The best restaurants Tanzania

Excellent value for money in a friendly, country atmosphere, on the banks of the Themi River, which flows a little lower down. This small, eco-friendly restaurant is run by a community of women who have been damaged by life and is supported by an Italian NGO. For a handful of shillings, you will be served a nice plate of vegetables (spinach, beans, lentils...) with delicious eggplant cakes and unlimited fruit juice. Everything is grown on site, in the association's vegetable garden. Closed in the evening and at weekends.

This is THE new restaurant in Stone Town. Hailing from South Africa, it has taken over the spectacular building on the water in Forodhani Gardens Park, so the view is breathtaking and the tables are numerous, as are the waiters. You'll want to try everything: the poké bowl, the tuna tataki, the grilled meats, the fish and shrimp "popcorns", and above all the sushi, creative and deliciously fresh, thanks to the tempting photo menu. When the plates arrive, they're as sophisticated as the image: everything is a success, right down to the insane cocktails.

An institution in Stone Town. At Lukmaan's, you can eat local, but in a tourist-friendly setting, and at a bargain price. All the dishes presented in a buffet can be ordered at the counter, including the grilled fish and seafood. Real Swahili family cooking, balanced with local spices, like this coconut curry octopus and its green bananas. You have to come back several times to taste these marvels. Also a juice bar with incredible smoothies (avocado-banana, beet-orange-carrot...). Avoid the end of the service when there is not much left.

Passion Boutique Hotel lives up to its name with spectacular and passionately hearty plates. For starters, the delicious guacamole is served with crunchy cassava chips. What about the grilled octopus with garlic and lime, coconut rice and spicy tomato and onion kachumbari salad, or the pasta with moringa pesto, the energizing African plant? Many vegetarian options. As an appetizer facing the beach just ahead, the restaurant offers a plethora of creative cocktails and mocktails.

A charming café-restaurant, with a pleasant, shaded outdoor terrace laid out with palm trees and wooden tables, complete with wifi. The perfect place to watch the passers-by go by with a little black coffee. Good breakfast, but also lunch and dinner. The house serves hearty, delicious dishes at more reasonable prices than the beachfront. On the menu: grilled octopus, avocado smoothie, spice coffee, Swahili specialties... Special mention for the homemade banana-coconut bread in the morning! There's also an inexpensive B&B, just renovated.

This brand-new venue is exceptional, in the heart of Paje, which is becoming increasingly young and trendy. The wooden interior is warm and inviting. On one side, a large food court where several local brands are represented: Italian pizzas, noodles, sushi, burgers, Mexican specialties, seafood, and even crepes, ice creams... On the other, a bar with a few eats-stands in the sand and on a planted terrace upstairs. It faces a tattoo parlour and a beach boutique. Live music jam session on Fridays and DJ set on Saturdays, from 8pm to 11pm.

Mzee Husa is the new gastronomic gem from Jussi, a Swedish chef who has worked at the renowned Essque Zalu and Zuri hotels. In his democratically priced restaurant, he cooks according to his inspiration, at the crossroads of Swahili, Mediterranean and Nordic influences. Like this eggplant millefeuille with shrimp and avocado cream, or this fish with beet purée and citrus sauce... Everything is delicious and the plates are decorated with flowers. Signature cocktails and original desserts. Tables with your feet in the sand or upstairs, overlooking the ocean.

This is the best restaurant in Mtende, for its extraordinary setting and the quality of its finely prepared dishes. The restaurant is perched on a terrace in the canopy of a huge baobab tree. The kitchens are open non-stop, so come for lunch or dinner before or after your visit to Mtende beach. On the menu, in addition to gargantuan and delicious lobsters (served with avocado chutney or eggplant sauce): marinated and grilled whole fish, the famous jumbo prawns (tiger prawns), burgers, delicious fresh juices (baobab juice)..

This restaurant now has a new setting outside the city. Everything is peaceful, conducive to the intimacy of a nice dinner. Banquettes around widely spaced tables shaded by artistic wooden canopies face a thick flowery garden, with the view of Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru in the background. The menu is gargantuan, with a choice of shawarmas and wood-fired pizzas, including a margherita for four that is a metre in diameter (!). A nice little souvenir shop completes the decor.

Perched on the 21st and top floor of the Golden Jubilee Towers, Akemi is the city's highest restaurant and one of its best. The large, rounded, glass-walled room offers a panoramic view of the Indian Ocean to the west and Kurasini Creek to the south. The tables are arranged in a circle around the central buffet which is a sure bet. The menu is a delightful mix of Indian, Asian and Western specialities with Zanzibar spices. Live music every Friday between 5 and 7 pm. Reservation recommended for dinner.

There are few interesting local restaurants in Pangani, with visitors eating in their own lodges or in those nearby. The best restaurant in the area, at the Mkoma Bay Hotel, is set on a cliff top with an open terrace offering a breathtaking view of the bay. The restaurant offers a full dinner each evening with a choice of three dishes (fish, meat, vegetarian) of African and European inspiration, beautifully and subtly cooked, varying according to the inspiration of a local chef. A meeting place for gourmets and romantics.

This new local restaurant in the village of Jambiani is already a favorite with regulars, who love its low-cost dishes. It has to be said that the cooks have been trained in lodge restaurants and have mastered the art. It's a pleasure to watch them busy themselves in the open kitchen. The sheltered outdoor room is modest, but clean and fresh. The menu of dishes on the slate, copious and served quickly, changes often. We loved the cashew-encrusted seared tuna fillet with mango sauce, and the grilled slipper lobster at a bargain price.