Stone Town Restaurants & More

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Dining in Stone Town

Being the touristic hub of Zanzibar, Stone Town has a wide selection of places to eat.

Everything from the street food to local Stone Town restaurants adds to the Stone Town experience (I recommend the Forodhani Gardens night food market for street food).

If you are specifically looking to dine at a restaurant, though, here are some of my recommendations for the best Stone Town restaurants.

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Recommended Restaurants in Stone Town/Top Stone Town Restaurants (Including a Great Rooftop Restaurant Stone Town)

1. Tea House Restaurant, a rooftop restaurant at the Emerson on Hurumzi hotel in Stone Town (the dinner here is what I consider the best local dining experience)
2. Zanzibar Coffee House Cafe at the Zanzibar Coffee House Hotel
3. The Silk Route on Shangani Street, across from Forodhani Park
4. Taarab Restaurant, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Zanzibar – Stone Town

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Award Winning Stone Town Restaurants Zanzibar (Ristoranti Stone Town)

The only award-winning restaurant that I know of in Stone Town, is Lukmaan Restaurant, on New Mkunazini Road, which in 2018 won the award for The Best Local Dining Experience during the Zanzibar Tourism Awards 2018.

Personally, I have eaten at Lukmaan Restaurant several times, and depending on who I am with, it’s often a spot for lunch during a day spent walking around Stone Town (because of the variety of food available, how quickly the food gets served and the restaurant’s price point).

I wouldn’t personally rank it among the best Stone Town restaurants, though.

When you are in Stone Town, be sure to also…

Experience Sunset at the Sunset Restaurant Stone Town Zanzibar – One of the Best Restaurants Stone Town Zanzibar for a Great Sunset

The building that now houses the Africa House Hotel served as the English Club for Royal Navy Officers in the late 19^th century.

Before then, it was a guest house for members of the Omani Royal family.

The original parts of the building are over 340 years old.

The history of this building is visible in its décor, in details such as the marble used on the staircase, which is marble from original Omani palaces, and the many pictures and placards on display on the walls.

Speaking of the staircase at the Africa House Hotel, if ever you happen to go there, please stand at the center of the staircase and look up.

What you’ll see on the ceiling always makes me smile because it’s so unexpected!

The thing that takes most people to the Africa House Hotel today, though, is the sunset visible from the balcony-level aptly-named Sunset Bar.

It is a good bar, in its own right, with a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean.

The sunset you experience there, though? All I can say is WOW!

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Where to Eat in Stone Town: Sunday Brunch

When I think of a good first meal of the day in Stone Town, Zanzibar, the first thing that comes to mind is the sumptuous breakfast at the Zanzibar Serena Hotel.

This doesn’t happen only on Sundays but every day of the week and is open to everyone, not just overnight guests of the hotel.

The breakfast, which has so many options that it might as well be brunch, is such a great experience that I have been known to fly across the Zanzibar Channel from Dar es Salaam early in morning to make it there for a breakfast date (true story!).

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Other than the Zanzibar Serena, some good Stone Town restaurants that serve Sunday brunch include:

• Stone Town Cafe on Kenyatta Road
• Lazuli Cafe, off Kenyatta Road
• Zanzibar Coffee House Cafe at the Zanzibar Coffee House Hotel, and
• Dhow Palace Hotel

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Best Restaurants Zanzibar/Best Restaurants in Zanzibar (Outside Stone Town)

If you are in Zanzibar outside Stone Town and are wondering where to go for a meal, here are some suggestions:

1. Blue Dongwe Jetty at Dongwe Club resort on Zanzibar’s east coast
2.  Fisherman’s Seafood & Grill at the Double Tree Resort by Hilton Hotel Zanzibar – Nungwi in northern Zanzibar
3. Bin Jabir Restaurant in Matemwe on Zanzibar’s east coast
4. Sexy Fish/Saruche, Z Hotel, Nungwi, north Zanzibar
5. Rooftops Champagne & Cocktail Bar, Z Hotel, Nungwi, north Zanzibar
6. Cinnamon, Z Hotel, Nungwi, northern Zanzibar

Photo Credits: Parade, en.tripadvisor.com.hk, ziff.or.tz, Hotel Info