains run roughly $10-25. The rooftop has mostly high tables, which not everyone finds comfortable. Come for sunset and stay for dinner. Reserve a rail-side table in high season. Cards usually accepted, but carry cash as backup.
The Africa House Hotel · Stone Town (Shangani, seafront)
10
#3
MUST TRY
Sunset cocktails, seafood, Swahili-fusion mains
A historic Stone Town landmark on the Shangani seafront — the building dates to the 19th century and housed the English Club from 1888. Its sea-facing terrace is a classic sunset gathering spot, with drinks and a seafood-and-fusion menu above the Indian Ocean.
Local tip: Famous for sunset drinks on the terrace — arrive an hour before sundown to claim a sea-facing seat, as it fills fast. Food is secondary to the view and history; cocktails and seafood are the picks. Prices are tourist-level for the location. A relaxed first-evening stop. Carry cash; cards aren't always reliable.
A café in a restored Stone Town merchant house serving estate-grown Tanzanian coffee, fresh juices, and cakes. A cool, calm break from the lanes, with a small rooftop and an attached boutique guesthouse.
Local tip: One of the better coffees in Stone Town, sourced from Tanzanian estates — a good morning or midday refuge from the heat and touts. Light bites and cakes rather than full meals; budget $3-8. The rooftop is pleasant for a quiet coffee. Cash is easiest.
A beach café and boutique hotel on the white sand of Paje, born from the area's kitesurf scene. Tanzanian coffee, fresh juices, house-baked cakes, and a health-leaning menu with good Wi-Fi — a hub for Paje's kitesurfers and digital nomads.
Local tip: The go-to café on Paje beach for coffee, brunch, and post-kite refueling, with reliable Wi-Fi. Mains and bowls run roughly $6-12. Remember Paje is tidal — the sea retreats far at low tide, so it's a café-and-kite spot rather than a swim-off-the-beach one. A relaxed all-day base on the east coast.
A small, popular health café near the Shangani seafront serving smoothie bowls, fresh juices, wraps, and salads. A bright, casual spot favored by travelers for a lighter, fresher breakfast or lunch between sightseeing.
Local tip: A good choice when you want fresh, light food rather than another curry or grill — smoothie bowls and juices are the draw. Budget $5-10. It's compact and gets busy at breakfast, so go early or expect a short wait. A handy refuel near the Shangani hotels and sunset bars. Cash is easiest.
Lukmaan plates + a Forodhani night-market crawl + Zanzibar pizza.
Mid-Range
$25-55/day
A Stone Town dinner (Emerson Spice) + a beachfront seafood grill.
Luxury
$90+/day
The Rock (Pingwe) lunch + a resort tasting + a sunset dhow dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about food and restaurants in Zanzibar.
Where do I find the best-value Swahili food?
Local Stone Town spots like Lukmaan and the Passing Show Hotel serve full Swahili plates — biryani, pilau, octopus curry, grilled fish — for around TZS 5,000-10,000 ($3-6). Lukmaan has no printed menu; you choose from the buffet and grill at the counter, and it's best at lunch when turnover is highest. These are casual, cash-based, no-frills rooms aimed at locals, which is exactly why they're good value and authentic.
Is the Forodhani night market safe to eat at?
It's a fun seafront institution from about 6pm nightly — Zanzibar pizza, grilled seafood skewers, sugarcane juice — but hygiene varies stall to stall and it's tourist-oriented. Choose stalls with high turnover and visibly fresh, not sitting-out, seafood; be cautious with raw salads and ice. Crucially, always ask the price before they cook, as some vendors overquote or pad the bill. Treat it as street snacking for the atmosphere rather than a full, reliable dinner.
How much does The Rock Restaurant cost and how do I book?
The Rock at Pingwe runs about $30-60 per person for a meal without drinks (more with lobster, cocktails, or imported wine). Booking requires a non-refundable $10-per-person deposit, deducted from your final bill, via the official website. Arrive within 30 minutes of your reservation or you risk losing the table. It sits on a tidal rock — reached on foot at low tide, by boat at high tide — and is a 1.5-hour drive from Nungwi, so plan it from an east-coast base.
What's a good sunset spot in Stone Town?
The Africa House terrace is the classic — a 19th-century landmark on the Shangani seafront where people gather for sundown, so arrive an hour early for a sea-facing seat. 6 Degrees South nearby has a waterfront rooftop with cocktails and good grilled octopus, and Mercury's, named for Freddie Mercury, has an open deck on the water near the port. For a special dinner, Emerson Spice's rooftop Tea House does one 7pm seating of a five-course set menu (around $40) with 360-degree views — book ahead.
Where can I eat seafood and lobster?
Fresh Indian Ocean seafood is everywhere on the coast. In Nungwi, beach grills like Fisherman's Seafood & Grill let you pick the day's catch — but lobster is often sold by weight or 'market price,' so confirm the cost before ordering. Stone Town's seafront spots (Mercury's, 6 Degrees South) grill fish and octopus with a view. The destination splurge is The Rock at Pingwe. Note an 18% VAT and often a service charge are added to bills.
Cash or card — and which currency?
Carry cash, mostly. Many local restaurants, the Forodhani market, and street food are cash-only, and US dollars (clean, post-2013 bills) work in tourism while Tanzanian shillings are better for small purchases and tips. Larger hotels, resorts, and some tourist restaurants take cards, but power cuts and connectivity can knock card machines offline, so never rely on plastic alone. Withdraw shillings from CRDB or NMB ATMs in Stone Town before heading to the beaches, where ATMs are scarce.
More on Zanzibar
Cost guide, itineraries, hotel picks — plan the rest of your trip.
Jimmy Kong
TripPick founder · Travel content creator
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.
8+ years analyzing travel data
30+ countries visited
Live exchange rate verified
Tanzania