Forodhani Gardens Night Market: What to Eat, Prices and Tips
The Forodhani Gardens night market is the evening meeting point in Stone Town: at dusk, the waterfront park fills with stalls grilling fish, seafood skewers and flatbreads. You eat standing or sitting on benches by the water, for a simple and cheap meal. There is no official price list: you agree with each vendor before eating, which is rule number one on this page. Most visitors come after sunset, from the waterfront.
Highlights
The fish and seafood skewers
Cooks grill fish, squid, prawns and skewers in front of you. Choose a busy stall where the food is cooked in front of you.
The park and the waterfront
The Forodhani gardens face the port and the dhows. Late in the day, people stroll here before dinner.
The specialities to try
Zanzibar pizza (a filled flatbread), urojo (a thick mango and tamarind soup), pilau, freshly pressed sugarcane juice. Drinks are alcohol-free: alcohol is prohibited in the garden.
Practical info
Tips
- Fix the price of each dish before you start eating and ask for the price per unit (per skewer, per fish), not "an assortment". Prices are not displayed everywhere: compare two or three stalls before choosing. To limit the risk of an upset stomach, eat what is cooked on the spot and hot, avoid dishes that have been waiting, and wash your hands. Watch your belongings: bag in front, phone in pocket. Politely refuse touts who "guide" you to a stall or offer excursions, see scams and safety in Zanzibar. Combine dinner with a walk through Stone Town or the neighbouring Old Fort. For a full day, read Stone Town in one day. No official source on hours or prices was found: what is written here comes from guides and traveller reviews.
How to get there
The garden is on the Stone Town waterfront, near the Old Fort and the House of Wonders. It can be reached on foot from most hotels in the old town. From the beaches, take a taxi or a transfer; plan the return before leaving, as there are few taxis late in the evening. See from Zanzibar airport to your hotel for journey times.
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
Nearby
See on the map →
Comments
No comments yet.