Zanzibar Food Guide: What to Eat

Zanzibar Food Scene

Zanzibar's cuisine is a fusion of Swahili, Arab, Indian, and Portuguese influences.

Must-Try Dishes

• Urojo (Zanzibar Pizza) — Thin dough filled with meat, vegetables, and egg.
• Pilau — Spiced rice with meat. The signature dish.
• Biryani — Fragrant rice layered with spiced meat.
• Octopus curry — Fresh octopus in coconut curry.
• Lobster and prawns — Grilled or in curry.
• Chapati — Flaky flatbread. Great with curries.
• Halwa — Sweet, jelly-like dessert with Arabic coffee.

Street Food

• Forodhani Night Market — The best street food experience.
• Darajani Market — Daytime market with local snacks.

Best Restaurants

• Lukmaan — Authentic Swahili food. Cheap and delicious.
• Emerson Spice — Fine dining in a historic mansion.
• The Silk Route — Indian cuisine with rooftop views.
• Monsoon — Traditional Zanzibar cuisine.