Best Restaurants in Tanzania 2026

Nyama Choma

Charcoal-grilled goat or beef, Tanzania's most beloved social food. Ordered by weight and served with kachumbari tomato salsa, ugali, and cold beer at outdoor grills across the country.

Where to try: Mamboz BBQ (Dar es Salaam), any roadside grill after 5PM

Price: $5-15

Zanzibar Pizza

Not a pizza at all but a stuffed flatbread unique to Zanzibar, filled with minced meat, egg, cheese, and vegetables then folded and fried on a griddle. A Stone Town street food institution.

Where to try: Forodhani Night Market, Stone Town street vendors

Price: $2-4

Urojo (Zanzibar Mix)

Zanzibar's signature street food soup: a tangy broth of coconut, mango, and tamarind poured over fried potatoes, bhajias, cassava chips, and boiled egg. Only available at Forodhani Night Market.

Where to try: Forodhani Night Market, Stone Town

Price: $2

Pilau Rice

Swahili spiced rice dish cooked in a rich stock with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and meat. The cornerstone of Swahili cooking, far more complex and aromatic than plain rice.

Where to try: Lukmaan Restaurant (Stone Town), local restaurants everywhere

Price: $5-10

Chips Mayai

Tanzania's beloved chip omelette: French fries set into an egg omelette and served with tomato sauce. The most popular street snack on the mainland, available everywhere from $1-2.

Where to try: Street vendors everywhere, market food stalls

Price: $1-3

Ugali na Samaki

The everyday Tanzanian meal of stiff maize porridge (ugali) served with a fresh fish fillet or fish stew. Simple, filling, and deeply satisfying when the fish is fresh from Lake Victoria or the Indian Ocean.

Where to try: Local hotelis (restaurants) everywhere

Price: $2-6

Mishkaki

Bite-sized skewers of marinated beef or goat grilled over charcoal. Indian-influenced marinade of cumin, garlic, and chili makes these Tanzania's most addictive street food snack.

Where to try: Kariakoo Market (Dar), Mamboz BBQ, evening street vendors

Price: $1-3

Mandazi (Coconut Doughnuts)

Triangular or round fried dough flavoured with coconut milk and cardamom. The classic East African breakfast snack eaten with chai tea, available at any market or street stall from 6AM.

Find it at: Morning markets, roadside vendors everywhere

Mkate wa Kumimina (Rice Bread)

Zanzibar's unique steamed rice bread cooked in coconut shells, with a spongy texture and mild coconut flavour. A Stone Town breakfast delicacy available before 9AM before selling out.

Find it at: Stone Town morning market vendors and bakeries

Supu ya Ndizi (Banana Soup)

Hearty soup made with green bananas, beef bones, and spices common in the Kilimanjaro region where bananas grow abundantly. Cheap and filling at market food stalls in Moshi and Arusha.

Find it at: Local restaurants in Moshi and Kilimanjaro region

Vitumbua (Rice Pancakes)

Small round rice pancakes with a crispy edge and soft centre, cooked on a special cast iron pan. Sweet version with coconut milk is a popular Zanzibar breakfast item.

Find it at: Morning markets in Stone Town and Dar es Salaam

Forodhani Night Market

Zanzibar's legendary evening food market in Stone Town's historic waterfront gardens. Over 20 vendors serving Zanzibar pizza, mishkaki, fresh seafood, and urojo soup from 6PM daily. The most atmospheric street food experience in East Africa.

Hours: 6PM-11PM daily

Darajani Market

Stone Town's central covered market with a spectacular fresh fish section, colourful spice stalls, and rows of tropical fruit. Best visited at dawn when fishermen deliver fresh catches directly to the market.

Hours: 5AM-6PM daily

Kariakoo Market

Dar es Salaam's vast central market covering several city blocks with a dedicated food section serving cheap local meals to workers and shoppers. The cheapest authentic Tanzanian food in the city.

Hours: 6AM-7PM daily