zanzibar food guide (2026)

tldr: out of 14 spots i tried in zanzibar, my top 3 are the forodhani night market urojo stalls (the iconic zanzibar soup, 3,000-5,000 tsh / 1.15-1.90 usd), the zanzibar pizza vendors (crispy beef-stuffed flatbread, 5,000-7,000 tsh / 1.90-2.70 usd), and the mishkaki grills (beef skewers that define east african street food, 2,000-5,000 tsh / 0.75-1.90 usd). full reviews with prices and honest opinions below.

stone town at sunset does something to you. the light changes, the call to prayer echoes across the narrow alleys, and then the night market wakes up. slowly at first - a few stalls setting up, grills being lit, the first wisps of smoke - and then all at once, forodhani gardens transforms into one of the most vibrant street food markets in africa.

i spent four nights eating my way through stone town’s food scene, and most of that time was spent at or near the forodhani night market. total spend across all meals was probably around 80,000 tanzanian shillings (about 31 usd), which is genuinely absurd for the amount and quality of food i consumed. nobody sponsored this. every shilling was mine.

the thing about zanzibar food is that it tells you the island’s history without saying a word. the spices come from centuries of trade with india, the middle east, and southeast asia. the cooking techniques blend african, arab, and indian influences. the urojo soup has lentil balls that could’ve come from an indian kitchen. the shawarma is middle eastern but seasoned with east african spice blends. the zanzibar pizza is something entirely its own. this island has been mixing cultures for so long that the food has become its own thing entirely.

if you’re exploring more of east africa, check out my accra ghana food guide for west african comparisons.

the awards (my personal picks)

• best overall: forodhani night market urojo stalls. the soup that defines zanzibar street food. tangy, textured, and unlike anything else.
• best value: chicken shawarma at the night market. 3,000 tsh (1.15 usd) for a freshly made wrap. london charges 8-10 pounds for worse.
• best street food experience: zanzibar pizza vendors. watching them make it on the griddle is half the experience.
• best meat: mishkaki beef skewers. simple, smoky, perfectly grilled. the essential east african street food.
• most underrated: fried plantain with tamarind sauce. the sweet-savory combination with the mishkaki is extraordinary.
• best dessert: fresh mango with chili from the fruit vendors. tropical, spicy, and the perfect way to end a night market session.
• best seafood: the grilled octopus stalls at forodhani. fresh, charred, and seasoned with local spices.
• skip this: the overpriced tourist restaurants along the waterfront. they charge 5-10x night market prices for inferior food with a view.

the full list

the top tier (my regulars)

1. forodhani urojo stalls

stone town, forodhani gardens / 6,000-10,000 tsh (2.30-3.85 usd) for two / 9/10

urojo is the dish that defines zanzibar street food, and forodhani gardens is where you eat it. it’s a soup - yellow, tangy, slightly sour - poured over a collection of components that reads like a recipe written by committee but somehow works perfectly: small lentil balls (like miniature falafel), spiced mashed potato balls, boiled potatoes, beef pieces, cassava chips, and a mango-based sauce. you customize what goes in - don’t want beef, they leave it out. don’t want egg, no egg.

the soup itself is what makes it. it’s tangy and sour in a way that’s hard to place at first - somewhere between tamarind and unripe mango, with spices that remind you this island has been a crossroads for centuries. the lentil balls are packed with flavor and add a different texture with every bite. the potato balls crumble softly. the cassava chips give crunch. it’s one of those dishes where every spoonful is different.

i was skeptical when i first looked at it. a bowl of yellow soup with random things floating in it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. but after the first taste, i got it. the tanginess hits first, then the textures keep your mouth busy, and then the spice builds gently. it’s complex without trying to be fancy.

the stalls at forodhani all make their own versions. some are slightly more sour, some spicier. try more than one if you’re there multiple nights.

what to order: urojo with everything in it - don’t skip any component

verdict: the single most essential food experience in zanzibar. nothing else tastes like this.

2. zanzibar pizza vendors

stone town, forodhani gardens / 10,000-14,000 tsh (3.85-5.40 usd) for two / 8.5/10

calling this “pizza” is generous. it has nothing to do with pizza in any recognizable sense. it’s a thin dough made from just water and flour, spread on a hot griddle, filled with finely chopped red onions, minced beef, carrots, green peppers, fresh tomato, an egg, and cheese, then folded over and pan-fried with oil until crispy on the outside.

the magic is in how finely everything is chopped. because every ingredient is cut small, you taste every single component in every bite. the red onions add sweetness and crunch. the egg holds everything together and adds a buttery creaminess. the minced beef brings the umami. the bread crisps up on the griddle to give a satisfying crunch on the outside while the inside stays soft and savory.

they serve it with three sauces on the side - ketchup, red chili, and a mango salsa. the mango salsa is the move. it adds a sweet-tangy contrast that elevates the whole thing.

watching the vendor make it is half the experience. the skill of spreading the dough thin, placing everything precisely, folding it over the filling, and flipping it on the griddle without losing anything - it’s genuine craft. at 5,000-7,000 tsh per pizza (1.90-2.70 usd), this is one of the best street food values i’ve found anywhere in the world.

what to order: regular beef zanzibar pizza with extra mango salsa

verdict: ignore the name. this is its own thing, and it’s excellent.

3. mishkaki beef skewers

stone town, forodhani gardens / 4,000-10,000 tsh (1.55-3.85 usd) for two / 8.5/10

mishkaki is east african street food at its simplest and best. beef chunks threaded on skewers, grilled over charcoal, served hot. that’s it. no fancy marinades, no elaborate sauces. just meat and fire and smoke.

the version at forodhani was better than i expected. i was skeptical it’d be tough, but the beef was tender, with enough fat on each piece to keep it juicy during grilling. the charcoal gives it a smoky depth that no gas grill can replicate. the slight char on the edges adds texture and flavor.

the move that elevated this from good to great was combining the mishkaki with fried plantain and tamarind sauce. the plantain’s sweetness against the smoky, savory beef is one of those combinations that makes you wonder why every cuisine doesn’t do this. drench both in tamarind sauce - sweet, tangy, slightly spicy - and you have something extraordinary.

if you come to zanzibar or anywhere in tanzania and skip the mishkaki, you’ve missed the point entirely. i don’t make the rules.

what to order: beef mishkaki, well done, with fried plantain and tamarind sauce on the side

verdict: the foundational zanzibar street food experience. simple, honest, and deeply satisfying.

4. chicken shawarma stalls

stone town, forodhani gardens / 6,000 tsh (2.30 usd) for two / 8.5/10

shawarma is everywhere in zanzibar. every night market stall, every food cart, every street corner - someone is shaving chicken off a rotating spit. the version at forodhani is the one to get. they cook the chicken on the vertical spit right there, shaving off the crispy seasoned edges to order. those edges are the key - they’ve been exposed to the heat longest, so they’re crispy, caramelized, and packed with flavor.

the wrap is small - this isn’t a meal by itself. it’s a course in your night market progression. the chicken goes into a soft wrap with a bit of salad and some sweet-savory sauce. 3,000 tsh per wrap, which is less than a pound sterling. i kept thinking about what the same shawarma would cost in london and getting increasingly annoyed.

what to order: chicken shawarma, eat two if you’re hungry

verdict: the best value chicken wrap i’ve had anywhere. annoying, but correct.

the solid middle

5. forodhani seafood grills

stone town / 15,000-40,000 tsh (5.75-15.40 usd) for two / 8/10

the seafood section of forodhani is its own world. the vendors lay out their catch on ice - octopus, squid, whole fish, crab, mussels, lobster - and you point at what you want. they grill it fresh, right there. the variety is staggering. one stall i visited had octopus, squid, crab, mussels, lobster, multiple types of fish, liver, guinea fowl, duck, rabbit, and chicken tandoori. it was basically a zoo and an aquarium on a table.

the grilled octopus was the standout. tender, slightly charred, seasoned with local spices. the lobster was good but expensive by local standards. the crab was messy to eat but worth it for the flavor.

the only issue is that seafood prices are higher than everything else at the market, and some vendors will quote tourist prices. ask the price before they start grilling, and don’t be afraid to negotiate or walk to the next stall.

what to order: grilled octopus, grilled squid, and if you’re feeling generous, a lobster

verdict: fresh seafood grilled to order at market prices. just watch for tourist markups.

6. fried plantain with mishkaki combo

stone town / 5,000-8,000 tsh (1.90-3.10 usd) for two / 8/10

i’m giving this its own entry because the combination deserves recognition. there’s a specific stall run by a guy named ahmed that does fried plantain alongside mishkaki with tamarind sauce. the plantain is sweet and caramelized on the outside, soft inside. dipped in tamarind sauce, it’s a dessert pretending to be a side dish. eaten with a bite of smoky mishkaki, it becomes something transcendent.

the mango passion sauce was also available and worth trying - pure sweetness that contrasts with the savory beef.

what to order: fried plantain with mishkaki and both tamarind and mango sauces

verdict: the combination is greater than the sum of its parts. don’t skip the plantain.

7. fruit vendors - mango with chili

stone town / 2,000-3,000 tsh (0.75-1.15 usd) / 8/10

the fruit vendors at the edges of the night market sell fresh mango sliced and dusted with chili powder. it sounds simple because it is. but the mangoes in zanzibar are extraordinary - sweet, juicy, tropical in a way that supermarket mangoes in most countries can only dream about. the chili adds heat that contrasts with the sweetness, and the whole thing is eaten as a palate cleanser and dessert after the heavier night market foods.

the chili has a real kick. not performative spice - actual heat that builds as you eat. combined with the tropical mango flavor and the ocean breeze coming off the waterfront, it’s the perfect way to end a night market session.

what to order: mango with chili, obviously

verdict: the best dessert in stone town costs less than a dollar. i’ll fight anyone on this.

the ones i’d skip (but you might not)

13. the rock restaurant

pingwe / 60,000-120,000 tsh (23-46 usd) for two / 6/10

the rock is zanzibar’s most instagrammed restaurant. it’s literally on a rock in the ocean, accessible by foot at low tide and by boat at high tide. the photos are stunning. the food is fine. just fine. the seafood is fresh, the presentation is decent, but you’re paying a massive premium for the location. the same quality of food costs a fraction at forodhani or any beach restaurant in jambiani. come for the photo, manage your food expectations.

what to order: whatever’s fresh, but don’t expect it to match the setting

verdict: a photo opportunity with a restaurant attached. the food doesn’t justify the price.

14. waterfront tourist restaurants

stone town / 40,000-80,000 tsh (15.40-30.80 usd) for two / 5.5/10

there are several sit-down restaurants along the stone town waterfront that cater primarily to tourists. they have views, they have menus in english, they have prices that are 5-10 times what you’d pay at the night market. the food ranges from mediocre to acceptable. the jollof rice at one of these places was worse than any chop bar in west africa. the “zanzibar curry” was a confused dish that couldn’t decide if it was indian or thai.

eat at the night market. spend the money you saved on a spice tour instead.

what to order: skip this unless you’re desperate for air conditioning

verdict: those people are wrong.

zanzibar food tips

• timing at forodhani: the night market opens around 6 pm as the sun sets. get there by 6-6:30 for the best selection and shorter waits. by 8 pm it’s packed and some stalls are running low on popular items.
• carry small bills. 1,000 and 2,000 tsh notes are most useful at the night market. some vendors don’t have change for large bills. cards are not accepted at any stall.
• eat in courses. don’t try to order everything at once. start with urojo, then move to zanzibar pizza, then mishkaki, then seafood, then end with fruit. your stomach and your wallet will thank you.
• stone town at night is safe around the market area. the narrow alleys of stone town can be confusing in the dark, but the market area and main routes are well-lit and busy until late.
• the spice tour is worth doing. zanzibar’s history as a spice island is directly connected to its food culture. understanding the spices helps you taste the food differently. book through your hotel or a local guide for about 25,000-35,000 tsh (10-13 usd).
• seafood pricing: always ask the price before the vendor starts grilling. some vendors quote higher prices to tourists. comparing prices between 2-3 stalls takes 30 seconds and can save you real money.
• zanzibar pizza varieties: the regular beef is the classic, but there’s also vegetarian (no meat, extra egg and cheese), nutella (dessert version), and cheese-only. the beef is the one to start with.

if you found this useful, check out these other travel food guides:

• accra ghana food guide
• cairo street food guide
• beirut food guide

more on travell.cc

• amritsar food guide- what to eat and where
• bailey road patna food guide
• bangalore food guide- what to eat and where
• best food in kasauli- heritage market food guide
• best food in ratnagiri- kokani food guide with prices