The best restaurants Stone Town

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.