Zanzibar Travel Guide
What to Eat in Zanzibar: Where to Try It and What Is Safe
Quick answer
What should you eat in Zanzibar, where, and is it safe?
The practical answer is ten dishes in four kinds of places: pilau, biryani, urojo, Zanzibar pizza, octopus, coconut fish, mandazi and ginger tea, eaten at the Forodhani night market, at street carts, in village eateries or in a hotel. Street food is fine if it is cooked hot in front of you and you drink only sealed or filtered water. Matlai serves dinner from 18:30, halal-friendly but not certified.
This page is about what to try, where, what is safe and what Matlai serves. For the history behind the dishes, our older posts on the everyday Zanzibar table and on Swahili flavours and dining go further. All public facts were read on 15 November 2026.
| Core of the cuisine | Swahili cooking with Arab, Omani, Indian and Portuguese influence; coconut and seafood throughout |
| Two rice dishes | Pilau (cooked in one pot with the meat) and biryani (rice and curry cooked separately, then layered) |
| Street food | Urojo soup, Zanzibar pizza, octopus skewers, mandazi |
| Best-known food market | Forodhani night market, Stone Town, opens in the evening, around 18:00 |
| Water | Sealed bottled or filtered water only; at stalls choose food cooked hot in front of you |
| At Matlai | One restaurant, two kitchens, both menus at every table; dinner from 18:30, last orders 21:30 |
| Halal | Halal-friendly, not certified; pork is on the menu; alcohol is served |
| Last verified | 15 November 2026 |
What makes it Zanzibari
What makes Zanzibar food different from the rest of East Africa?
Trade and coconut make the difference. Swahili cooking is the base along the whole East African coast, and on Zanzibar it carries the marks of the people who came to trade. Matador Network (21 January 2025) lists Arab traders, who brought spices, Indian settlers, who brought curries, chapati, samosas and biryani, Portuguese traders, who added citrus fruit, and Omani traders, who introduced the pilau spices. Wikipedia adds that the Portuguese brought manioc (cassava), maize and pineapple.
Coconut is the second thing. Matador says it is used more on Zanzibar than on the mainland: in kisamvu, pounded cassava leaves boiled with coconut milk; in ndizi tamu, plantains in coconut milk; and in samaki wa kupaka, a whole fish in coconut milk with turmeric. Fresh seafood is a staple, and seafood stews are especially common in coastal and rural areas.
Fruit and spices are left out here on purpose. For the island's tropical fruit, read our post on Zanzibar fruit; spices are covered separately.
The ten to start with
Which ten dishes and drinks should you try first?
Start with these ten: two rice dishes, two street classics, three coconut or seafood dishes and three snacks and drinks. The descriptions come from the four sources named under the table. Where they disagree on where a dish began, the table says nothing rather than choose.
| Dish | What it is | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Pilau | Spiced rice cooked in one pot with the meat or its broth, so the rice takes up the juices | Matador credits Omani traders with the pilau spices; Wikipedia reads the dish as Arab in origin |
| Biryani | Spiced rice cooked separately from the meat or curry, then layered; thought to come from the Indian subcontinent | Wikipedia: it reached Zanzibar after the Omani sultanate took control |
| Urojo (Zanzibar mix) | A tangy soup topped with bhajia fritters, mashed fried potato, coconut chutney, chilli and cassava shavings | A street dish at Forodhani; Matador says it comes with spiced meat or seafood |
| Zanzibar pizza | Thin dough filled with meat or chicken, vegetables, egg, cheese and mayonnaise, then folded, fried and sliced | Not Italian; it is cooked to order at a stall |
| Octopus (pweza) | Served as grilled skewers or in a turmeric and coconut cream curry | Pweza wa nazi is the coconut-curry version |
| Wali wa nazi | Rice cooked in coconut milk instead of water | A common side dish; coconut is used more on Zanzibar than on the mainland |
| Samaki wa kupaka | A whole fish in coconut milk with turmeric | Seafood stews are especially common on the coast |
| Mandazi | Lightly sweet fried dough triangles, sometimes flavoured with cardamom | Usually eaten with chai; sold from street carts in the morning |
| Tangawizi and kahawa | Ginger-spiced tea, and small cups of strong coffee flavoured with cardamom | Coffee is sold by mobile sellers with brass pots; Jaws Corner in Stone Town is the best-known spot |
| Sugarcane juice | Pressed fresh in a hand-cranked wooden machine, sometimes with ginger or lime | A cold drink from carts around Stone Town |
Sources: Intrepid Travel Blog (15 October 2018), Matador Network (21 January 2025), Wikipedia, Duma Explorer (2026 edition). We print no street prices; they change and the sources are dated.
Pilau and biryani are easy to confuse. In pilau the rice cooks in the same pot as the meat; in biryani the rice and the curry are cooked apart and layered. Sources disagree on where each began, so treat origin stories as stories.
Breakfast and the day
What do people in Zanzibar eat for breakfast?
Breakfast is often hearty and boiled. Matador names cassava and fish soup; the quick option is mandazi with sweet tea, sold from street carts in the morning, according to the Duma Explorer guide, around Darajani Market in Stone Town. Our older post on the everyday Zanzibar table goes through breakfast, street food and rice dishes in more detail, so this page does not repeat it; Swahili flavours and dining at Matlai is the second older post.
At Matlai, breakfast runs from 07:00 to 12:00 and you choose where: on your own terrace or balcony, at the restaurant, at the dining table in the villa lounge or at a table in the garden. A packed breakfast is available for early tours and early departures. Visitors who are not staying can have breakfast from 09:00.
Half board, the standard rate, includes breakfast and a three-course dinner; lunch and drinks are charged. The half board or all-inclusive guide explains what that means for the bill.
Where to eat
Where do you eat in Zanzibar?
Four kinds of places cover most meals. Each has a downside, and it is named below.
The Forodhani night market in Stone Town
Forodhani Gardens, the waterfront park in Stone Town, turns into an open-air food market in the evening. Intrepid Travel lists pizza, octopus skewers, urojo and chips mayai among the stalls, and the Duma Explorer guide says the market opens nightly around 18:00. The downside is the distance: Stone Town is about 1h15 by road from Michamvi Pingwe, so it works best as part of a Stone Town day.
Street carts and coffee sellers
Mandazi carts in the morning, sugarcane juice carts around Stone Town, and coffee sellers who walk with a brass pot and clink their cups. This is the cheapest and most local option. The downside is that you stand and eat; follow the advice on food cooked hot in front of you.
Village eateries on the coast
Seafood stews are especially common in coastal and rural areas, and a small eatery in a fishing village is where you are most likely to find fish in coconut milk the way it is cooked at home. The downside is language and menus: ask what is fresh that day, and agree the price before the plate arrives.
Hotel kitchens
A hotel kitchen is the easiest first meal after a long flight. The downside is that it is not where locals eat. At Matlai the restaurant is open to visitors too; the guide to things to do around Michamvi shows what else is within reach of the hotel.
Safe and sensible
Is Zanzibar food safe to eat, and is it halal?
Yes for most visitors who follow two rules. Do not drink tap water: use sealed bottled water or the filtered water your hotel provides. At established hotels and restaurants food is generally fine; at street stalls, choose food cooked hot in front of you. This is the advice on our safety page, not a medical opinion. The same page asks you to agree every price before you start and to count your change.
Zanzibar is overwhelmingly Muslim, about 99% of the population according to our culture and etiquette guide, which also asks you to eat and drink discreetly in public during Ramadan. The Ramadan guide explains how the month changes opening hours.
At Matlai the kitchen is halal-friendly, with many halal options, and most of the chefs are Muslim and know how to prepare it. We do not call it halal-certified, and pork is on the menu. Alcohol is served, also during Ramadan. If you need strictly halal food, tell us when you reserve.
At Matlai
How does Zatiny at Matlai fit into all this?
Zatiny is one restaurant with two kitchens, and both menus are served at every table. Zatiny cooks Indian Ocean fusion and seafood; Duyên cooks Kim's Northern Vietnamese home cooking. You can order from both at the same table, on the same evening.
Lunch is from 12:00, dinner from 18:30 with last orders at 21:30, and the kitchen closes at 22:00. Walk-ins are welcome. On half board the dinner is three courses and the menu changes daily; vegetarian and vegan dishes are always possible. For a special evening there is a beach dinner for two, and tables can be reserved on the reservation page.
One honest limit: the photo at the top shows what Zatiny serves, not a Swahili dish; Zatiny is not a Swahili street kitchen and has no fixed Swahili tasting menu. Guests can request Swahili dishes and the chefs cook them, so ask when you reserve. For pilau, urojo or a Zanzibar pizza as a stall makes it, go to Stone Town or a village. The restaurant page has the current menu.
A day of eating
How would one good day of eating look?
A day that visits every kind of place could run like this; swap any step. It assumes a day in Stone Town:
- Morning: mandazi and tea or cardamom coffee from a cart, before about 9:00 when they are freshest, or a hotel breakfast if you prefer a table.
- Midday: a plate of pilau or biryani, or coconut rice with fish, at a restaurant that cooks to order.
- Afternoon: sugarcane juice from a cart, and a ginger tea.
- Evening: Forodhani, with urojo and a Zanzibar pizza; choose the stall where the food is cooked in front of you.
- The sources for this page are the Intrepid Travel Blog (Sarah Reid, 15 October 2018: link), Matador Network (Riley Chervinski, 21 January 2025: link), Wikipedia, "Zanzibari cuisine" (link) and the Duma Explorer food guide, 2026 edition (link), all read on 15 November 2026. Street prices and market hours change; we print none that we cannot check.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
These are the food questions visitors ask us most often.
What is the national dish of Zanzibar?
None of the sources we read names one. The dishes every guide lists first are pilau, biryani and urojo, so if you want one answer, eat a plate of pilau or biryani and a bowl of urojo. Origin stories differ between sources, which is why this page does not pick a winner.
What do people in Zanzibar eat for breakfast?
Often something hearty and boiled, such as cassava and fish soup, or something quick and sweet, such as mandazi (fried dough triangles) with tea. Mandazi come from morning street carts. At a hotel, breakfast is usually a buffet or a table menu; at Matlai it is served from 07:00 to 12:00 wherever you like.
What is urojo?
A tangy soup, also sold as Zanzibar mix. Intrepid Travel lists bhajia fritters, mashed fried potato, coconut chutney, chilli and cassava shavings; Matador Network says it is typically served with fritters, boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and spiced meat or seafood, with coconut chutney, chilli and tamarind sauce as toppings. It is a street dish and a regular at the Forodhani market.
Is street food in Zanzibar safe to eat?
Our safety page gives the same advice for every visitor: at established hotels and restaurants food is generally fine, and at street stalls you should choose food cooked hot in front of you. Never drink tap water; use sealed bottled water or the filtered water your hotel provides. A travel clinic can tell you more for your own health.
Is Zanzibar food halal, and can I drink alcohol?
About 99% of the island is Muslim, and the kitchens at Matlai are halal-friendly with many halal options, but not certified; pork is also on the menu. Alcohol is served at the hotel, also during Ramadan. Tell us when you reserve if you need strictly halal food.
Can a vegetarian or vegan eat well in Zanzibar?
At Matlai, yes: vegetarian and vegan dishes are always possible, and the daily main course always includes a fish or seafood, a meat or chicken and a vegetarian choice. Elsewhere, we cannot tell you what is in a dish at a stall, including coconut rice (wali wa nazi) and mandazi: ask the vendor before you order, and say so if you avoid meat, fish, egg or any other ingredient.
Can I eat at Zatiny if I am not a hotel guest?
Yes. Visitors and walk-ins are welcome: lunch from 12:00, dinner from 18:30 with last orders at 21:30. Hotel guests on half board have breakfast and a three-course dinner in the rate; lunch and drinks are charged. You can reserve a table on the reservation page.
Your stay at Matlai
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Why guests book Matlai
- A team of butlers on call, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
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