The best restaurants Tanzania

This local restaurant offers dishes that are a change from the usual menus, particularly Swahili and therefore authentic. We like an interesting sea kebab, samosas, octopus with coconut curry and the famous jumbo prawns, a succulent crab soup as well as other Swahili curries served with chapati, coconut rice and vegetables. The lobster is prepared with cashew nuts and a spicy Indian sauce. For vegetarians, the vegan pizzas are perfect, as is the mango feta and raw vegetable salad.

We know the B4 for its electro nights on Saturdays and also on Tuesdays in high season, but the address is interesting during the day and in the evening, for its slates of gourmet burgers served quickly and at a moderate price. For a change from grilled seafood, this is a perfect option! It is accompanied by large home fries and a smoothie, fresh fruit juice or exotic cocktail. Deckchairs to chill out on the beach in front of the place and a rather groovy musical background dress up the place which organizes movie nights, BBQ or sushis some evenings of the week.

This small local restaurant located in the village has set the bar high to compete with hotel restaurants by focusing on enchanting local cuisine. The freshness of the sea products is irreproachable. The speciality here is grilled fish, lobsters, lobster, octopus, etc., at prices lower than those of the refined tables. But the menu also shines with wonderful Swahili specialities, such as beef with mango, coconut shrimps, fish soup or tandoori chicken, and even good pizzas and avocado toasts.

You will see it from afar: this Jetty restaurant is installed on a pier on stilts. It is without doubt the best table in the area for its refinement. Don't hesitate to come for lunch or dinner in a romantic setting, with an exceptional view of the shore. The cuisine is mixed: Mediterranean, Italian and vegan, with of course a wide range of treasures from the sea, fish and shellfish. An original refinement where everything is prepared in a farandole of coloured vegetables. Delicious cocktails to whet your appetite.

This local restaurant is the ideal spot just a stone's throw from the beach in Dongwe to devour a lot of deliciously grilled lobsters, slipper lobsters and shellfish at affordable prices. We like the effort that has been made on the decoration: shells hanging like a curtain of pearls. The swahili samosas and lemonade are recommendable, the side dishes are balanced with spices from the island, especially the pilau rice, a delight. Good reggae music atmosphere, great welcome, excellent creative cocktails like the bananacolada.

The local restaurant offers a beautiful view of The Rocks at Pingwe. Here you can feast on large chubby fish,rock lobster and jumbo prawns, giant tropical prawns to die for, all well grilled. The setting is rustic, the welcome warm, the plates are well filled, it's a good meal, don't be afraid to eat with your fingers! The octopus in spicy sauce in the Swahili style is just as extraordinary, and the freshness of the products exemplary, moreover the restaurant is a canteen for certain residents.

You can't go wrong: this 4-star lodge with its square green pool and palm tree in the middle is unique. The restaurant is open to all and is well worth a visit. The menu features a plethora of subtly spiced Swahili dishes, including many vegetarian curries, Italian dishes and crispy pizzas, as well as Asian-fusion dishes such as tropical noodles, all at a reasonable price and in an idyllic setting. A good address.

This Italian trattoria and pizzeria is undoubtedly one of the best in Stone Town. Real Neapolitan thin dough cooked over a wood fire, top-quality mozzarella - a real treat. The dishes concocted by chef Juan Misantandreu are just as tempting, with seafood pasta, tuna or sea bream marinated in Mediterranean spices and delicately grilled. The setting is charming, with a well-appointed, elegant courtyard refreshed by greenery. Thursday jam session, Friday live music concert and Saturday Latino night.

The hotel's bar-restaurant, with its feet in the sand, serves good smoothies and cocktails with freshly squeezed fruit juice. The reggae music lends itself well to the setting: a beach paradise. We are here as well under the big straw hut as on sofas. The restaurant is excellent and affordable: really, even if you don't stay there, come and taste the generous and well grilled lobster. There are also excellent breakfasts, nice salads and well-cooked Tanzanian dishes. The staff is very friendly and numerous.

Centrally located near the port roundabout, this is one of the best and liveliest restaurants in Mwanza, open 24 hours a day on weekends. Nice outdoor space with stylish tables and chairs, on weekends live concerts are programmed on Saturdays, matches are replayed on screen. We like to sip fresh juices and cocktails here (detox, booster, tropical...). Tanzanian dishes are tasty, you can find all kinds of meat and fish fried, roasted, cooked withugali (manioc), ndizi choma (plantains) or wali (coconut rice).

This one is located on Bangwe beach, in the middle of Kigoma, and for its sandy setting, it is already a good address in Kigoma. You can taste generous plates of Tanzanian dishes, especially fish and meat on the barbecue. The dish of the house: pork kitimoto style, roasted with plantains or ugali, the regional speciality that you must try apart from the simmered fish. Great service from an owner who cares about his customers.

A coffee shop like you would dream of seeing everywhere on your route: its nice decoration and friendly atmosphere attract locals and visitors alike thanks to its modern proposal. What a pleasure to have a delicious espresso or a caffè latte of Tanzanian coffee beans, accompanied by a brownie, or a fresh fruit smoothie with a banana cake, but also Swahili dishes! A militant café, it employs deaf and hard of hearing people, you can learn Swahili sign language, or find safari buddies to share the cost, a real social hub .

This Italian restaurant, which prepares good pizzas cooked on a wood fire, is a good option for dining out in Tanga, right in the centre. You can enjoy the terrace on the first floor, which benefits from the sea breeze, or the garden on the ground floor, which is also a pleasant setting. In addition to the homemade pastas and pizzas, the fish and seafood dishes prepared in the Italian style are succulent. There are also Asian specialties, as in many places in Tanzania. One of the best restaurants in town, without a doubt.

Nashe's Café is an excellent Swahili restaurant, but also a busy bar. It has the advantage of being well known in Bagamoyo for its large upstairs terrace overlooking the ocean, which makes it the ideal place to have a drink in the late afternoon. In addition, there are karaoke nights every Friday night. And the wifi works well. Its decoration is very worked, the framework is really pleasant, the prices are reasonable. It is the ideal place from breakfast to dinner, and in the evening to have fun.

This Italian restaurant is renowned for its artisanal pizzas and typical dishes from the Botte. It is run by Chef Giuseppe Vitiello, a true Italian who knows how to make Neapolitan pizzas with crispy dough, noble ingredients and taste. The artisanal pasta and seafood dishes such as linguini alla vongole (with clams) are just as tasty. The restaurant also offers a gluten-free menu and a children's menu, for which it reserves an outdoor playground in the pleasant garden.

The Slipway Hotel has a beautiful restaurant right on the waterfront, popular for its sunset view, its sea food and its live music and DJs on weekends. A really nice atmosphere. The terrace, with large benches, green plants and wooden tables, is a nice place to have a drink. The main dish of the place: grilled fish Tahitian style draped in a banana leaf. Enticing, isn't it?

Thai Kani is an excellent Thai and Japanese restaurant that serves specialties from both countries, such as sushi, and offers a beautiful view of the sea. The dishes are exotic and full of freshness, it is its supply of ultra fresh fish that also makes its reputation. Salmon, sushi and Thai menus with photos of the dishes that are as appealing as they are real, everything is sophisticated from the menu to the plates. The terrace under the trees in front of the beach is a perfect spot to admire the beauty of the site. Excellent fruit juices as a bonus.

A small unpretentious Sino-Indian address like many restaurants in Dar es Salaam, located in the coastal district of Oyster Bay. Its speciality: barbecued chicken grilled in several styles: sekela, choma, lemon, masala, gajjar Sekela, chicken wings, snacks, soups, salads but also good burgers and smoothies. The Indian byriani is exceptional, as are the naans, tikka and tandoori. The place is pleasant, a large covered stage with wooden tables, outside.

This is a fun and trendy place, inimitable with its facade of colourful wooden shutters juxtaposed on the wall bordering a vast courtyard. We come here to devour good tasty burgers, it is the star of the menu. The choice is vast, the bread soft, the steaks are thick and tasty. You can also sip delicious fresh fruit juices, cocktails, share pizzas, some of them in delicious calzone, nachos, or even barbecued chicken legs. The setting in the garden is very nice and decorated with plants.

This restaurant specializes in barbecued meat, cooked in a variety of ways. We're partial to the Mamboz combo, which offers a fine assortment of delicious grilled meats with homemade accompaniments. There are also many Indian dishes on the menu (tikka, etc.) and an astonishing Chinese menu. A tour of the cuisines of Tanzania's inhabitants! The dishes are tasty, hearty and the prices really affordable. We appreciate the extended opening hours.

This organic, vegan and vegetarian restaurant specialises in "raw" cuisine. An original healthy address of delicious bistronomy. You can opt for homemade pasta such as zucchini linguine with pesto and broccoli sautéed with peppers and mushrooms, the famous vegan burger and a handful of dishes bursting with fresh vegetables and original grains. Soups and salad are other great offerings. As for dessert, the passion fruit cheesecake (vegan) is amazing. Moreover, the place has a beautiful outdoor space.

This restaurant of imported South Indian cuisine is located in the centre of Dar es Salaam. It serves very fresh specialities and faithful to the flavours of the country. The main dish is the Gujrati Thali or the Masala dosa. But also the delicious vegetarian menu. The dishes are spiced up with tasty herbs and spices and are beautifully presented. The fruit juices are just as fresh and good. The room is air-conditioned and pleasant. The prices are moderate and the address is frequented by many Indians, proof of the authenticity of its cuisine.

It is THE new restaurant in Dar es Salaam. Coming from South Africa, it has taken over a magnificent terrace facing the sea at Msasani. A spectacular view that you can admire in beautiful garden furniture, the setting is fantastic. You want to try everything: the poké bowl, the tuna tataki, the grilled meats, the fish and shrimp popcorns, and especially the sushi, creative and deliciously fresh, thanks to the menu with its tempting photos. When the plates arrive, they are as sophisticated as the image: everything is successful, up to the insane cocktails.

Not everyone is lucky enough to stay at the luxurious Sea Cliff Hotel, but there's no reason why you can't enjoy a meal at the superb Karambezi Café, which offers a sublime view of the sea, from breakfast to dinner. The prices are a bit steep, but you pay for the standing, the setting and the 180° panoramic view of the Indian Ocean. You can eat and share unpretentious pizzas, burgers or snacks, as well as more substantial and deliciously fresh fish and seafood dishes. Cocktails are a good option here at aperitif time.

In this large restaurant located in a mall, the concept is to offer a multi-cuisine menu at all hours, since it's open 24/7! No "menu too long" complex, on the contrary. You'll find a host of Chinese, Indian, Italian, burger, grilled, seafood and Swahili dishes... Just like Dar es Salaam, a cosmopolitan city, the choice is endless. You can take a break during lunch and play a game of video games, as the restaurant has a gaming room! The room is beautifully decorated.

This is Arusha's new café-restaurant to try out, right in the center and open non-stop. On the menu are interesting Swahili specialties with a modern twist, such as the "sweet chill chicken salad", with grilled chicken, fresh mango, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, walnuts and a homemade sweet chilli sauce. You can also opt for cakes, milkshakes or a good Tanzanian coffee at any time. The place is really cute and warm, with wax banquettes and high stools, a wooden interior and a mezzanine with tables upstairs. Good wifi.

This is a very nice micro-structure, right on the beach, run by the friendly Italian owners Claudia and Arnaldo who look after their pots. Everything is prepared with patience and care, in the Italian style, but with a range of healthy dishes, including beautiful salads. We like the intimate atmosphere and the large corner sofa with its pretty cushions to spend a convivial moment. The address also has a few small rooms for rent.

The Zenji Hotel Cafe and Restaurant is a really good stop next to the roundabout of the Malindi harbour. The bustling harbour is an exciting setting for contemplation from the terrace. You can eat sandwiches, pizzas and salads at low prices, in a really nice setting, as the café is also a shop that displays some very nice items for sale. Also a good place to have breakfast. We like to drink a freshly roasted espresso, an arabica straight from Kilimanjaro, or a robusta or liberica grown in Zanzibar. Efficient Wifi.

Don't go looking for haute cuisine at this new restaurant, but we do come here for the very Tanzanian ambience of the place. At weekends, concerts are often held on the open-air terrace. During the day, the space is really nice. A la carte: grilled meats and a vegetarian menu. Fresh fruit juices are served at all hours. The plates are hearty, the atmosphere popular and the music quite loud. A good place to go out in the evening.

The restaurant at the Hotel Tembo, a historic colonial house in the heart of Stone Town, literally has its feet in the sand. It offers Swahili and Indian dishes and salads, although the downside is that they're not necessarily excellent. In a pinch, you can pick up delicious and hearty sandwiches to take with you before a boat trip, and fresh coconuts to drink from the fridge. Service is very slow, but you can take your time under the coconut trees to watch the local entertainment. For an additional fee, you can use the hotel's swimming pools.

Here's a friendly restaurant right in the center of Mwanza, ideal for a lunch or dinner break between two visits. A polished concrete floor and modern wooden tables and chairs give the restaurant a pleasant atmosphere. Here, you'll find excellent Swahili cuisine, both tasty and full of character, as well as Indian recipes, since the chef's name is Gopal and he is originally from that country. Don't hesitate to try the delicious fish. There's also an English and an Italian menu, but the real specialities are local.

For all those nostalgic for French bistro fare who tire of Swahili specialties, Ratatouille is here! This new restaurant in the village center of Paje has the chic feel of a French table. Classic dishes are executed to perfection: Provençal aïoli, sunny bouillabaisse, beef or tuna tartare, gratin dauphinois... If you like your steak rare, look no further! Lobster is also on the menu, prepared with great taste and authenticity. Don't hesitate to reserve your table.