Food · Zanzibar · Tanzania
What to eat in Zanzibar
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Zanzibar, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Mbz1 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Zanzibar pizza, Urojo and Pilau. Watch sunset from the waterfront, then graze the night market for Zanzibar pizza, mishkaki and sugarcane juice. Zanzibar is mainly Muslim; alcohol is served in hotels, beach bars and tourist restaurants but not in local eateries.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Zanzibar pizza
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Tips are appreciated: about 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added, and tips…
- Food experiences
- 3
11 foods to try
Street food
1.Zanzibar pizza
A thin dough parcel filled with minced meat, egg, onion and cheese — or banana and chocolate for a sweet version — folded and fried on a griddle; nothing like Italian pizza.
Where: Forodhani Gardens night market and street stalls in Stone Town.
Street food
2.Urojo (Zanzibar mix)
A tangy, turmeric-yellow soup thickened with flour and mango, filled with bhajia fritters, potatoes, boiled egg, chutney and sometimes skewered meat.
Where: Specialist urojo stalls in Stone Town, mainly in the afternoon and evening.
Dish
3.Pilau
Rice cooked with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and black pepper, usually with beef or chicken; a Swahili celebration dish with clear Indian Ocean influences.
Where: Local restaurants in Stone Town and village eateries across the island.
Dish
4.Biryani
Zanzibari biryani cooks the spiced meat sauce separately and serves it with fragrant rice, a legacy of the island's Indian communities.
Where: Swahili restaurants in Stone Town.
Dish
5.Samaki wa kupaka
Grilled fish brushed with a thick sauce of coconut milk, tamarind, garlic and chilli, then grilled again; one of the island's signature dishes.
Where: Swahili restaurants in Stone Town and beach restaurants on the east coast.
Dish
6.Octopus curry (Pweza wa nazi)
Tender octopus simmered in coconut milk with spices; octopus is caught by fishermen and women on the reefs at low tide.
Where: Beach restaurants in Jambiani, Paje and Nungwi, and Stone Town restaurants.
Street food
7.Mishkaki
Skewers of marinated beef, chicken or seafood grilled over charcoal, sold with chips or naan.
Where: Forodhani Gardens and street grills in Stone Town and the beach villages.
Street food · Vegetarian
8.Chipsi mayai
Chips cooked into an omelette in a small pan and served with tomato chilli sauce; a cheap, filling Tanzanian favourite.
Where: Street stalls and local cafés across the island.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
9.Mandazi
Lightly sweet fried dough flavoured with cardamom and sometimes coconut, eaten with chai for breakfast.
Where: Morning stalls, bakeries and village cafés.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Sugarcane juice
Freshly pressed sugarcane juice with lime and ginger, crushed through a hand-cranked press in front of you.
Where: Forodhani Gardens and street carts in Stone Town.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Spiced coffee (Kahawa)
Strong black coffee spiced with ginger or cardamom, poured into tiny cups from brass pots by street vendors, often with a sweet or peanut brittle.
Where: Street vendors at Jaws Corner and other squares in Stone Town.
Food experiences
Forodhani evening
Watch sunset from the waterfront, then graze the night market for Zanzibar pizza, mishkaki and sugarcane juice.
Swahili cooking class
Village cooking classes in Stone Town and on the east coast start at the market and teach coconut curries, pilau and chapati.
Seafood on the sand
East-coast beach restaurants grill the day's catch — octopus, red snapper, prawns — at tables on the sand.
Quick bites and street food
- Zanzibar pizza — Forodhani Gardens night market and street stalls in Stone Town.
- Urojo — Specialist urojo stalls in Stone Town, mainly in the afternoon and evening.
- Mishkaki — Forodhani Gardens and street grills in Stone Town and the beach villages.
- Chipsi mayai — Street stalls and local cafés across the island.
- Mandazi — Morning stalls, bakeries and village cafés.
Vegetarian options
Of the 11 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Chipsi mayai, Mandazi, Sugarcane juice and Spiced coffee. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Zanzibar is mainly Muslim; alcohol is served in hotels, beach bars and tourist restaurants but not in local eateries.
- During Ramadan, many local restaurants in Stone Town close in daytime; hotels and tourist restaurants stay open.
- Agree prices before ordering at street stalls and the night market, especially for seafood.
- Drink bottled or filtered water and avoid ice of unknown origin.
- Many tourist restaurants quote prices in US dollars; paying in Tanzanian shillings can work out cheaper.
Tipping
Tips are appreciated: about 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added, and tips for guides, boat crews and drivers at the end of a trip.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jambo / Habari | Hello / How are you? |
| Asante (sana) | Thank you (very much) |
| Karibu | Welcome / you're welcome |
| Hapana, asante | No, thank you |
| Pole pole | Slowly, slowly |
| Bei gani? | How much? |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Zanzibar famous for?
Zanzibar pizza, Urojo, Pilau and Biryani. A thin dough parcel filled with minced meat, egg, onion and cheese — or banana and chocolate for a sweet version — folded and fried on a griddle; nothing like Italian pizza.
+Is Zanzibar good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Chipsi mayai, Mandazi and Sugarcane juice.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Zanzibar?
Tips are appreciated: about 10% in restaurants if no service charge is added, and tips for guides, boat crews and drivers at the end of a trip.