Forodhani Gardens Night Food Market

Forodhani Gardens, also known as Jubilee Gardens or Forodhani Park, is the small seafront park in front of the Old Fort and the House of Wonders. By day it is a shady place to sit and watch dhows in the harbour, but its real draw is the evening, when food stalls set up in the main square and locals and visitors gather to eat by the sea. The park was rehabilitated by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, with work starting after a ground-breaking ceremony on 31 July 2009, which brought new walkways, landscaping, lighting, drainage and repairs to the seawall.

The food is the point. Vendors grill seafood skewers and sell samosas, cassava and sweet potato. Look out for Zanzibar pizza, a stuffed and griddled pancake with sweet or savoury fillings, and urojo, sometimes called Zanzibar mix: a tangy broth poured over bhajias, potatoes, cassava crisps, egg and skewers. Wash it down with sugarcane juice pressed in front of you with ginger and lime, or fresh soursop juice.

Altezza Travel's 2026 guide puts the market at roughly 19:00 to 23:00, with the park itself open all the time and free to enter. Arrive around sunset to watch the light over the water, then eat once the grills are going. Agree prices before you order, ask for food cooked fresh rather than reheated from the display, and carry small notes in Tanzanian shillings. Vendors can be persistent, but a polite no is accepted.

The market suits almost everyone: families, solo travellers and anyone on a budget can eat well here for very little. It can get crowded and there is limited seating, so be ready to stand or perch on the sea wall. Teenagers often jump from the sea wall into the water at sunset, which is part of the spectacle.

Forodhani is at the centre of the Stone Town waterfront, so it combines easily with almost everything else. The Old Fort is directly behind it, the Old Dispensary is a short walk north towards the port, and the restaurants and bars of Shangani are a short walk in the other direction. Cape Town Fish Market sits right next to the gardens if you prefer a sit-down meal.