Best Restaurants in Zanzibar for Seafood, Swahili Food, and Rooftop Dining

Best Restaurants in Zanzibar for Seafood, Swahili Food, and Rooftop Dining

Guide: Zanzibar Restaurants for Reefs, Rooftops, and Swahili Cooking

Ten island-spanning dining rooms balancing Stone Town heritage, east-coast destination tables, north-coast resort cooking, seafood, Swahili technique, and carefully timed sunset settings.

• The Rock Restaurant ZanzibarA former fishing outpost on a coral outcrop off Michamvi Pingwe, The Rock serves seafood and Swahili-influenced plates with arrival conditions set by the tide.
• Emerson on Hurumzi Tea HouseHurumzi's rooftop pairs Persian-rug seating and a 360-degree Stone Town view with a fixed Swahili-Omani dinner and live taarab on most evenings.
• Secret Garden at Emerson SpiceSet in roofless merchant-house ruins, Secret Garden serves Zanzibari-inspired lunch and dinner, with local musicians taking its small stage on scheduled nights.
• The Fifth at Upendo HouseThe Fifth earns its dining place through sushi, fresh seafood, and small plates served around a rare Stone Town infinity pool with rooftop views.
• 6 Degrees SouthThis Shangani waterfront mainstay moves from breezy seafood lunches to sunset drinks and late dinner, with a broad menu grounded in island produce.
• Beach House Restaurant & BarBuilt into the Stone Town seawall beside Park Hyatt, Beach House combines an open Indian Ocean terrace, grills, seafood, and an unusually deep drinks list.
• Bahari Grill & Bar at Zuri ZanzibarBahari occupies Zuri's Kendwa beachfront, serving grilled fish and lunch close to the sand before scheduled barbecue dinners on selected evenings.
• The Jetty at Essque ZaluEssque Zalu's long timber jetty projects over the Nungwi shallows for seafood, cocktails, shisha, and both sunrise and sunset views from one table.
• Maru Maru Terrace RestaurantMaru Maru's roof terrace looks across Stone Town's minarets and waterfront while serving Swahili, Indian, and continental dishes beside its small pool.
• Maisha Resto & Bar at Zuri ZanzibarMaisha wraps Zuri's infinity pool with shaded tables, light lunches, drinks, and a rotating evening menu that changes with the resort's weekly plan.

Reviewed by RGuide Editorial · Venue details checked August 2026