Hotel restaurants

Several smart hotels in Zanzibar Town, such as those at Emerson & Green and the Serena, deserve a mention in their own right, and are listed above. Among the mid-range hotels, the restaurant at Mazsons Hotel has good main courses in the US$4–10
range. The rooftop restaurant at the Shangani Hotel, on Kenyatta Rd, has also been recommended, with simple main courses around US$4 and fine views. More recommendations come for the rooftop restaurant at the Chavda Hotel, just off Kenyatta Rd, where good Indian meals are in the US$5–9 bracket. Cheaper, but very good value, the restaurant at the Hotel Kiponda serves speciality Zanzibari and seafood dishes for US$3–5, but you may need to order some time in advance. The restaurant at the Coco de Mer Hotel is friendly and offers good food: beef escalope, masala jeera and chicken Chinese are all US$4.50, and vegetarian options go for US$3.

Local restaurants

For a real local flavour, the Tropicana Restaurant, next to the High Court on Kaunda Rd, caters for office workers, serving cheap meals of fish and rice for around US$1. Similar is Café Kelele on Shangani Rd – a tiny place run by two nice old ladies. At both, only Swahili is spoken. Near the Masumo Bookshop in the Mkunazini area, just back from the market, are several local tea shops, also selling snacks and cakes, inc the Sinai Restaurant, the Utamanduni Restaurant, the SB Café, the Baobab Restaurant and Bakan's Restaurant. There are many other, seemingly nameless, basic eating houses which you may just stumble across as you walk around the streets of Zanzibar Town. Menus are rare in these simple establishments, and some of the very small places may only have one meal available (sometimes called chakula leo – food of the day): you'll have to ask what they've got. If you're leaving Zanzibar by air, the airport restaurant does surprisingly good snacks and meals.