The best bars and cafés Zanzibar Archipelago

This small open-air café, located right by the sea (opposite The Africa House hotel) under a large tree that provides good shade, is interesting for the view from the small terrace tables, over a coffee or a cold drink, all at a low price. You can sip cocktails made of fresh fruit juices. The place doesn't look expensive, it's simple but correct. The seafood and fish dishes are satisfactory, but avoid the meat which is not exceptional. Good welcome from the owner.

Pajé sees new trendy places opening up every year. Mahali is one of these beach cafe-bars belonging to the eponymous hotel, with its feet in the sand and large, shaded chill-out sofas for relaxing. The menu features burgers, sandwiches, wraps, bowls and unpretentious but fresh salads. There's a great young atmosphere here, with festive music playing in the background as the sun goes down. Excellent cocktails are served with fresh tropical fruit juices. Every Saturday, the bar hosts a live concert from 7pm.

It's secluded on the harbour jetty, and its unique position offers a marvellous panorama. Run by an admirer of Freddie Mercury, this pleasant Zanzibar-style bar-restaurant looks out over the sea as the sun sets, and offers live concerts on Fridays (traditional music) and Saturdays (rock band). Apart from the posters on the walls and a music selection that often includes Queen, there's not much to do with Freddie. Beware, the food is more than mediocre and prices are high. Recommended only for drinks.

Pajé by Night is a lively spot on weekend evenings in season, with large, cosy sofas and poufs, where excellent barmaids serve cocktails facing the sea. Underneath its calm exterior, the place quickly becomes festive after dark, especially around the bar. Well-chosen music and swimming pool. The burger restaurant is also a good choice for lunch or dinner. The place also offers double rooms, all close to the beach (800 m away), but the prices are too high for the services on offer. Yoga classes open to non-guests.

It's an address that's been around forever, and it's one that's gone relatively unnoticed: this small local kiosk and café is located in the Forodhani garden, close to the seafront. All it has is an outdoor terrace sheltered by parasols, not a dining room. A green and calm setting. It serves good coffees (espresso, cappuccino...), fresh fruit juices (the avocado juice is incredible!), excellent breakfasts and light dishes (salads, burgers, wraps, bowls, etc.), at very reasonable prices. We love mixing with the local atmosphere at this address.

This new coffee shop chain has two stores in Stone Town, the first behind the fort (with a pleasant outdoor space) and the second not far away, in the touristy pedestrian alleyway of Gizenga Street. Here, it's no surprise that you can order an excellent espresso coffee, and all its possible variations: latte, cappuccino, café frappé, etc. There are also a few cakes to choose from under cloches and packets of coffee beans for sale in the stores. Here, we appreciate the wifi, the well-designed lighting and the modern furnishings.

A trendy address for fans of a good Brazilian or Tanzanian ground coffee (Kilimanjaro's famous coffee), with ground coffees from all over the world, in a variety of preparation methods from Italy and elsewhere. For those who tire of instant coffee on safari, a freshly roasted espresso awaits you. You'll also find home-made pastries for a gourmet break, and breakfast formulas that are more affordable than in hotels. It's also ideal for a connected break (wifi).

As well as being a boutique hotel in the heart of old Stone Town, this place serves all sorts of coffees, including the spice coffee and the delicious local vanilla caffe latte It sources its coffee directly from the Utengule farm where the Bourbon variety is harvested near the Zambian border. The house also makes fresh juices, lemonades, lassis and smoothies, homemade cakes with exotic fruits... You can enjoy these marvels perched on a rooftop nicely furnished with fabrics and sofas and open on small perched balconies.

This new luxury boutique hotel, opening in 2022, overlooks the Indian Ocean from the rocky coral foothills at the southern end of Jambiani, at the very end of the village. A position that guarantees true exclusivity and a sumptuous view from the heights. Its designer pool is particularly beautiful and sophisticated. If you don't want to stay here, you can always come for lunch or dinner to enjoy the setting. The drinks menu, especially the refined cocktails, invites you to stop for a drink, especially at aperitif time.

The luxurious Z Hotel has dedicated the top and second floor of its restaurant to a cocktail and champagne bar, overlooking the entire Nungwi beach and the hypnotic turquoise blue water. One of the best spots also at sunset, depending on the time. The bartender offers a champagne menu (after all, this place is worth it) and excellent cocktails (not to be missed during happy hour), house compositions and well-balanced classics. A DJ comes to play some chill tunes to let people chat on big sofas.

Like a ship's prow on the beach, the small bartender's booth at Cocobello overlooks the sand by two large steps, in front of the small hotel and nightclub of the same name. Good cocktails are prepared here - divine pina colada with coconut and fresh pineapple - and the music is local, but well-chosen and danceable. The bass is pushed hard enough to create a festive atmosphere, attracting young Nungwis who hang out in small groups and tourists who criss-cross the beach. Interaction is easy, and the local staff are friendly.

Nungwi's best cocktail bar, adjacent to the eponymous restaurant and facing the sea. Friendly Italian barmaids frantically shake their shakers to prepare some of Nungwi's most creative cocktails. Apple mojito, passion caipiroska, a refreshing green garden (Bombay Saffire gin, cucumber, lime, basil, ginger ale) or a fruity italian mule (Campari, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger ale), the choice is dizzying. Wooden bleachers serve as a small terrace, but you can sit on the beach with your drink.

If you're looking for a Swahili break in the heart of the old town, Café Africa offers all the Zanzibari coffees bought from a small cooperative on the island and flavored with spices, which you'll find on the stalls: coffee with dried mango, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, banana, vanilla... and the same goes for the teas. Smoothies, avocado toast, cheesecakes... The café also sells little African zodiac dolls, made by mothers in difficulty via the NGO Vassalam (www.vassalam.org). The room is beautifully decorated.

This roots reggae-rasta beach bar always plays great music. From reggae to blues and jazz, the playlist is long. You can sit back and enjoy an almost-iced coconut, a fresh fruit cocktail or a good local beer (Kilimanjaro, Safari, Serengeti, etc.). The atmosphere is chill, especially on the deckchairs and hammocks, ideal for watching the dhows go by in front of the sunset. This is precisely the time when the local youth gather for acrobatics, strolls and meetings on the beach in front.

Africa House is one of the oldest hotels on the island, since it was already hosting the English Club in 1888, marking the beginnings of local tourism. A magnificent Swahili building well located on the waterfront, the rooms are unfortunately not maintained and renovated enough, and they remain expensive, and its restaurant is not recommendable. On the other hand, you can have a drink on its large terrace at sunset, facing the sea, and then appreciate its old-fashioned charm. Take a look at its library which has a collection of old books in English.