Restaurant
Emerson on Hurumzi Rooftop Tea House
Set-menu dinners of Persian, Omani and East African dishes on one of Stone Town's highest rooftops, with cushion seating, sunset views and live music.
Waterfront restaurant and rooftop bar in Shangani known for open-flame grilled steaks, seafood and Zanzibari dishes, with sunset cocktails upstairs.
Good to know
The name of 6 Degrees South echoes Zanzibar's latitude, about six degrees south of the equator, and the restaurant occupies a spot on the Shangani waterfront, the part of Stone Town where several of the old town's best-known hotels face the sea. It combines a restaurant with a rooftop bar, and it is one of the most popular places in town to start an evening with sundowners before staying on for dinner.
The menu mixes grills with local flavours. Altezza Travel's 2026 guide describes traditional Zanzibar dishes given a modern twist alongside burgers and open-flame grilled steaks, and Fodor's calls the style Afro-continental. Seafood is a natural choice given the setting. The restaurant publishes separate food and drinks menus on its website, and Altezza Travel notes a full drinks menu alongside the food.
Seating is on an open-air terrace with ocean views and in enclosed indoor areas, which helps on hot or windy days. The rooftop bar is the place for sunset, with signature sundowner cocktails and mocktails. The restaurant's own site lists opening hours of 12:00 to midnight every day, with happy hour from 16:00 to 19:00, so arriving in the late afternoon gets you both the light and the drinks offers. Lunch is a quieter alternative: the doors open at midday, and the terrace is calmer before the sundowner crowd arrives.
Prices are higher than in local eateries, and Altezza Travel describes it as not the most budget-friendly choice, but it suits couples, groups of friends and anyone wanting a relaxed, sociable evening by the water. Families will find enough simple options such as burgers. Booking is sensible for sunset tables and weekend evenings; contact the restaurant by phone on +255 62 064 4611 or by email. The building has stairs to the upper levels.
Shangani is the most convenient part of Stone Town for an evening out: the Zanzibar Serena Hotel, Tembo House, Livingstone's beach bar and the Freddie Mercury Museum are all close by, and Forodhani Gardens is a short walk along the waterfront. It is a natural first stop before moving on to one of the area's bars or the Forodhani food stalls.
The restaurant's website lists 12:00 to midnight daily.
Yes, from 16:00 to 19:00 every day, according to the restaurant.
Grills including open-flame steaks and burgers, seafood and Zanzibari dishes with a modern twist.
Yes. The rooftop bar is popular for sunset cocktails and mocktails.
Booking is sensible for sunset and weekend evenings; call +255 62 064 4611 or email the restaurant.
It is mid to upper range for Stone Town, more expensive than local eateries.
On the Shangani waterfront, close to the Zanzibar Serena Hotel and Tembo House.
Thing to do
Seafront park in front of the Old Fort that fills with grills and food stalls after sunset, serving Zanzibar pizza, urojo, seafood skewers and fresh sugarcane…
Hotel
Luxury seafront hotel in Shangani combining the 19th-century Mambo Msiige mansion with a modern wing, with 67 rooms, an infinity pool, spa and beachfront.
Attraction
Zanzibar's historic Swahili trading town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, packed into 96 hectares of coral-stone houses, carved doors and winding lanes.
Bar
Fifth-floor rooftop bar and restaurant at Upendo House on Hurumzi Street, with an infinity pool, sunset cocktails, DJ evenings and a weekend brunch.