Figuring out what to eat in Zanzibar starts with its history: almost everything you eat here carries a trace of the island’s past as the world’s leading clove producer, a status it built after Sultan Said bin Sultan moved his court to Stone Town in 1840 and judged the island’s soil perfect for the trees he’d brought from Oman. That history earned Zanzibar its nickname, the Spice Island, and the cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom that made its fortune are still what season nearly every dish on the island today — from a $1 bowl of street soup to a $20 plate of grilled fish at a beachfront restaurant. This guide splits Zanzibar’s food by where and how you’ll actually eat it: after dark at a night market, sitting down at a restaurant, at an everyday local spot, or hands-on in a cooking class.
Street Food After Dark: Forodhani Gardens
Stone Town’s answer to a food court is Forodhani Gardens, a waterfront park that turns into an open-air night market every evening around 6pm, with vendors grilling and frying in front of you. A few dishes to look for:
Zanzibar pizza — not pizza in any Italian sense, but a thin dough stuffed with fillings (chicken, beef, egg, cheese for savory versions) folded over and pan-fried until crisp. Costs about 3,000–5,000 TZS ($1.20–$2). A stall called Mr. Mango is a long-running favorite.
Urojo, known locally as “Zanzibar Mix” — a tangy, turmeric-yellow soup thickened with flour, loaded with crispy fritters, boiled potato, hard-boiled egg, and meat or seafood, finished with coconut chutney and chili sauce. Runs $1–$2, sold at small stalls in Stone Town’s back alleys as well as at Forodhani.
Mishkaki — charcoal-grilled skewers of marinated beef or chicken, served with lime and chili sauce, at 2,000–4,000 TZS ($0.80–$1.60) per skewer. Agree on the price before the vendor starts grilling.
Samosas ($0.50–$1 each) and chips mayai, a chip omelet ($1–$2), round out the market’s other staples, both also sold at Darajani Market during the day.
One practical note: order items that are cooked fresh in front of you rather than pre-grilled seafood that’s been sitting out — octopus in particular turns tough and rubbery if it’s been reheated rather than cooked to order.
Sit-Down Restaurant Dishes
Once you’ve sampled the street stalls, a step up on what to eat in Zanzibar is booking a table for these restaurant dishes:
Pweza wa nazi (octopus in coconut curry) — tender octopus simmered in coconut milk, tomato, garlic, ginger, and turmeric. Runs $8–$15. Fisherman’s Seafood & Grill in Nungwi and beach restaurants in Nungwi and Jambiani do it well.
Samaki wa kupaka (grilled fish in coconut sauce) — a whole fish grilled first, then finished in a turmeric-garlic-chili coconut sauce. Expect to pay $10–$20. The Rock Restaurant in Michamvi Pingwe and Emerson on Hurumzi in Stone Town are two of the best-known spots for it.
Everyday and Celebration Dishes
These are the dishes Zanzibaris actually eat at home and at gatherings, not dishes built for tourists — and they’re widely available at simple local restaurants, not just hotel kitchens.
Biryani — rice and curry cooked separately, then layered and steamed together with chicken, goat, or beef. It’s a celebration dish, especially common on Fridays and during Ramadan iftars, and costs $3–$5 at local restaurants like Lukmaan.
Pilau — spiced rice cooked directly in meat broth with cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper — a simpler, more everyday relative of biryani, typically served with kachumbari (a tomato-onion salad). Costs 5,000–8,000 TZS ($2–$3).
Wali wa nazi (coconut rice) — rice cooked in coconut milk, the default side for most meals, $1–$2.
Kisamvu — pounded cassava leaves cooked down with garlic, chili, and coconut milk, a vegan home-style dish that rarely makes it onto resort menus. $2–$4 as a side.
Lukmaan Restaurant in Stone Town is the easiest single stop to try several of these at once — a full buffet-style local meal there runs about $3–$5, a fraction of what the same dishes cost reinterpreted at a resort.
Learning to Cook It Yourself
If you want to understand the food rather than just eat it, Mamas of Zanzibar runs a hands-on cultural cooking experience where local women teach traditional dishes — including kisamvu and other home-style recipes that don’t typically show up on restaurant menus — usually paired with a market visit and lunch. These sessions run several hours and are worth booking in advance, especially if you’re also doing a spice tour the same day, since the two pair naturally — one shows you where the flavors come from, the other shows you what to do with them.
A Quick Price Cheat Sheet
| Dish | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Zanzibar pizza | Forodhani Gardens | $1.20–$2 |
| Urojo | Street stalls, Forodhani | $1–$2 |
| Mishkaki (per skewer) | Forodhani, street vendors | $0.80–$1.60 |
| Samosas | Darajani Market, Forodhani | $0.50–$1 |
| Octopus in coconut curry | Nungwi, Jambiani beach restaurants | $8–$15 |
| Grilled fish in coconut sauce | The Rock, Emerson on Hurumzi | $10–$20 |
| Biryani | Lukmaan and similar local spots | $3–$5 |
| Pilau | Lukmaan and similar local spots | $2–$3 |
| Full local buffet meal | Lukmaan | $3–$5 |
FAQ
What should I eat in Zanzibar first?
Start at Forodhani Gardens after dark — it’s the fastest, cheapest introduction to what to eat in Zanzibar, with nearly every street-food staple in one place.
Is Zanzibar pizza actually pizza?
No — it’s a stuffed, folded, pan-fried dough snack, closer to a savory stuffed pancake than anything Italian. The name is purely local branding.
Is street food in Zanzibar safe to eat?
Generally yes, especially anything cooked fresh in front of you at a busy stall — that turnover is your best safety signal. Be more cautious with seafood that looks like it’s been sitting out, particularly pre-grilled octopus.
What time does Forodhani Gardens night market open?
Around 6pm, once the day’s heat breaks and vendors set up along the waterfront; it runs on into the evening.
Where can I try a real Swahili home-cooked meal, not a tourist version?
Lukmaan Restaurant in Stone Town serves a buffet-style version of genuine local dishes at local prices, and a Mamas of Zanzibar cooking class is the closest you’ll get to an actual home kitchen.
Why does so much Zanzibar food use cloves and cinnamon?
Because the island was the world’s leading clove producer through the 19th century, after Sultan Said bin Sultan introduced plantation agriculture — the spices that built Zanzibar’s economy never stopped being the backbone of its cooking.