The best restaurants Tanzania

Yeoyum is New York spirit on Pajé beach. The Liquid Life hostel's restaurant is a great spot to devour a burger, a brownie, but above all a "box", superb dishes served in cardboard boxes presented in a rainbow of flavors. The basic salad (rice, coconut, mango, avocado, arugula, radish, red cabbage and sesame carrot pickle, pineapple-passion sauce) is topped with tempura shrimp, honey halloumi, sweet and sour chicken or cauliflower sauce, with toppings (crispy onions, chickpeas, peanuts...). We love it!

Behind the Emerson Spice Hotel lies a ruined building where nature has reclaimed its rights. A lush secret garden with a pretty decor of old advertising posters and tables and chairs in the shade of huge green garlands. A magical place! A sanctuary of calm and freshness. At lunchtime, the menu is simple and affordable; in the evening, the dishes are spectacular and delicious, such as tender goat's cheese in biriani rice, under a crust of bread, or tuna tartare. Fascinating taarab and ngoma concerts on Wednesday and Friday, excellent cocktails.

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.

The Upendo hotel's boho chic bar-restaurant features a wooden deck, sofas and cushions on the sand, where you can sip a cocktail right across from The Rocks. The plates are incredible: it's hard to choose between vegan bowls, sushi, salads (seared tuna crisp with pepper, green papaya and cashew nuts), gourmet burger, tapas (crab samosas and tamarind chutney), octopus is incredibly tender, mahi mahi with saffron risotto, truffle, dates poached in port and almonds... Excellent and very popular Sunday brunch with DJ.

This is undoubtedly the best restaurant in Moshi, as much for its setting as for its dishes. The BruBru Lodge, recently opened in a new design, is also a popular restaurant with locals and expatriates alike, offering delicious food and a romantic candlelit ambience in the evenings. The setting is really cosy, both inside, on the terrace and in the garden, with your feet up on the lawn under the trees. The à la carte menu features refined, organic fusion dishes, with just a handful of regularly changing offerings.

This is an arty, designer café in the trendy Masaki district. It marries exotic wood furniture with a beautiful floor, while white walls and picture windows overlooking the vegetation add brightness to the place. Cosy gray and blue velvet sofas complete this magnificent setting. On the menu: coffees, juices, breakfasts, burgers, salads... But also original hot bowls, buddha bowls, and a creative children's menu. We loved the Bambara bowl (millet, avocado, walnuts, shallots, red pickles, mange-coco and lemon sauce).

A breathtaking location, seen on every postcard. As its name suggests, this restaurant is perched on a rocky outcrop close to the shore, and can be reached on foot at low tide, and by boat at high tide. The trendy atmosphere, with sofas on the terrace facing the lagoon, makes it an ideal spot to sip a cocktail. Inside, the food is worthy of the place, with noble ingredients (lobster, slipper lobster, squid, octopus...). To enjoy this privilege, you'll have to pay the price and make a reservation. Otherwise, just come for a drink (no reservation required).

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.

Excellent restaurant on the roofs of the wonderful Emerson On Hurumzi hotel, overlooking the old town. One comes to sip a cocktail in front of the setting sun, before focusing one's palate on the unique tasting menu (with several options), a mix of Swahili flavours and spices in 3 or 5 gastronomic dishes, with Persian and Omani influences. The menu is created each evening from seafood and is designed by the chefs. The finesse of the preparations and the sophistication of the dishes are incredible and unique to Stone Town. The whole thing is hearty.

Mr Khan is a car parts merchant by day and a restaurateur by night! He takes over the sidewalk in front of his store to prepare chicken, tika and kebabs on a large street barbecue, accompanied by naan chapatis and French fries. The buffet is varied enough to keep you coming back for more. Very good. Arusha rushes in... Of course, you have to want to try local street food here, as tourists are very rare. Nevertheless, the dishes are very authentic and everything is very fresh. This address is an institution in Arusha.

Upstairs in a very central house on the beach in old Stone Town, this upscale Indian restaurant is frequented by island regulars, often of Indian origin, and by tourists who want to indulge in a romantic dinner on the high terrace. The interior has been renovated and the cuisine is up-to-date, orchestrated by three different chefs according to their specialities. The dishes are of remarkable finesse and flavour, especially the curries, tandooris and other Indian specialities prepared with the most subtle spices of the island.

Don't look for a distinguished place here, but a modest and unpretentious local canteen, where nothing is expensive and everything is good. The dishes are copious and varied, and we recommend the local specialities, which are better prepared than the others, but there are also Indian, Chinese and vegetarian dishes on the menu... just like Dar, presented with care like a buffet. The place is particularly clean, the setting friendly and the welcome excellent. A small terrace with plants, which receives the sun at the end of the afternoon: a delight!

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.

Restaurant with rooftop terrace and sea view... Excellent seafood, meat and salad dishes, at low prices for the quality and quantity served. We recommend the grilled octopus marinated in white wine, balsamic vinegar and oregano, a samaki wa nazi, fish of the day in a coconut and tomato sauce with coriander rice or the vanilla chicken... The setting of this beautiful building lends itself to an aperitif, a shisha. On weekends, there is an acoustic concert on the terrace, followed by a DJ set. The atmosphere is festive and eclectic, mixing locals and tourists.

The Baladin restaurant is very pleasant, with its pretty (and high) makuti roof and its view on the beach and the sea. It offers refined cuisine under the watchful eye of a Peruvian chef, so ceviche lovers beware! Its originality lies in its menu of Baladin craft beers, which can be tasted while sitting at a counter made of an original tree trunk. The owner is a well-known brewer in Italy, who makes draught beer with spices from Zanzibar.

The Zanzistar restaurant is renowned in Jambiani for its refined, original cuisine and the warm welcome of its manager, Peter. The setting is most pleasant, amidst the lodge's beautiful vegetation, under subdued lights in the evening. Starters include a delicious tuna-mango-avocado tartare, chicken tikka with tomato and peanut sauce, served with manioc and coconut sauce, grilled fish with sesame seeds, lime and coconut, and perfectly seared and spicy tuna tataki. Lunch on the beach, dinner at the hotel in the village.

This is the restaurant of the new Seconda Stella Zanzibar luxury hotel in Jambiani, dedicated primarily to couples. At the time of our visit, the restaurant had not yet opened, but it will be the first "Surf & Turf" restaurant on the southeast coast. In other words, the seafood and meat combos popular across the Atlantic. One of Bulgaria's top chefs (a Master Chef award winner) is due to come in specially to take charge of the kitchens.

For some time now, new restaurants have been opening along Pajé's main road, changing the habits of tourists usually concentrated on the beach. The Pants is an excellent new restaurant, decorated in a very plant-based style, serving only vegetarian and vegan specialties. The upstairs terrace with its pretty wooden tables is a delight from breakfast to dinner. Everything is delicious, varied, fresh and tasty, making it feel like a canteen. A nice change from seafood.

It's the best place in town to go out, especially as it's located in Capri Point, close to all the tourist hotels. This very pretty bar-restaurant has a lively atmosphere at weekends, with concerts by small local bands. Unsurprisingly, the à la carte menu includes all meats, but especially good barbecued fish, and a host of meticulously-cooked Swahili and Tanzanian specialities. There's also a coffee house serving cakes and excellent espresso coffees, as well as a small supermarket.

This chic little address is nestled in the courtyard of the new Sharazad Wonders Boutique, a luxury hotel with an equally refined table. A beautifully furnished patio courtyard keeps things fresh for lunch and dinner. A la carte dishes are created with local and seasonal ingredients, all at a low price. A daily menu offers variations according to the chef's mood. A very green menu, light and urban cuisine, a change from Swahili specialties.

The restaurant at the new Neela Boutique Hotel is a culinary discovery of choice. Local ingredients are blended with exotic influences to create al fresco fusion dishes with a vegetal twist. Like the pweza please, octopus with braised chickpeas, white beans, lemon aioli and Chinese cabbage. Also on the menu: gourmet tapas to share and fine salads. Restaurant in the shady courtyard and rooftop lounge bar with city views.

The tropical garden of Aluna Beach Lodge and its restaurant are among the restful settings that one would like to enjoy for lunch or dinner, in front of the beautiful pool. We love the consistency of this address, where we are always well received, the sophisticated preparation, the flavours faithful to our expectations. For the menu is creative and tempting. Its signature dish: a tuna just seared in a crisp sesame and Zanzibar spices, served with a sweet potato mousse and grilled vegetables. Swahili specialties are also worked on.

Les Portes de Zanzibar" is the main restaurant at Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa, Zanzibar's only Relais & Châteaux. The bistronomic table in this luxury setting is worthy of its standing. Under the leadership of chef Emmanuel Richard Mruma, African fusion dishes of rare finesse are served à la carte for dinner. They are sourced locally, from the hotel's organic vegetable garden and the day's catch. The ambience is distinguished in the beautiful lounge with its white tablecloths, illuminated by chandeliers.

Located next to the Hotel Tilapia on the peninsula opposite the port and the island of Saanane (a national park), the view from this recently opened lakeside restaurant is superb. The food is delicious, even if you feel a little lost at first when faced with African, Chinese, Indian and Western specialties. No matter, Mwanza is cosmopolitan in both its people and its dishes. Truly delicious... The spicy garlic fish is succulent, as are the sweet & sour Chinese dishes. Also excellent cocktails and coffees.

This restaurant located in Mbuyuni, a very quiet village isolated between Pajé and Jambiani, serves more than 40 pizzas, crispy and tasty, reputed to be the best in the area. The homemade seafood pasta dishes are also a good choice, because here we don't mess around with Italian specialties. And if you prefer to try a Swahili dish, the plates are just as tasty, especially the octopus curry-coconut. We love the romantic candlelit atmosphere in the evening, and its location directly on the beach.

For a change from Zanzibar specialties, this Ethiopian restaurant is a real change of scenery! Exotic decor with waiters dressed in traditional garb, and typical dishes - a little expensive but very hearty. Good original smoothies, and vegetarian dishes served in large traditional trays with Ethiopian injera crepes for finger food. Service a little slow, but take your time, especially on the terrace, where the atmosphere is pleasant in the evening.

This pretty white and blue interior is the perfect place for a gourmet, fruity break. Come and sip excellent fresh fruit juices and vitamin-packed smoothies at low prices: mango, pineapple, passion fruit, banana, lemon, ginger, depending on what's in season. You'll also appreciate the beautiful salads (like the one with chickpeas, mango, avocado and pineapple), sandwiches, burgers and curry chapatis (chicken or vegetarian) with fruit and vegetables, for lunch on the go, on the spot or to take away. Fresh and light.

The Hilton Double Tree hotel has opened a sophisticated, ultra-modern restaurant on the crenellated rooftop terrace of a building slightly set back from the seafront. The service is impeccable and the dishes up to the highest standards, especially the Swahili specialties (the octopus curry was delicious) or the finer gourmet dishes such as the coconut crab soup, or the seafood (lobster, cicada...). Extreme freshness and subtle preparation, basket of artisan breads... You'd expect a savory note (warning: the glass of wine is very expensive).

Located upstairs in a building just off Stone Town's central beach (above the One Ocean Dive Club), Ocean Grill offers great seafood and fresh fish dishes at reasonable prices. The king fish with green bananas and the Swahili dishes are good. The terrace is nice. The service is however very slow (perfect for the contemplative who watch the boats coming and going) and the menu is not always available in full (proof of freshness but disappointing when you want a specific dish).

This is the gourmet restaurant of the prestigious Park Hyatt hotel. While the rooms are reserved for wealthy happy fews , its chic restaurant is a fine address for dining out and watching the dhows in the setting sun. The setting is fantastic, on the terrace facing the sea, with white tablecloths and pretty crockery. The à la carte fusion cuisine is top-notch, with lobster king and deliciously prepared octopus: the dishes are spectacular. The restaurant's interior is equally magnificent.

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 trendy bohemian-chic address is overpriced for a stay, but affordable and recommendable for lunch or dinner in a rather youthful atmosphere, with good background music. Particularly at weekends, when free Afro-jazz bands perform. The restaurant's menu reflects the image of the place: sophisticated but with local ingredients, you'll find peach ceviches on the slate and tasty fish tartars.

Mohammed, a young man from Jambiani, decided to open this small local restaurant, which now serves authentic food in a renovated, more pleasant dining room. The only constraint is that you have to book in advance so that the cooks can make arrangements with the fishermen and you don't have to wait for hours! Grilled seafood and fish, including lobster and cicadas, are a gargantuan treat! Or the octopus and fish dish with tomato and curry, with chapati, rice, vegetables... All juices and dishes are made with filtered water.

He says it himself in his (not misleading) ad, "You eat until you say Hassan: please don't kill me with your food." His wife concocts the dishes in large pots (the seafood and coconut fish are delicious). In addition to the dish, you have a soup, an appetizer, a vegetable, nans (Indian breads), homemade juice in a big bottle that he constantly fills... And the cooking could not be more authentic, full of spices, high in flavors. If you are not very patient, we advise you to book.

We've already heard of Badolina, the hotel and restaurant serving Levantine cuisine hidden in the vegetation, but here's the Asian version of Badolina, right on Nungwi beach! To spot it, look for a forest of colorful lanterns illuminating the ceiling. On the menu: Chinese noodles, fresh sushi prepared with the rigor required for raw fish, tataki... The dishes are sprinkled with greenery, the setting is as neat as the plates, and it's a nice change from Swahili specialties.

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 popular address in the restaurant district around Station Road offers both classic and delicious Tanzanian dishes such as Pilau N'Gombe, Swahili-style beef rice, but above all wonderful spicy barbecued dishes, the house specialty. Friendly pizzas to share are also on the menu and you can compose your own smoothie on demand, a good plan from morning to night to fill up on vitamins.

The Onsea House hotel restaurant is nestled on a hillside with a breathtaking view over the hilly outskirts of Arusha. This gastronomic address, run by Axel Janssens, a friendly Flemish chef who has worked in several Michelin-starred restaurants in Belgium and France, offers French and African-inspired world cuisine every evening for a tasty cocktail unrivalled in the region. Magnificent view at sunset ("machweo" in Swahili). Axel has published a magnificent book on Tanzania(Taste of Tanzania).

This is the Chinese restaurant in the very secure Njiro shopping mall, 3 km south-east of Arusha, which is regarded as one of the best restaurants in the city. The establishment is on the first floor of the complex, and spreads its tables in a modern and bright setting. No big surprise on the program but a hundred dishes to choose from and an ultra fast service, tasty, quality and ultra fresh dishes. Muffled atmosphere and minimalist decoration. You can actually hear thewhispers of your table neighbours.

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.

Just a few dozen meters from the Clock Tower, in a small park along the waterfront, you'll find a number of unpretentious snack bars where you can enjoy Tanzanian street food in the open air and in the company of locals. Don't hesitate to take a tour of the marquee where the stalls are set up to get an idea of the range of burgers, samosas and chapatis (doughnuts) on offer. You can also try your hand at outdoor billiards.

Just a stone's throw from the city centre, on the seafront, it is at the restaurant of the Sea View Motel that you can taste the real speciality of the coast: the shrimp, with all the sauces. The menu offers a choice of ten different preparations. Chicken lovers will also find plenty of choice with no less than twenty dishes devoted to poultry. The whole menu is influenced by Indian food (masala, curry...) and Indian naan has replaced the chapati as the side dish

Mambo vipi? Poa poa ("How are you? Great"). In this trendy restaurant in the city centre, expatriates and regular Tanzanians greet each other around a quality Swahili cuisine. The prices are more than reasonable and the dishes are tasty and varied. Two shaded terraces are available for customers to air their taste buds with a view on the kitchens. Those who like ugali, chapati and pilaf rice (here we say pilau rice) will have a great time, while others will enjoy a Tanzanian-style pizza.

The unlikely and richly flavoured marriage of Korean and Swahili cuisine is experienced at this table. It is celebrated by Nyurki, a South Korean who recently moved to Bagamoyo with his Tanzanian wife. Nyurki laments that most of his customers prefer to sample the dozen or so Swahili dishes on his menu, even though he also offers Korean and Chinese specialties, as well as other mixed dishes of his own invention, such as a delicious rice and shrimp dish served in pineapple. Moreover, the restaurant offers a taxi back to the hotel.

A small culinary institution in Moshi for the past fifteen years. As its name suggests, the restaurant's menu features a rather baroque combination of Italian and Indian specialities! Forget your prejudices, the two are compatible, even the pizzas are delicious and prepared in the Italian tradition. Also pasta, smoothies, etc. Vegetarians are also catered for, with eggplant parmigiana and a variety of Indian specialties. Pleasant outdoor terrace and indoor dining room.

The chic Sevi Boutique Hotel is an address for the privileged few. However, its restaurant is open to all, and is an excellent place to dine in Matemwe. We love the service and the dimly-lit atmosphere on the covered terrace, promontory facing the sea. For starters, the shrimp and lemongrass soup (which grows on the island) was delicious, as was the tuna tataki with potato gratin or the ginger-tomato chicken. The well-chosen South African wines, jazzy background music and appetizers were all appreciated.

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 restaurant is run by Massimo, an Italian pediatrician by profession, and his Tanzanian wife Sipe. A long-time resident of the country, Massimo is happy to tell travelers about his life in Dodoma, which he loves for its climate. He's renowned for his fine Botte cuisine: lasagne, spaghetti and pizzas are his specialties. But above all, this cafeteria serves excellent coffee in all its forms(esspresso, ristretto, cappuchino), as well as cakes, homemade ice creams and fresh fruit juices.

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.

Here's a new restaurant in Paje that's well worth a visit for lunch or dinner. Right on the beach, Oxygen boasts an upstairs terrace facing the sea. The à la carte menu features remarkably well-presented plates of finely prepared dishes. Tuna tartare with avocado compote, fish fillet encrusted with cashew nuts, sushi topped with mango, avocado and fine herbs are to die for, as is the lobster, prepared with great flavor. The place is also festive, ideal for a drink.