The best restaurants Tanzania

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 café-restaurant of the Z Hotel is located on the first floor of a covered structure on the beach. What a view! Deckchairs under the coconut trees complete this heavenly setting. Signature tropical fruit cocktails, well balanced and chilled, as well as fruit juices are served from midday to evening, even by the hotel's pool. Surprisingly, the salads, burgers and gourmet plates are inexpensive, hearty and elegantly seasoned, like this tuna tataki, with its small salad and lime.

A good local place to eat real Swahili food, tasty and hearty, mostly in chapati wraps, which you can eat in or take away. We recommend the sambusa, mandasi, and the chicken-cheese-crudités chapati roll. You can also stop there for breakfast or a snack as the address offers a wide range of pastries, snacks and yoghurts. You can really find everything in this little shop whose prices cover the walls. Moreover, the welcome is very pleasant and the atmosphere lively since the address is popular.

This small unpretentious Indian restaurant with a very good reputation is often very popular with Morogoro residents. Especially since it is located close to the bus terminal, convenient. Excellent welcome from the owner. All the classic Indian specialities are on the menu: tandoori, biryani, as well as a vast vegetarian menu... The dishes are really delicious and we also appreciate the cool air-conditioning to eat. If you plan to eat here before taking a bus, come early, because the wait is long.

Quality Indian cuisine, but exclusively vegetarian dishes. The quality of the plate is superior to the setting in which you eat. The place is popular with the locals, mainly of Indian origin, and with tourists who have been introduced to this little joint. The specialty of the house: the Gujarati Thali, a set of subtle and spicy dishes served on a tray from the Gujarat region, which was delicious. Excellent homemade yoghurt and exotic fruit lassis. Also takeaway, for those who prefer to eat on the beach.

Nothing to do with the so-called "pizzas" that we see everywhere in Tanzania with thick dough, this pizzeria is by far the best in central Tanzania. And for good reason, it is run by an Italian couple! Moreover, the environment, rather green, as well as the vast choice of pizzas, make it a sympathetic stopover when one passes by Dodoma. Film screenings on the big screen two Wednesdays a month (^2nd and^4th) from 7.30pm. Plan to arrive at 7pm in this case.

The pizzas served here are in the Tanzanian style. Nothing to do with Italy, this is a thick-crust model with lots of cheese, which won't satisfy the lover of crispy dough. Plenty of things to nibble on the go. Finally, rather than the pizzas, we recommend the fish here, particularly the tilapia, very well prepared on a bed of tomatoes. This restaurant is very popular with local employees at lunchtime on weekdays. The atmosphere is friendly and prices are as local as the clientele.

This good restaurant offers Ethiopian dishes à la carte, the country from which the owners come, with a lot of injera (the spongy Ethiopian cake that serves as bread), and berbere, the typical sweet pepper. The outdoor loggia is comfortably furnished with cushioned armchairs and pleasant lighting. You are advised to try some of the typical local dishes such as Tanzanian maize with spinach and lentils, which is delicious. There are also pizzas on the menu, but far from the Italian standard.

The reference of Ethiopian gastronomy in Dar since 1998. We come here to taste the exoticism of Ethiopian cuisine, which consists of the traditional ingera cake (a cereal that only grows on the Ethiopian highlands). On the menu, we recommend the assortments to taste a little bit of everything, either with meat or without meat, as Ethiopian cuisine is specialized in vegetarian dishes (for the orthodox days of Lent). The furniture is also Ethiopian, especially the low tables around which you eat.

South Africa's version of McDonald's, but with barbecued meat and good-quality burgers. This Steers is clean and good, frequented by the local bourgeoisie and mainly Anglo-Saxon tourists. In addition to burgers and salads, it serves breakfasts, Indian dishes, pizzas and Chinese pasta. A pleasant place to take a break indoors or on the terrace at a low price, and above all with very fast take-away service. An interesting option before catching a boat, plane or going on an excursion.

This restaurant is located within the Seacliff Resort. It is renowned for offering the best Chinese and Indian cuisine in the city since 1987, in an upscale setting. The prices are relatively low and it is conveniently located at the tip of the Msasani Peninsula. The Chinese dishes with sweet and sour sauce are really delicious, as are the tandoori specialties and all the seafood dishes. The restaurant is also located downtown in the Haidery Plaza building (Kisutu Street).

In a chic room or on the terrace overlooking the pretty bay of Msasani, this very classy restaurant is located in the grounds of the very select Slipway hotel. If the service is classy, the clientele takes its ease in casual clothes: here, it is almost a seaside resort. Well-being above all. And they spoil you. Delicious assortment of breads. Barbecued fish directly on the terrace. Expertly prepared dishes. Opera music intermingles with the throbbing ebb and flow. A true delight for the senses.

On the beach, in front of the Sharazad Boutique Hotel, a new little Vietnamese restaurant has opened with its feet in the sand. A change of scenery within a change of scenery. Here, the finesse of Kim's Vietnamese cuisine - digestible, light and generous in vegetables and flavours - is combined with the postcard landscape of Jambiani beach. Glass noodle, spring rolls, pho soup, bo bun...: the cuisine blends local ingredients with Vietnamese flavours. A true delight.

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.

On its beautifully decorated deck facing the sea, Delight Zanzibar is a white ship in which one wants to linger. More than just an exceptional coffee shop serving sweet espressos and tempting desserts, salads and healthy wraps, it is also an excellent restaurant-pizzeria. You can enjoy it from breakfast to dinner, both on the swings and the cosy benches. The pizzas are the best in Pajé, and the dishes, where you can feel the Italian know-how, with local ingredients are all to die for.

Did you know that Greeks settled in Arusha in the inter-war years, in former German farms? Well, as surprising as it may seem, their heritage is still there! To the delight of those who love olive oil gastronomy, there are excellent moussakas, raw salads, Greek-style fish, a whole range of dishes, but also good pizzas. Everything is delicious and fresh. With small blue and white checkered tables, the setting is pleasant and enjoyable.

A surprising change of scenery in the journey. This very simple and affordable Indian restaurant serves only vegetarian dishes, as the owners are true Hindu Indians who live here. The food served is delicious and authentic, prepared with carefully selected spices and ingredients. You can enjoy a lot of specialties that you don't see much on the menu in France, because to be a vegetarian restaurant, you have to vary the flavors greatly. It is a really interesting option if you want to eat healthily. Friendly and fast service.

An enchanting garden with plates that are just as enchanting. Colourful and appetizing market cuisine, nothing very Swahili, but good local ingredients well cooked, such as fresh salads (the one with fish was divine), spicy dishes, a quiche-salad, a cheesecake, a carrot cake, various simple dishes. Barbecue on Saturday evening, and a small craft shop where objects made by women's groups, pretty jewellery and pearl objects are sold in solidarity. Perfect for a lunch because it closes early (it's a pity).

With large sofas facing the sea and tables in the sand, the Kendwa Rocks hotel bar-restaurant offers pizza or seafood platters, as well as tasty sushi plates. You can have your coffee on the deckchairs or on the boats transformed into sofas, on the guarded beach (away from the insistent beach boys) in its private part. The staff is attentive, friendly and responsive. In the evening, especially on weekends, the atmosphere is festive as it is here that the Full Moon Party takes place once a month. Wifi.

This otherwise recommendable 3-star guest house offers a beautiful view from its restaurant on the floor of a straw hut, indeed. The neat setting with precious coloured wax cushions and carved banco furniture as well as the plates are equally pleasant to look at. From breakfast (with wild honey pancakes) to dinner (lobster and slipper lobster grills to die for) to the vegetarian options, everything is delicious. It's quickly becoming a canteen for its affordable prices and cosy setting.

This café-restaurant right in the center of Moshi is a really good address for coffee and lunch, especially at the back in a small, quiet garden with a covered terrace. Inside, the air-conditioning is cool and the wi-fi excellent, and many customers have their computers installed. We love a good espresso or cappuccino just as much as the grilled chicken dishes and the typically Tanzanian pilau rice is delicious, but there are also burgers and other more Western sandwiches on the à la carte menu.

Tanzania is home to a large Indian community, both native and businessmen, in all the country's dynamic cities. Mwanza is no exception to the rule, and boasts a fine table of Indian specialties, a welcome change from Swahili or international dishes. Before ordering, be sure to check the spice level, as some dishes are very spicy. Plenty of vegetarian options, delicious cheese naans. The room doesn't look much, with plastic tables and chairs, but the prices are really affordable.

Moto Moto is the restaurant of the new Zula hotel in Pajé center. An enchanting, trendy setting facing the beach, with feet in the sand and a wooden terrace, with cosy banquettes colored with pretty wax cushions. Above, the hotel's plexiglass swimming pool adds a whimsical touch to the setting. Well-chosen background music invites you to enjoy a fresh juice, cocktail or glass of wine. On the food side, local cuisine concocted with fresh, natural ingredients is served, including vegetarian options and seafood specialties.

If you're tired of lobster and grilled fish, why not try a burger? In this small, clean local eatery, the preparation is lightning fast, with good, fresh local beef (which could be stamped organic, since cows roam here), and always adorable home fries, as everywhere else. The choice of toppings is vast, and prices are reasonable. You can order on WhatsApp and have your order delivered to your hotel, which is much nicer because the restaurant is far away and on the side of the road. Even the packaging is neat.

Café Blanc is a café located in the trendy Masaki district on the Msasani peninsula. It's a stylish, all-white café with an arty, designer interior and green terrace. On the menu, at any hour of the day or night, you'll find teas, a wide range of coffees (espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, etc.) and fresh fruit juices. Excellent breakfasts are served in the mornings, and at lunch and dinner, you'll find vegetable-packed green dishes: wraps, sandwiches, burgers, tartines and fine salads. A good place for a break or to work on the move, as the wifi is excellent.

An exclusively vegetarian Indian restaurant (run by real Hindu Indians) that's a welcome change from the usual resto-grills. Typical dishes, fresh, full of color and a variety of vegetables, all at a low price - a good deal. The originality of the specialties on offer is such that we're surprised, as we're not used to these truly typical Indian dishes. You can try the five delicious chutney sauces to spice up your dishes. There are also local pizzas and practical sandwiches to take along on day trips.

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.

A restaurant that offers good local and Indian dishes, the most successful, and some international dishes. All this is copiously served. To settle in, an outdoor terrace or a bright and air-conditioned indoor room, as you wish.

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.

This new signature restaurant of the Z Hotel replaces the very famous Saruche on the same level facing the sea and the beach. It is only open for dinner and the address is chic. Sexy Fish offers seafood in all sorts of ways and sauces. The fish is of course local and ultra-fresh, as is the seafood, and the chef Bengali Rasel offers an African-European fusion menu, spiced up with Zanzibar spices: delicate tuna ceviche, lobster tempura, crab curry à la sénégalaise, or simply a nice grilled lobster.

The Badolina restaurant, a new restaurant in Nungwi, is nestled in the garden of the eponymous lodge. It stands out for its originality, its Middle Eastern flavours and its rootsy chic setting, under a vast makuti hut, lit by lanterns and decorated with tables and benches. You want to share everything, from the starters to the dishes. Like the yalla yalla, a falafel roll (with tahini, lime and parsley), the ceviche of tuna marinated in lime, with ginger, mango and coriander, sparkling salads and inspiring Mediterranean dishes.

This very discreet Japanese restaurant on the first floor of the Stone Town post office is an excellent address for raw fish lovers. The sushi, the great speciality of the establishment, is generous, made with ultra-fresh fish, and you can order a whole table of it on the pretty outdoor terrace which allows you to see the street without being seen and to enjoy a relaxing calm. Other Japanese-influenced specialties are generously served, including a delicious octopus on a cast-iron dish, gyozas, noodles... Reasonable prices.

The new boutique hotel Upendo houses a very original and sophisticated rooftop restaurant, which blends Swahili, Indian and fusion flavours and cuisines. Between a crispy seared tuna with green papaya and cashew nuts, mahi mahi bream with saffron rice, poached dates with port and almonds, and a plethora of small vegan dishes or delicate meats, it's hard to decide. The cocktail bar is equally appealing, especially on Thursday nights with live saxophone music. Brunch every weekend to enjoy the view and the pool. Wifi.

This is the best restaurant in Nungwi, especially the grilled octopus, a real treat. Walking out onto the Essque Zalu hotel's huge pontoon is already a stroll, lined with swings facing the shades of turquoise and, why not, sip a good cocktail before settling down to eat. On the menu, an array of gourmet dishes to share, including many vegetarian options - excellent squash and carrot fritters with mango chutney - and seafood options, such as grilled cicadas with chimichurri sauce or tuna confit with capers and red beans.

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.

Celine, a friendly French woman who has been in Nungwi for a long time, has just opened this cute little deli sandwich shop with its checkerboard floor and pretty windows. It's a great place to find a salad or a gourmet French sandwich with homemade bread (like the Deluxe roast beef, sun-dried tomatoes, pickles, crispy onions, rocket and salad). You can enjoy an espresso, juice, milkshake, croissant, pastry (éclair, pie) or a fresh fruit and spice smoothie at any time. Ideal to fill up on energy.

This local fishermen's restaurant is part of the nightly fishmarket on one of Nungwi's central beaches. Candlelight, tables with their feet in the sand and nomadic music and acrobatics create a romantic and friendly atmosphere. The highlight of the show is the display of huge fish, lobsters and octopus that you can admire in front of the restaurant. It's time to go for the XXL shellfish. The waiters are - rare thing in Zanzibar - efficient and organized, the wait is reasonable.

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.

Built in 2019 on a small island in Pongwe, this boutique hotel-restaurant is similar to Michamvi's iconic The Rocks. Here it's not a little house perched on a rock, but a proper hotel with a pool and restaurant. You can get there on foot at low tide (the beach is 100 metres away) and by small boat at high tide. The food is exceptional, as is the view, and if it is not possible for everyone to stay there, there is nothing to prevent you from eating there. Tuna carpaccio with passion fruit, fresh sea urchins and grilled lobsters are the stars of the menu.

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.

For a change from fish and seafood, Villa Kiva (in the center of the village) serves great pizzas, prepared with a love of crispy golden dough and a truly Italian tomato sauce. If you're in the mood for Swahili food, there are iconic dishes à la carte (curries, soups, etc.) and little wonders like a tempting octopus salad. Burgers are also on offer, as are excellent cocktails to get the evening off to a good start.

On the northern beach of Matemwe, this small unpretentious hut is run by a local team that is a champion of Swahili dishes and tasty grilled sea food. It's normal, when you know the fishermen of the village, to be well supplied. The stars of the menu: lobsters, sea lobsters and grilled octopus, at a very low price. But also a swahili fish dish with plantains and seafood with coconut curry... All of this accompanied by big home-made chips or white rice, as you wish. It is very authentic and therefore pole pole.

You don't come here for the minimalist decor: a banda with rough wooden tables covered in wax, your feet in the sand. But you do come here to devour giant tiger prawns, squid, octopus and fresh lobster in profusion and at low prices. They also come to forge a special bond with the villagers who run the restaurant. All the more so as it is centrally located, making it a place of interaction with the children who play around while waiting for the dishes (a moment that can be very pole pole without prior reservation).

This kitesurfing centre has a nice restaurant on the beach, which serves well executed dishes. With its Italian origins, you can choose from antipasti, pasta dishes, fish dishes... The shrimp and avocado bruschetta is recommendable, the divine seared tuna steak too, as is the chicken curry or the seafood pasta, although the toppings could be more generous. The house serves excellent cocktails and the spot is really nice, especially the chill zone with benches on a raised terrace in front of the beach.

The bar-restaurant in the bungalows of the same name is a hot spot in Matemwe. Firstly, because the food is excellent and reasonably priced. We love the passion with which the finely spiced Swahili dishes of octopus, squid and fish on the daily menu are prepared, and the care taken with the delicate salads and grilled vegetables. A magnificent wooden bar serves excellent cocktails. The atmosphere is really lively, with concerts and DJ sets scheduled almost every evening.

The restaurant of this boutique hotel is directly on the sand in front of the beach, a nice setting for a lunch break, a cocktail or dinner. For starters, you can try the delicious samosas. For the main course, it's hard to choose between a delicious grilled lobster with mango guacamole and an octopus slowly simmered in a curry-coconut sauce and served with jasmine rice. Also on the menu are sandwiches (handy for going on a walk), a handful of veggie dishes, plenty of healthy options including fresh fruit juices.

Close to Jaw's Corner, this small local canteen is only frequented by locals. However, it is full of workers, often men, for breakfast and lunch. Behind a counter, you can choose some ready-made specialities, a lot of fried food, buns, or take a dish of the day from the slate. You should know that all the dishes that start with wali are made with rice and corn flour. Here you can enjoy the authentic taste of spicy Swahili food, the home-made chips, the local atmosphere and the prices.

This roadside restaurant at the entrance to the village is a benchmark. Red-checked Maasai tablecloths adorn the tables. Extreme care is taken with every dish, from the presentation and perfectly mastered cooking to the balance of spices. The fish wrap is as enticing as the octopus salad. Plates are always accompanied by a small salad. His strong point is the sauces, whose Zanzibar secrets have not been revealed. Grilled crabs and lobsters are also affordable.