Zanzibar Food Guide: Spice Island Cuisine, Street Food & Forodhani Gardens

Zanzibar’s food culture reflects its position at the center of the Indian Ocean spice trade for centuries — Arab, Indian, African, and Portuguese culinary traditions layered over each other in a small archipelago that once controlled the global supply of cloves. The result is a cuisine unlike any on the African mainland: coconut-rich curries, spiced rice dishes, the urojo (Zanzibari mix) street soup that shouldn’t work but does, and the seafood that arrives from the surrounding ocean daily.

The Forodhani Gardens night market in Stone Town is the most accessible introduction; the real depth is found in the small restaurants and households of the old city.

The Dishes

Urojo (Zanzibar Mix)

The defining street food of Stone Town — a thin, spiced soup served in a cup or bowl, with additions that vary by vendor: potato fritters (bhajia), meat or fish kebab pieces, boiled cassava, a hard-boiled egg, coconut chutney, chili sauce, and a squeeze of lime. The combination of flavors and textures — sour, spicy, rich, crunchy — is distinctive and unlike anything in mainland East African cooking.

The urojo at Forodhani Gardens is the most consumed; the vendors at the Darajani Market (Zanzibar’s central market) serve earlier morning versions. Price: approximately TZS 2,000–3,000 (under $1.50).

Octopus Curry

The east coast fisherwomen of Zanzibar (Jambiani, Bwejuu) collect octopus from the reef at low tide; the octopus then appears in curries and grills at every restaurant on the island. The Zanzibari octopus curry uses coconut milk, tomato, and a blend of locally grown spices — clove, cinnamon, cardamom — that the same islands once exported to the world. Served with wali wa nazi (coconut rice).

Best versions: The beach restaurants at Jambiani serve it fresh; the restaurant BBB at Jambiani is frequently cited. In Stone Town, the upstairs restaurant at the Emerson Spice Hotel does an expensive but exceptional version.

Pilau (Spiced Rice)

The most important rice dish — long-grain rice cooked with whole spices (clove, cardamom, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon) in a technique brought by the Omani Arab ruling class. The smell of pilau cooking — the specific combination of whole spices in hot oil before the rice is added — is the olfactory signature of Stone Town.

Wali wa Nazi (Coconut Rice)

Plain rice cooked in coconut milk — the standard accompaniment to most fish and curry dishes. The coconut flavor is subtle; the texture is slightly sticky. The baseline starch of Swahili coastal cooking.

Fish Curry

The daily staple — whatever fish arrived at the market that morning (snapper, kingfish, tuna, grouper) cooked in coconut milk curry with tomatoes and spices. The cooking technique is similar to the Malabar fish curry of southern India — brought through the Omani-Indian Ocean trade networks.

Biryani

The Zanzibari biryani reflects the Arab and Indian influence — whole-spiced, with saffron or tumeric coloring, meat cooked separately and layered with the rice. More aromatic and spiced than mainland East African biryani. Available at the Darajani Market restaurants for lunch.

Forodhani Gardens Night Market

Stone Town waterfront | Open evenings from approximately 6 PM

The most visited food experience in Zanzibar — a collection of outdoor stalls on the Stone Town waterfront, lit by lanterns and cooking fires, serving street food to a mix of tourists and locals.

What to eat:

Zanzibar pizza: A flatbread pan-fried with fillings (minced meat, vegetables, egg, cheese) — more like a stuffed crepe than a pizza. Made to order; watch the vendor fold and pan-fry in front of you.
Mishkaki (kebabs): Marinated beef or chicken on skewers over charcoal.
Grilled lobster and prawns: Available when in season; priced per piece. More expensive than the other options but excellent quality.
Urojo: Multiple vendors; the competition keeps quality high.
Sugar cane juice: Freshly pressed, served in cups.
Spiced coffee (Kahawa Chungu): Zanzibar coffee brewed with ginger and cardamom — sold from the distinctive brass urns of the coffee vendors.

Practical note: Forodhani is touristy and prices are higher than eating at local restaurants. The experience (the setting, the social atmosphere, the evening on the water) justifies it; don’t expect the cheapest street food on the island.

Zanzibar Spice Tour and Cooking

A spice tour (see the main Zanzibar guide) visits working spice farms 10–15 km from Stone Town. Several operators extend this into a cooking class — learning to prepare pilau, urojo, and octopus curry using spices picked and prepared on the farm. Half-day including cooking class and lunch: approximately $50–60/person.

Markets

Darajani Market (Zanzibar Town Market): The central market of Stone Town — a covered facility with fresh produce, fish, meat, and prepared food. The fish section (north end) has the morning’s catch from the harbor: whole tuna, kingfish, reef fish, prawns, and octopus. The best time to visit is 7–9 AM when the market is at full activity.

Malindi Market (north Stone Town): A smaller, less touristic neighborhood market — produce, prepared food, and the morning vitumbua (coconut rice pancakes) and mandazi (fried dough) vendors.

Restaurants in Stone Town

Emerson Spice Rooftop Restaurant: The most atmospheric dining in Zanzibar — a rooftop terrace on a historic merchant house, with views over the Stone Town rooftops and the Indian Ocean. Reservation required; Zanzibari set menu. Expensive but excellent.

Lukmaan Restaurant: The best value traditional Zanzibari food — a family restaurant serving pilau, biryani, and curries at local prices. Lunch only; arrive before 1 PM as food sells out. TZS 5,000–10,000 per meal.

The Butchery Restaurant: Opposite the Darajani Market, serving freshly prepared pilau and curry using market ingredients. Open for lunch; popular with traders and locals.

Forodhani Terrace Bar: Overlooks the Forodhani night market — good for drinks and light snacks while watching the market activity below.

Practical Notes

Alcohol: Available in most tourist restaurants and beach hotels; not available in the Stone Town residential areas (Muslim-majority) without a permit. Prices are higher than mainland Tanzania.

Vegetarian: More accessible than most East African destinations — coconut rice, lentil preparations, vegetable curries, and the urojo without meat additions provide genuine options.

Seafood freshness: The east coast beaches have the freshest seafood (direct from the fisherwomen and local boats). Stone Town’s harbor restaurants have good turnover. Always check if the octopus and fish are fresh or frozen; fresh is the standard at good restaurants.