One restaurant. Two kitchens. Zero shoes required.
Zatiny & Duyên: Beach Restaurant in Michamvi, Zanzibar
Two kitchens on one beach: Zatiny for seafood off the village boats, Duyên for Vietnamese home cooking.
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What is Zatiny?
Zatiny is the beach restaurant of Boutique Hotel Matlai at Michamvi Pingwe: one restaurant with two kitchens, Indian Ocean seafood and fusion from Zatiny's, Northern Vietnamese home cooking from Duyên's. Lunch from 12:00, dinner from 18:30 with last orders at 21:30; non-guests are welcome with a reservation. Google 4.8 from 238 Google reviews.
| Restaurant | One, with two kitchens |
| Lunch | From 12:00 |
| Dinner | From 18:30, last orders 21:30 |
| Head chef | Saleh, since 2011 |
| Visitors | Welcome, with a reservation |
| 4.8 (238 Google reviews) | |
| Last verified | October 2026 |
What does Zatiny serve?
Three menus at one table: Zatiny’s Indian Ocean fusion and seafood, Duyên’s Vietnamese home cooking, and a three-course chef’s menu that changes every day. You can order from all three in the same meal.
Two kitchens, one room
Zatiny cooks the fish and seafood of the coast; Duyên cooks Kim’s Northern Vietnamese family recipes. Same tables, same service.
The chef’s menu of the day
A starter, a main and a dessert, new every day, alongside the two à la carte menus. Today’s menu is in the box below.
Live lobster
Lobsters caught off this shore by local fishermen wait in a tank, two of them in the dining room. Lobster is charged on top of the half-board dinner. The story of the tank.
The bar
Julius runs the bar. The signature cocktails use spirits the team infuses in-house; fresh juices, coconut water, mocktails and fruit smoothies are on the same list, and drinks are served through Ramadan too.
When is it open?
The same hours for both kitchens. Outside guests reserve; hotel guests on half board just come.
| Meal | Hours | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | House guests from 07:00; outside guests from 09:00 | House guests (in every board) and visitors; packed for an early tour or an early departure |
| Lunch | From 12:00 | Everyone; charged, also on half board |
| Dinner | From 18:30, last orders 21:30 | Hotel guests and visitors with a reservation |
| Kitchen closes | 22:00 |
What does half board include?
Half board is breakfast and a three-course dinner, and it is how every room is priced. Premium dishes, such as lobster, cost extra on top of the dinner.
Lunch and drinks are charged. Water is free, and every room has a kettle with instant coffee and tea. Full board adds lunch for US$30 per person per night; bed and breakfast is US$35 per person per night less. All terms are on rooms and rates and what is included.
Bring back a fish from a deep-sea trip and the kitchen cooks it for dinner: free on half board and full board, charged on bed and breakfast.
Can we have a private dinner on the beach?
Yes. The butler lays a table on the sand at the beach entrance, with palm leaves, bougainvillea and kerosene lamps, and you order from both kitchens. The candlelight dinner costs 156,000 TZS per couple on half board (195,000 TZS on bed and breakfast); tell the butler on the same day, before 14:00. Details and the other set-ups: romantic dinner on the beach.
Who cooks?
Saleh has led the Zatiny kitchen since 2011, the year before the hotel opened. He cooks with Ibrahim, Herson, Eric and Yussuph, and the team is strongest in fish and seafood, with Herson the one for beef. Duyên is Kim’s kitchen: she cooks with Jovita, who has been with her since Duyên began, and Bertha, who trained at Zatiny first.
Do the kitchens cater for dietary needs?
Tell us about allergies and dietary needs when you reserve, or tell your butler; the kitchens cook around them. There is no fixed Swahili tasting menu, but ask for Swahili dishes and the chefs cook them.
The bar, and what comes out of it
The beach bar has a sand floor and a thatched roof, and it is where most evenings start.
Questions about Zatiny
Is Zatiny one restaurant or two?
One restaurant with two kitchens. Zatiny’s menu and Duyên’s Vietnamese menu are served at the same tables, so pho and grilled fish can share one dinner.
Can I eat at Zatiny without staying at the hotel?
Yes, with a reservation. The restaurant is on the beach at Michamvi Pingwe; book a table on the reservation page or on WhatsApp. Dinner starts at 18:30.
Is alcohol served?
Yes: beer, wine and cocktails, also during Ramadan. Fresh juices, coconut water and smoothies are on the same list.
Is there a dress code?
No. Swimwear with a cover-up is fine at lunch; in the evening, casual is enough.
Can non-guests book the Christmas dinner?
Yes. The Christmas dinner is a 6-course menu, and outside guests can book it with a reservation made in advance.
Can the kitchen cook the fish we caught?
Yes. Guests on half board and full board pay nothing for the preparation; on bed and breakfast it is charged.
Is the food at Zatiny halal?
The kitchen is halal-friendly, with many halal options, and most of our chefs are Muslim and know how to handle it. We do not call it halal-certified, and pork is on the menu. Tell us when you reserve, or tell your butler, what you do not eat, and the kitchen plans the meal around it. Beer, wine and cocktails are served.
Can the kitchens cook vegetarian or vegan food?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are on the menu, tofu included, and the kitchen is flexible: it can always offer a vegetarian or vegan menu. The main course changes daily and always includes one fish or seafood dish, one meat or chicken dish and one vegetarian option. Tell us when you reserve if you eat strictly vegetarian or vegan.
Does Ramadan change anything at the restaurant?
The kitchen runs normally during Ramadan, and alcohol is still served to guests. Some of our staff fast during the day, and some restaurants and shops in the area shorten their hours. Away from the hotel, be mindful about eating and drinking in public.
How do I get to Zatiny?
Zatiny is on the beach at Michamvi Pingwe, on Zanzibar’s south-east coast. The transfer from the airport takes 1h15–1h30. Book a table on the reservation page or on WhatsApp.
When is the best time to eat at Zatiny?
Lunch is served from 12:00 and dinner from 18:30, with last orders at 21:30. The coast faces the sunrise, so the sun sets behind the hotel, not over the sea; at a beach table the tide and the moon set the mood, with a full moon lighting the water and a dark night showing the stars.
