The Matlai Journal
Food & Dining
Food is one of the main reasons people remember Zanzibar, from fresh seafood and spiced Swahili cooking to a good breakfast eaten with the sea in view. The stories in this category cover eating and drinking at Boutique Hotel Matlai and around the island, including the Zatiny restaurant, local ingredients and what to order. Browse the stories below to see what is cooked, how it is served and what is worth planning a meal around.
4 stories in this category — browse all 27 posts, or start with the Zanzibar travel guide.
Deep-Sea Fishing at Michamvi Pingwe & Catch-to-Table Dining
Beach Bums Fishing Charters runs deep-sea trips straight off the Matlai beach, and Zatiny's kitchen turns your catch into dinner the same…
A Day at Matlai: From Indian Ocean Sunrise to Dinner on the Beach
What a day at Boutique Hotel Matlai actually looks like: sunrise over the ocean, breakfast wherever you are, a morning set by the tide…
The Live Lobster Tank at Zatiny — and What Is Actually in It
Why the restaurant keeps lobster alive, which spiny lobster species turn up off this coast, and how to order one.
Exploring Zanzibar's Culinary Traditions: A Journey into Typical Food Habits
What a typical day of eating looks like in Zanzibar — breakfast staples like Ugali, Cassava, Chapati and Vitumbua, street food classics…