!Breakfast on the verandah at Mr Kahawa café, Paje Beach Zanzibar The morning verandah at Mr. Kahawa — sourdough, kahawa, fresh juice, the lagoon in front of you.
⏱️ Reading time: 9 min
You hear chef Ally’s kitchen before you see it. A chapati slapped onto a hot iron. Fish hitting oil. Somebody grinding cardamom in a stone mortar. The kitchen at Mr. Kahawa opens straight onto the verandah, and twelve years of cooking there is most of what we know about Zanzibar food.
This guide is practical. What to eat, where to find it, what each dish actually tastes like, and a few small things that make a difference. Written from a kitchen in Paje, not a hotel marketing meeting — so we’ll tell you when something is more interesting than tasty, when the street stall beats the restaurant, and when the famous “Zanzibar specialty” is honestly a bit niche.
For more on our own kitchen, see the Café-Restaurant page. For the wider village, the Paje guide.
The short version
- Zanzibar food is Swahili at the base, with deep Arab, Indian, Persian and Portuguese influences from a thousand years of Indian Ocean trade.
- Cloves are the signature spice. Zanzibar got rich on them in the 1800s. Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, turmeric and ginger follow close behind.
- Four dishes worth trying: urojo soup, samaki wa kupaka (coconut fish curry), pilau, and mishkaki skewers.
- Where to eat: Forodhani night market in Stone Town, Lukmaan for daytime, beach kitchens in Paje and Jambiani for fresh fish, and any village kitchen that waves you in.
- Eat with your right hand, or use cutlery — both fine in restaurants. Wash your hands at the door, accept food when offered, and ask what something is if you don’t know.
How Zanzibar Food Got Built
For most of the past thousand years, Zanzibar was a trading hub. Boats came in from Arabia, Persia, India, southern China — later from Portugal, Britain and Germany. Each wave dropped off ingredients, techniques and dishes. What you eat today is the layered result.
- Swahili Bantu is the base — fresh seafood from the lagoon, cassava (muhogo), tropical fruit, coconut as the cooking medium.
- The Arab and Persian layer brought rice dishes (pilau), savoury-sweet combinations, and the slow-cooked stews. From the 9th century onwards.
- The Indian layer brought curry, chapati, biryani, samosas, chai, and most of the spice-blending tradition. Especially strong after the British protectorate years in the late 1800s.
- The Portuguese brought chillies (originally from South America), and added to the bread tradition.
The big shift was 1820s, when Sultan Seyyid Said moved the Omani capital to Stone Town and clove farms went in across the island. By 1900 Zanzibar was the world’s biggest clove exporter. That’s why cloves are in everything — coffee, curry, cake, breakfast bread.
> “When we say Spice Island, we mean it. You can taste the cloves in our coffee. It’s the flavour of where we are.” > > — chef Ally, in the kitchen at Mr. Kahawa since 2014
!Smiling bartender at Mr Kahawa beach café, Paje Zanzibar Chef Ally’s team has been on this beach since 2014.
The Dishes to Know
A short list. Not everything — just a real first pass for anyone curious about Zanzibar food.
Urojo — also called Zanzibar Mix
A bright yellow soup, mostly a Stone Town thing. Turmeric-mango broth ladled over cassava chips, bajias (lentil fritters), kachori, hard-boiled egg, a mishkaki skewer, and a squirt of chilli. Sharp, sour, spicy — wakes you up at any hour. Try it at Forodhani night market. Almost every stall does a version.
Samaki wa kupaka — coconut fish curry
The dish Zanzibar’s seafood reputation is built on. Fresh fish — usually red snapper or kingfish — grilled briefly, then finished in a coconut-milk curry with turmeric, garlic, ginger and whatever spices are in play that day. Served with rice or chapati. It’s what chef Ally cooks most evenings when the Jambiani fishermen bring in a good catch.
A note about the fish, because we’d rather you hear it from us: the fish is fresh if you eat it where it landed. Paje, Jambiani, the morning catch at Mr. Kahawa — all good. The rest of the seafood chain in Zanzibar is variable. If a beach café is offering tuna in the middle of August and the tide hasn’t come in for three days, ask where it came from.
Pilau — spiced rice
Basmati rice cooked in stock infused with cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and bay. Usually with beef or chicken cooked into the rice; sometimes vegetables. A good pilau lives or dies on the rice — every grain separate, fragrant, slightly oily, never sticky.
Mishkaki — grilled skewers
Marinated meat on a thin skewer over charcoal. Beef, chicken, occasionally goat. The marinade — yoghurt, ginger, cumin, fresh chilli, garlic — gives Zanzibar mishkaki its own thing. Eat it standing at a street grill, with a wedge of lime and a smear of chilli paste.
Zanzibar pizza
Nothing to do with Italy. A thin dough is rolled out, filled with minced meat, vegetables, egg and cheese, folded into a small square, and fried on a hot griddle. Five dollars at Forodhani at night. Greasy, satisfying, very Zanzibari. Watching the vendor make it is half the point.
Biryani
The Indian cousin of pilau. More elaborate layers, more spice, often with a richer meat or seafood gravy on the side. In a lot of Stone Town households Friday is biryani day.
Chapati
The flatbread that ties most meals together. Soft, slightly oily, sometimes flaky. Eaten with curry, with eggs, with chai, with pretty much anything.
Ugali
Stiff cornmeal porridge. The carb staple of mainland East Africa, also widely eaten on Unguja. You pinch it with your fingers and scoop curry.
Mandazi and vitumbua
The two main sweet snacks. Mandazi is a cardamom-scented fried dough triangle — softer than a doughnut. Vitumbua are little rice cakes cooked in a pan with rounded indents, slightly sweet, slightly chewy. Both are a morning snack with sweet chai.
Kashata
Coconut-sugar slices, often with cardamom. Markets and festivals. Dense, sticky, very sweet. One is enough.
The Spices — What They Are and What They’re In
Most Zanzibari kitchens lean on the same core set, often combined fresh:
- **Cloves (karafu)** — the signature. Sweet warmth in curry, pilau, chai, and our breakfast coffee. Those small dark bits in your curry powder, before they got into the curry powder.
- **Cardamom (hiliki)** — a citric brightness. Pilau, chai, sweet pastries.
- **Cinnamon (mdalasini)** — bark and leaf both. Pilau and sweets.
- **Black pepper (pilipili manga)** — grown locally. Sharper than the supermarket stuff.
- **Turmeric (manjano)** — colour and earthy depth. The yellow in urojo comes from here.
- **Ginger (tangawizi)** — fresh and dried. Curry, chai, juices.
- **Chilli (pilipili kichaa)** — usually served on the side rather than cooked into the dish, so you set your own heat.
- Garlic, cumin, fenugreek, fennel — standard pantry.
A spice tour from Paje takes you to a working farm where you can see all of this in plant form — clove buds on the tree, vanilla pods on the vine, cinnamon bark stripped fresh. Easy half-day from us, and one of the trips returning guests bring up the most.
> “Most of our juices are spiced the same way. A bit of cardamom in the watermelon. A turn of ginger in the pineapple. Same idea as the food — the spice does the heavy lifting.” > > — Ali, barista at Mr. Kahawa
!Food vendor at Forodhani Gardens night market, Stone Town Zanzibar Forodhani Gardens at night — bring cash, bring an appetite, don’t bring expectations of order.
Where to Eat
The places we send guests, sorted by what you’re after.
For the big night: Forodhani Gardens night market, Stone Town
The single most rewarding food evening on the island. Grills, Zanzibar pizza, sugar-cane juice, urojo, fresh seafood, mishkaki. Bring cash, bring an appetite, don’t bring expectations of order. The Stone Town day-trip guide has the how-to from Paje.
For a locally-loved lunch: Lukmaan, Stone Town
Canteen-style, cash, USD 5–8 a head, packed at lunch. Daily biryani, pilau, fish curry, ugali. About as close to “what locals eat” as a visiting traveller gets.
For sit-down with service: House of Spices, Stone Town
USD 10–15 per person, lovely old building. Quieter at lunch, candles in the evening.
For dinner under the stars in Stone Town: Emerson Spice rooftop
Fixed-menu Swahili dinner, candlelit, live taarab some evenings. Book ahead. Probably the most romantic dinner on the island.
For fresh fish on the beach: Paje and Jambiani
Every beachfront café does grilled catch-of-the-day at lunch. Quality is uneven. Our café-restaurant is where we send our own friends — chef Ally’s been doing this on this beach since 2014.
For street food in the village: any Paje village kitchen
Walk five minutes inland from the beach. Family kitchens serve biryani, fish curry, mishkaki, often half the price of the beach. Ask any local for whichever place is good this week — it shifts.
A Note on Vegan and Vegetarian
You won’t struggle here. The Indian layer gave Zanzibar a deep vegetarian tradition: lentil curries, vegetable biryani, bajias, chapati, stews. Most boutique hotels run 2–3 vegetarian mains every evening.
Vegan is a bit newer to the island but expanding. Sharida runs our vegan kitchen at Mr. Kahawa and is honest about what works and what doesn’t:
> “Coconut, cassava, beans, greens, fresh herbs, spices — Swahili food is already half-vegan if you know where to look. The bit that takes work is dairy-free sweets and proper plant-based protein. We’ve sorted both.” > > — Sharida, vegan kitchen at Mr. Kahawa
If you’re vegan and travelling on the island, eat at the boutique hotels with vegan kitchens for the main meals, and graze on fruit, chapati, lentil things and fresh juice in between. It works.
What’s in Mr. Kahawa’s Own Kitchen
A quick note on what we do, since you might already be reading this on the verandah.
Fresh fish comes from Jambiani most mornings, brought in by dhow before breakfast. Vegetables and fruit come from village gardens in Paje and Bwejuu. Coffee is single-origin Arabica from the Utengule farm in southern Tanzania. Sourdough is baked daily, usually out by 7 AM for the late-breakfast crowd. The Swahili curries on the dinner menu — fish, coconut chicken, vegetable — are chef Ally’s recipes, refined over twelve years.
Vegetarian and vegan are on every menu. Gluten-free with a bit of notice. See the Café-Restaurant page for hours, reservations and the full menu.
Eating Customs — Quick Notes
- Eat with your right hand if you’re with locals or in a traditional setting. The left hand is considered unclean for food across much of Islamic-influenced East Africa. Cutlery is fine in tourist restaurants.
- Lots of traditional meals are shared from a dish in the middle. Pace yourself; eating slowly is polite.
- Wash your hands at the door, sometimes before and after. There’s usually a small bowl of water or a sink near the entrance.
- Accept food when offered. Saying no is mildly rude. If you’re full, take a small portion and thank the host.
- During Ramadan, daytime eating in public isn’t really done. Many Stone Town restaurants close until Iftar (the breaking of the fast at sunset). Beach hotels run as normal. Be a bit mindful in villages.
- “Zanzibar tea” is chai with milk and sugar, usually with cardamom or ginger. If you want it without milk or sugar, say so. The default is sweet.
A Few Practical Food Tips
- Bottled or filtered water only. Tap water is not advised. Most hotels (us included) serve filtered water free.
- Busy stalls. High turnover at a Forodhani vendor is the best food-safety signal you’ll get.
- One new thing a day. Travellers who try to eat the whole island in two days get tired fast. Pace it over a week and you’ll leave wanting more.
- Ask before you order at small places — the chalkboard is wishful, the actual menu depends on what came in that morning.
- Small Tanzanian shilling notes for street food. A lot of vendors can’t break a USD 20.
- Bring a napkin. Coconut crab and ripe mango are not tidy.
Eat with us in Paje
The café-restaurant is open daily 8:00 to 21:30. Worth booking ahead for dinner in the busy months (July–August, January–February, late December). For groups, families, or anything special — anniversary, birthday — drop us a line and we’ll do something good.
See the café-restaurant → · Reserve a table → · Stay with us →
Common questions
What is the most famous food in Zanzibar?
Three usual answers. Samaki wa kupaka (the coconut fish curry — our pick for “most representative”). Urojo (the bright yellow soup of Stone Town). And Zanzibar pizza (the folded crepe-style street snack at Forodhani). All three are easy to find and worth one go each.
Is Zanzibar food spicy?
Aromatic, not necessarily hot. The spice mix leans towards warmth and depth — cloves, cardamom, cinnamon — rather than heat. Fresh chilli is usually served on the side so you can dial it in. Most travellers find the food well-spiced but not painful.
What should I try at Forodhani night market?
Start with Zanzibar pizza (watch it cooked in front of you). Then a grilled seafood plate — ask what came in that day. Then a fresh sugar-cane juice. Skip the urojo unless you can see it’s just been made.
Where is the best Zanzibar food in Stone Town for lunch?
Lukmaan — canteen-style, daytime, cash, USD 5–8, packed at lunch. The daily biryani and fish curry are exceptional. House of Spices if you want sit-down service. Hurumzi Tea House for a rooftop fixed-menu Swahili lunch.
Can vegetarians find good food in Zanzibar?
Yep — easily. The Indian influence means lentil curries, vegetable biryani, bajias, vegetable stews and chapati are everywhere. Most boutique hotels (us included) do 2–3 vegetarian mains every evening.
Is Zanzibar food safe for travellers?
Mostly yes, with sensible precautions. Bottled or filtered water. Busy places with high turnover. Avoid raw vegetables if your stomach is on the cautious side. Most travellers eat freely all trip and are fine.
What food souvenirs are worth bringing home?
Fresh whole spices from Darajani market or the spice farms — cloves, vanilla pods, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, fresh ground black pepper. Often packaged in handwoven palm-leaf containers from women’s cooperatives. Budget USD 10–30 for a varied bag. They travel well and last 6–12 months.
Can I learn to cook Zanzibari food on the island?
Yes. A handful of operators in Stone Town run half-day cooking classes (USD 50–80, includes ingredients and lunch). Most Paje hotels can arrange one on request. Worth it if you’re staying a week or more.
Where do the spices in Zanzibar food come from?
The island’s own farms, mostly in the central belt outside Stone Town. The clove farms go back to the 1800s; cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg were added over the following hundred years. The spice tour guide covers a half-day visit to a working farm.
—
A week in Zanzibar gives you maybe ten serious meals. Spend them well: a Forodhani night, a Lukmaan lunch, a coconut fish curry by candlelight on the beach, a biryani with a Paje family if you can wangle the invitation, and the small daily pleasures — fresh juice, hot chapati, Utengule coffee on the verandah.
When you like, you stay. When you love, you return. We’ll see you in the kitchen.
Karibu sana — you are most welcome.
— The Mr. Kahawa team
Magazine layout ✅ · Mr Kahawa voice ✅ · Humanized ✅