The best restaurants in Tanzania Zanzibar Archipelago

Mzee Husa is the new gastronomic gem from Jussi, a Swedish chef who has worked at the renowned Essque Zalu and Zuri hotels. In his democratically priced restaurant, he cooks according to his inspiration, at the crossroads of Swahili, Mediterranean and Nordic influences. Like this eggplant millefeuille with shrimp and avocado cream, or this fish with beet purée and citrus sauce... Everything is delicious and the plates are decorated with flowers. Signature cocktails and original desserts. Tables with your feet in the sand or upstairs, overlooking the ocean.

This new local restaurant in the village of Jambiani is already a favorite with regulars, who love its low-cost dishes. It has to be said that the cooks have been trained in lodge restaurants and have mastered the art. It's a pleasure to watch them busy themselves in the open kitchen. The sheltered outdoor room is modest, but clean and fresh. The menu of dishes on the slate, copious and served quickly, changes often. We loved the cashew-encrusted seared tuna fillet with mango sauce, and the grilled slipper lobster at a bargain price.

This beautiful beachfront house has been converted into a trendy bar. As soon as you arrive, cosy white sofas invite you to bask in the sun on the terrace, along with tables for lunch, dinner or sipping a cocktail as the sun sets. Well-chosen DJ background music at weekends and during Sunday brunch. We come here for a glass of South African wine or a good cocktail prepared by real bartenders. The dishes, on the other hand, are a little disappointing in terms of flavors, which you'd expect to be more sophisticated and fresh, especially at this price level.

If you want to eat local and of an indisputable freshness, this restaurant makes the unanimity. In this small and unpretentious house, the tables are laid with coloured kanga cloth tablecloths, it is original. The atmosphere is simple and friendly, the plates are royal. Here the Swahili flavours are authentic and spiced up with island spices, the plates are overflowing with lobsters, cicadas and shellfish served in gargantuan quantities and at more than reasonable prices. Particular attention is paid to the presentation of the plates.

A central address offering fresh fruit juices and excellent smoothies, the house specialty. Also on the menu: all kinds of sandwiches, daily specials, salads... all quite good. We particularly liked the spicy avocado chicken burger. Ask to be served with the sauce on the side, as the seafood and fish are drowned in a cocktail sauce... The highlight here is the hyper-central outdoor terrace with wifi. Also ideal for breakfast if you're on a single rental.

It's not to be missed: every day is a repeat of the unchanging Forodhani night market. The inhabitants of Stone Town love to gather with their families around the stalls and in the garden to eat a popular dish on the run. There are stalls selling shawarmas (fatty meat), samossas and Swahili dishes, as well as "crêpes" (bricks made by the minute). But we strongly advise against seafood kebabs, as they're guaranteed to give you food poisoning. Follow the locals to find the right stalls.

This is the new place to try out in Nungwi: a beautiful garden that remains cool and shady at lunchtime, with candlelit tables in the evening, and a great atmosphere. The menu offers a range of creative dishes, from tuna tartare with beet and hibiscus for starters, to gambas with bisque and soft bread for main courses... We also appreciate the inspired cocktail menu, such as the Prophecy, with beet and vanilla gin, tonic and lime. Don't forget to book, especially in the evenings, as the place is already very popular.

This dream lodge has an excellent restaurant open to non-guests which serves refined cuisine based on local ingredients, where the vegetable is also honored. Shrimps, lobsters, grilled fish or fish in sauce are always escorted by a colourful salad or crunchy vegetables. The flavours are exceptional. We like the attention paid to the garnishes, the layout of the plates, the decoration, where no detail has been neglected, as well as the beautiful cocktails.

Michamvi already had its restaurant The Rock perched on a coral rock in the sea, Matemwe has. Opening in 2019, this restaurant embraces Matemwe beach thanks to its natural promontory: a rock at Kigomani where it has made its nest. The view is splendid, as far as Mnemba on one side and Kiwengwa on the other, with dozens of small boats moored at Kigomani in perspective. On the menu, copious starters and main courses, with varying degrees of success. The tuna tartar with pepper was good, while the meat kefta was a little dry, but original and fragrant with spices.

This little café, which used to exist near the fishing port on the central beach, is now housed in a pretty house on the seafront. Attractive outdoor terrace facing the beach, with concrete mosaic tiling and simple furnishings. On the menu, the same specialties as before at reasonable prices. We like the avocado salad, king prawns served generously, tasty Swahili dishes, kingfish with mango sauce... A great address from breakfast to dinner.

This small local restaurant is located not far from the Meli, next to a small kitesurfing school, and also has a small store with very reasonable prices. On rustic wooden tables set on the sand, you'll find plates of authentic Swahili cuisine at really affordable prices. Starters include samosas and kachori (spicy potato balls). For the main course, we liked the fish soup with coconut green bananas, and the rice dishes, pilau or biriyani. No alcohol served here.

In this local family restaurant, Kim is in the dining room, her mother in the kitchen, and the food and service are all the more authentic. The real Swahili taste cooked in pots according to family recipes is served to the customers, many of whom are regulars. We love the mama's creations like the coconut-crusted tuna and her classic recipe for octopus with island curry, which are divine. The large braised fish with lime are perfectly cooked. The atmosphere is musical and relaxed, the welcome very warm.

This new ecolodge and restaurant overlooks Mtende beach. The restaurant is nestled on the rocky promontory, the hotel a little further back, lining up its handful of bungalows facing out to sea. With their makuti roofs and beautifully crafted local furniture, they're really pretty. A bay window separates the terrace from the elegantly appointed bedroom. David, the French owner, will give you a warm welcome. The restaurant, with its superb view, offers a handful of dishes, such as tuna tartare with olive pesto.

If there is one address to remember for its dishes in Uroa, it is this one. This Italian-inspired restaurant takes care of its setting: a coral stone room with vaulted entrances looks great with the romantic lights on in the evening. The beach is just a stone's throw away and the terrace offers a wonderful landscape for sipping a cocktail. The restaurant serves good burgers, but its real specialty is the affordable grilled lobster and cicada menu, as well as a sophisticated octopus carpaccio with passion fruit.

It is a sure value, a classic in Nungwi! It must be said that this pretty restaurant on stilts, with its cute Zanzibarite decoration and old-fashioned furniture, and the terrace allow you to enjoy the lapping of the waves and the sunset in a romantic atmosphere. The service is even more "longui longui" than elsewhere, but the portions are generous and the dishes tasty, especially the demonic fish and seafood dishes with coconut curry, and the big braised fish with peppers. A real effort is made on the flavour of the food.

The rooftop restaurant of the eponymous hotel offers a beautiful 360° view of the city and the waterfront to appreciate its grandeur. The pool is refreshing. The food is excellent even if the choices are a bit too numerous (Swahili, Chinese, Italian, European, Indian...). The Indian dishes are the most authentic because it is the specialty of the house, especially the curries. You can also opt for a refined cocktail before dinner at sunset, a bar is dedicated to it.

Located in the village of Nungwi, on the central square, this small café attracts locals and tourists alike, and has been given a new, attractive look. You can watch the bustle of the village at all hours from the terrace. We come here to sip a refreshing tropical fruit smoothie followed by a good breakfast. The menu offers burgers, wraps, curry dishes and grilled meats, all hearty, reasonably priced and delicious. You can also order takeaway for a picnic on the beach or a day trip by boat.

This local restaurant is not on the beach but in the village, but its large hut is still nice for lunch or dinner. Here you can try real Swahili dishes well balanced with spices. We love the octopus marinated in spicy flavours, the squids or the generous whole fishes well grilled or the big prawns "tiger prawns" in the masala style. As everywhere it is pole pole, so arm yourself with a little patience or take a tour of the village and come back.

Under a high straw hut, this local restaurant is as elegant as its plates. We love the profusion of delicious Swahili dishes, with fish and shellfish in all the island's sauces and spices. Prices are low, so you'll want to try everything. Grilled fish with coconut rice, spicy octopus with ugali (a typical Tanzanian dish made from maize, cassava and millet polenta), fish chuku chuku with coconut cassava sauce, beef masala and homemade chapati... It's a tough choice.