Lukmaan Restaurant

Lukmaan is the Stone Town restaurant most often recommended to visitors who want to eat as Zanzibaris do. It is a simple, cafeteria-style place on New Mkunazini Road, right behind Christ Church Cathedral and the site of the former slave market, and you can recognise it by the baobab tree beside it and its striped awning. Local office workers, families and travellers share tables, especially at lunchtime.

Ordering is straightforward. Food is laid out at the front counter: you point at what you want, pay and then find a seat, and staff bring it over. Dishes change through the day but typically include biryani with fish or meat, spiced pilau rice served with kachumbari salad, curries and stews, grilled fish and mishkaki skewers. Octopus curry in coconut gravy, beans, spinach and plantain often appear too. Fresh juices such as passion fruit, tamarind, lime and mango are a good match. The octopus curry, cooked in a coconut milk gravy with Indian-influenced spices and a squeeze of lime, is a regular favourite with visiting food writers.

Prices are low, and Altezza Travel's 2026 guide places it in the very affordable bracket, which makes it a sound choice for budget travellers, solo visitors and families wanting a filling meal without the hotel price tag. Altezza Travel lists it as open from around 08:00 to 22:00 daily, but go at lunch for the widest choice and the freshest food, as popular dishes can run out. Expect a no-frills setting with bare walls and wooden tables.

Some practical points: it gets crowded at peak lunchtime, so be ready to share a table, and payment is generally in Tanzanian shillings, so carry cash. Vegetarians can put together a meal of beans, vegetables and rice. If you are unsure what a dish is, ask at the counter before you pay, as the names are usually given in Swahili. Drinks are mainly fresh juices and soft drinks.

The restaurant is easy to combine with a morning at Christ Church Cathedral and the East African Slave Trade Exhibit next door, or with a visit to Darajani Market a short walk away. It can be a little tricky to find in the lanes the first time, so ask locals for the baobab on Mkunazini.