Fun and entertainment Stone Town

On the corniche, on the upper floor of a historic building, the island's best-known taarab club, DCMA, offers regular concerts almost every day to visitors who want to discover the traditional music of Zanzibar. Wednesday is Ngoma music, Thursday is Asilia taarab extravaganza and Sunday is afro-kabisa, an afrofusion-afrojazz style. The line-up changes from night to night, so each concert is unique. A must-see!

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.

The terrace has its feet in the sand, under tall trees on Stone Town's main beach, lit by candlelight in the evening. An excellent spot for a drink, especially during afro-jazz concerts followed by jam sessions. Large canvases by Tanzanian artists decorate a room under high ceilings and around a central bar. We love this slightly dilapidated, totally arty colonial building (the late Livingstone's), with plenty of space and thick walls. On the menu, well-balanced cocktails, Swahili dishes and grilled meats.

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.

This club is a rather special complex: upstairs, an empty abandoned swimming pool with a bar and occasional taarab concerts, a laid-back atmosphere. In the basement, a club takes over when the bars close. If the music is commercial, when the hours turn, the sound is more electro afro flashy, funk and hip-hop. This is the only real club in Stone Town, frequented by a local and underworld population (prostitutes in particular), with a thunderous sound, disco balls and giant screens. Remember to take a taxi as the area is not safe at night.

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.

Located in the heart of the old town and on the waterfront, the Tatu is an establishment spread over three levels, tatu means "three" in Kiswahili. The atmosphere is very lively in the evening until the early hours of the morning, especially at weekends. You have to pay to get to the^third floor. Between hip-hop, funk, bongo flava, new Nigerian and Latin sounds, but also reggae, Jamaican and African dancehall, the sound is damn good. Everyone dances, in a stifling heat despite the fans and the sea breeze (because you are on the terrace).

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.

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.