A good place for a snack or tea.

A good place for a snack or tea. I liked the chicken salad. Coffee and tea are very tasty here and inexpensive. In general, all prices are low, even though the establishment is located in the city center. The staff is kind and the chef also often comes into the room to find out what visitors think about the food. The interior is not particularly remarkable. You can take food to go, it is placed in a special container. ...

25.12.14 267

Very tasty pizza with seafood.

Very tasty pizza with seafood. The kids simply enjoyed it, and we tried a variety of cocktails while admiring the moon over the ocean. The pleasant atmosphere and friendly service only added to the positive impressions of this establishment. The prices are low, you can relax here every day. The interior is in the national style, in the evening it seems more and more cozy and mysterious. ...

25.12.14 312

Nice little restaurant by the ocean.

Nice little restaurant by the ocean. Everything here tells about Africa and its folk traditions. Local musicians play a reggae tune. A smiling waitress will always greet you at the entrance and offer you to choose the table you like. The chef, a skilled master of his craft, prepares excellent food. His curry chicken and grilled octopus are, in my opinion, the best on the entire Zanzibar coast. ...

25.12.14 247

We must pay tribute to the staff working at this sushi bar.

We must pay tribute to the staff working at this sushi bar. They are simply restaurant professionals. Excellent European service, despite the fact that this establishment is located in Africa. Only fresh fish and sushi are always served here, and with good quality products, prices are not at all high. Try sashimi and tataki made by their chef, and enjoy the taste of real rolls. ...

25.12.14 299

The food is delicious, but very simple.

The food is delicious, but very simple. Mashed potatoes, fries, sandwich, seafood soup and seafood pasta are the dishes that are prepared well here, we liked them all. There is also a large selection of drinks here. The interior is not very remarkable, but the location of the cafe is good - in the center of the old city. Service was quick and polite. The prices are quite reasonable. ...

25.12.14 267

The restaurant has a convenient location; it didn't take long to get from the hotel.

A very cozy place with the opportunity to dine indoors or on the beach. As for food, be sure to order lobster here - tasty and inexpensive. You will not find such prices for this dish anywhere else. Delicious drinks and even free snacks are served by the waiters in some cases. Very nice service. The restaurant has a convenient location; it didn't take long to get from the hotel. ...

25.12.14 258

I liked the cappuccino, tasty and inexpensive.

I liked the cappuccino, tasty and inexpensive. We also ordered a small portion of sea creatures on coals. Fish lasagna has an interesting taste, very unusual, but quite tasty. I recommend. Prices are high for drinks and normal for main dishes. The service was good, there was a polite waiter. The interior is in African style, nothing special, as for those who are not in Zanzibar for the first time. ...

24.12.14 242

A small restaurant specializing in spicy food.

A small restaurant specializing in spicy food. All seafood is prepared using extremely tasty and aromatic seasonings. You won't taste this kind of food anywhere except in this town. Everything is delicious: ginger tea, vegetable stew, meat with spices and seafood pizza. I serve quickly, there are always free tables for guests. The interior did not impress, everything is very simple and without unnecessary chic. ...

23.12.14 280

A beautiful restaurant and bar (two in one) on the ocean.

A beautiful restaurant and bar (two in one) on the ocean. The interior was very impressive, I especially liked the wooden bar counter. A sea of ​​drinks for every taste and original varied food. The menu mainly includes seafood, which is cooked in sauce and spices. Inexpensive menu overall, you could easily dine here every day. Friendly staff, fast service even in the evening. ...

23.12.14 278

A very beautiful and expensive seafood restaurant for Zanzibar.

A very beautiful and expensive seafood restaurant for Zanzibar. But the service here is like in Europe and everything is very clean. The food is excellent, especially if you order the daily special or the signature shrimp fried in a special sauce, as well as cannelone with crab meat. Just lick your fingers. The restaurant overlooks the ocean, beach and blue water - a great place for a romantic dinner. ...

23.12.14 267

The food here is varied and all very tasty. We ordered bread flatbreads with meat and vegetables, salads and seafood. Everything is prepared in the national style, but there are also European dishes. The interior is standard for Zanzibar, thatched roofs, palm trees, comfortable soft seats with cushions. The food is prepared quickly and the service is friendly. Prices are much lower than in Europe, which is good news. ...

Restaurant "The Rock" is one of the unique and romantic places, located at a distance from Michanwi Pingwe beach in the Zanzibar archipelago (Tanzania), you will enjoy peace, tranquility, magnificent views and delicious seafood dishes served to you . This structure is located on a small rock located in the Indian Ocean.

The name of the restaurant - "The Rock" - was taken for a reason, but because it is located on the top of a low cliff and occupies its entire surface. The building is built without frills, reminiscent of a fisherman's shack rather than a restaurant, but it fits perfectly into the local landscape. During the construction, natural local materials were used: the walls are made of clay, the floor, stairs are made of boards, and the roof is made of straw, in some places it is even translucent. The interior of the establishment is also made in the same manner, old shabby chairs, wooden tables and minimal decoration. But this is also the highlight of the restaurant.

There are different ways to get to The Rock restaurant. It all depends on the tides of the water. During the period of shallow water, you can walk to it, and during high tide you can either swim or take a boat; local residents who earn extra money in this way will kindly take you for an additional fee.

From the shore, the restaurant seems quite small, but this is only an optical illusion; its main part is located on the opposite side. In addition to the main room on the rock, The Rock restaurant also has a terrace from which you can freely explore the horizon and the endless expanses of the Indian Ocean.

This similarity with a fisherman's house makes it clear that seafood dishes dominate in the Skala restaurant, and this is true, all seafood is the freshest and caught by local fishermen. Here, even the familiar spaghetti will be served with lobster, you can also order squid prepared with shrimp and zucchini, or you can try the local delicacy - raw beef with fish and sauce. But these are not all dishes, there are many of them and the assortment is constantly updated with new ones. You can also order a variety of drinks with your meals, such as wine, beer, and soft drinks.

But be prepared to fork out some cash, as all these dishes from a black chef are not the cheapest, but this will not stop lovers of unusual sensations and new experiences from tasting sea and delicious dishes in this unusual restaurant on the rock “The Rock”. If you decide to come here, then you need to take care of booking a table in advance, since the establishment has only 14 tables, and the establishment has more and more people wanting to come.

Have you ever been in a restaurant where the waiter suddenly took the food you ordered and deliberately dumped it right on the tray?
Did you have to have napkins? What about the tablecloth?
And so that the waiter asks “Finish?” and, having received an affirmative answer, he picked up and carried away... the table, and not the dirty dishes?
This is what we had on our trip to Zanzibar
And it was my most unforgettable restaurant visit in my life.
That evening, not only I cried, but also all my friends with whom we had dinner that evening.

2. And it all started completely calmly and harmlessly - we just decided to have dinner at a colorful Ethiopian restaurant in Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar. The restaurant was called Abyssinian Maritim
Little did we know that for the next few hours we would be constantly surprised, perplexed and laughing until our stomachs hurt.

3. I had my eye on this restaurant long before the trip, while still in Moscow, figuring out the route and places to visit on a future trip. He attracted me with a coffee ceremony, about which there were many flattering reviews on the Internet. But everything that happened during dinner completely threw away thoughts about filming the ceremony, which we completely forgot about. I only remembered it when I was processing photos on the way home)

4. The administrator seated our small group in the very center of a small open terrace, pushing two tables together and adding the missing chairs. Deciding to carefully study the menu and not rush into ordering, we ordered beer and coffee for the girls (we were going to have the coffee ceremony after dinner)

5. Coffee was brought very quickly. It was incredibly cool, fragrant and with... popcorn.
And a few minutes later the jokes began. Lucy finished her coffee and the waiter came up and asked: “Finish?” And having received an affirmative answer, he did not bother with cleaning up the dirty dishes and took away... the entire table!
Naturally, this made us laugh. Evgeniy even offered to order another coffee to see if the second table would be taken away or if there were other options in this restaurant) By the way, the table was eventually taken away. But already at the end of dinner.

6. After we made the order, the waiter came to our table again, but with... a basin and a teapot.
This is to wash your hands before eating. After each of us rinsed our hands, he left and returned half a minute later with an empty basin and a refilled kettle....

7. Deciding to try more Ethiopian dishes, we ordered the meat platter, which included dorowot, allicha, keywot, kitfo and vegetables. In general, the most common dishes and I’m sure they are all familiar to you and you enjoy their taste at least once a month)

8. Just as we were about to ask the waiter to bring cutlery that was not on the table, he began to turn over the plates with dishes one after another, dumping their contents directly onto the tray.

9. Smiling and collecting the plates, he left, leaving us perplexed over the dish. Well, then... and then there were napkins and a tablecloth...

10. What is happening is most clearly visible in the video.

Following the napkins, the tablecloth with the remains of food was eaten, the dishes turned out to be so delicious.
Of course, these are not napkins or a tablecloth, and Ynjera is the first word starting with the letter Y that I learned in life. This is the name of the main food of the Ethiopian population, which is a loose flatbread with a small hole made from the African cereal teff.

In general, if you find yourself in Zanzibar, be sure to visit this Ethiopian restaurant, enjoy the unusual service and don’t forget, like us, about the coffee ceremony...

My previous photo reports and photo stories:

An overview of traditional food in Zanzibar, how much food costs at the resort and where it is better to go to eat (cafes and restaurants), establishments with good ratings and food prices.

A piece of any country, its characteristics and traditions are always preserved in the national cuisine. By tasting a dish, we can tell what region it comes from. After all, the whole history of the country is reflected in folk cuisine.

By trying the cuisine of the island of Zanzibar, you can learn a lot about its past and traditions, learn new things about gastronomic tourism, and perhaps find something that you will enjoy cooking at home for a long time.

Being at the intersection of trade routes, the archipelago has combined the characteristics of the cuisines of different nations, adding African flavor and Zanzibar soul. Now on the island you can see the most diverse, delicious and rich cuisine of East Africa.

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The main revolution in the island's cuisine occurred in 1810. It was this year that the first spice, cloves, was introduced. Since then, the island has been a major exporter of spices.

Of course, this factor was reflected in the national customs and food preferences of the local population. Spicy aroma is present in all dishes. At the same time, the products are not very spicy.

Of course, fruits and seafood are an integral part of the Zanzibari meal, but meat is considered a delicacy for the locals.

What to try in Zanzibar, prices

What to eat in Zanzibar from traditional cuisine and how much do the products cost? Let's find out.

Fruits at the resort markets

What to try from fruits?

Honey-sweet mangoes cannot be compared with those mangoes that end up on the shelves of our supermarkets; they cannot even be called relatives. Having eaten a couple of gummy fruits, consider that you have already had lunch - they are very filling.

Local pineapples are also not like our store-bought ones, here they are very sweet and juicy, there is no aftertaste of vinegar essence, which happens very often when unripe fruit is sent to the refrigerator until it is purchased in our country.

Buy those that are yellowish in color, they are the ripest and tastiest.

In addition to mangoes and pineapples, you will see many exotic fruits on the shelves. Be sure to try the jackfruit and rambutan. The taste of the fruit is very unusual; it is difficult to compare them with something known to us.

Where to buy and how much does it cost?

You don’t need to look for fruit; the counters are filled with all sorts of exotic fruits and you can find them at every turn. The price can be found cheaper far from tourist areas.

Medium-sized pineapples are sold for 25-50 rubles per piece, 1 mango for about 10-15 rubles.

Coconuts in Zanzibar, cost

Coconuts are the basis of many national dishes. They are added to rice, meat, and soups. Be sure to try the fresh juice of this nut; after drinking the liquid, ask the seller to get the pulp, it is very nutritious.

Where to buy and how much does it cost?

Green coconuts are sold on beaches, markets, streets, roads; finding them is not difficult. One piece costs less than a bottle of water - about 20 rubles.

Seafood dishes, cost

Assorted seafood in one of the restaurants

Of course, seafood on the island is truly a national dish. Lobster, shrimp, crab, squid, octopus and fish are found in abundance on the island and are common food for locals.

Be sure to try the fresh catch cooked on the grill, which simply must be seasoned with fresh aromatic spices.

Where to eat seafood in Zanzibar?

All restaurants in Zanzibar and even the smallest cafes will offer you similar dishes.

To try real Zanzibar cuisine, go to Mr Kahawa restaurant or The rock zanzibar restaurant. Regarding the latter, the restaurant is local to tourists, it was built by an ordinary fisherman on a small rock during low tides.

The average bill here will be 400-500 rubles for the main course and salad.

Cafe The Rock

Rice is the head of everything

Oddly enough, rice dishes are included in the daily diet of the island's inhabitants and are a national product. Rice was brought to the island by trade ships from other regions, and it became an integral part of the life of the island's inhabitants.

Be sure to try it

A very tasty and popular dish with national flavor is pilau rice. It is customary to eat this dish with your hands among relatives and friends.

Locals prepare not only rice, but also pilau rice noodles. Spices, shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions are added to it.

Spices in these dishes are mandatory; Zanzibaris do not eat rice without spices at all.

Such food in Zanzibar will cost 100-150 rubles per serving.

What to eat from meat?

For a long time, meat in Zanzibar was eaten only on holidays - it was a delicacy. Nowadays you can try meat dishes in every cafe in Zanzibar.

Be sure to try the “sorpotel” dish, made from beef, beef heart, liver and tongue. Thanks to long stewing in spices, it turns out incredibly tender and juicy. The Chit Chat restaurant prepares it perfectly.

Dishes worth trying

There are also traditional dishes in Zanzibar that you just need to try in cafes and restaurants on the island. Ugali porridge with Naan bread is popular among the common people. Mchicha salad is prepared with different varieties of spinach, peanut butter and curry.

The meat dish with bananas Nyama na Ndizi will surprise you with its exotic taste.

Desserts and drinks

Zanzibaris are not great at desserts. Under a sweet called chocolate dessert there may be simple pancakes with Nutella.

But the Halua dessert with almonds is worth a try. Chapati cakes with honey will not surprise you much, but it will be interesting to try Maasai food.

To wash down the sweets, take tea; spices and masala will be added to it.

For drinks, try fresh papaya or mango.

Local beer with the loud name Kilimanjaro is in demand among tourists, although the taste is quite ordinary. In stores it sells for 50-60 rubles.

You might be interested in learning about everything from plane tickets to the best hotels by the sea.

Zanzibar, food prices

It is worth noting that they are constantly changing, let’s consider the average cost of the most necessary food products:

• Potatoes (1 kg) - 47 rubles,
• Chicken breasts from a private owner (1 kg) - 380 rubles,
• Local cheese - 290 rubles,
• Milk (1 liter) - 67 rubles,
• Tomatoes - 50 rubles,
• Bread (0.38-0.55 kg) - 18 rubles,
• Eggs (12 pieces) - 93 rubles,
• Apples (1 kg) - 62 rubles.

Prices for local drinks and alcoholic products:

Local beer (0.5 l.) - 80 rubles,

Red wine - 430 rubles per 0.7 liter bottle,

Carbonated drink Coca-Cola (2 l.) - 97 rubles,

Whiskey, liqueur, vodka (0.75 l.) - from 380 rubles, depending on the brand.

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