Eating Out In Dar Es Salaam : 12 Best Restaurants You Should Try : Tanzania’s business and cultural hub is the bustling Dar es Salaam, which means “place of peace” in Arabic. On their journey to Safari in Northern Circuit Safari Parks of Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti or Zanzibar, tourists frequently pass through the city, but they are losing out on the expansive marketplaces, skyscrapers, and colonial houses that represent the vivid diversity of contemporary Africa. The cuisine of Dar es Salaam, which has long been influenced by immigrants from India and Zanzibar, offers a colorful portrait of Tanzanian life.
With its extensive selection of restaurants, creative chefs, and mouthwatering fare, Dar es Salaam has established a name in the world of inventive cuisine. The dynamic city has a fantastic culinary scene to offer both residents and tourists, and the majority of the best restaurants are close to one another. Visitors seeking a high-quality dinner while on vacation in Dar es Salaam will have a variety of options thanks to the presence of both high-end restaurants and tiny cafes. Here is our pick of the top 12 restaurants in Dar es Salaam out of the wide variety of eateries in the city.
1. 305 Karafuu
One of the best restaurants in all of Dar es Salaam is known by the simple moniker 305 Karafuu. It feels like a family house and is situated in Kinondoni on a quiet side street. The bar may be the best stocked in Tanzania, and the owner’s pleasant service is unmatched. Low, modern yet rustic furniture and an inviting open kitchen are found within. Paintings by regional artists adorn the walls and are all for sale. Highlights include the king prawn curry and delicious salmon fillets. The food is worldwide, yet it has a distinct Tanzanian flavor and lives up to this environment.
2. Eating Out In Dar Es Salaam : Mediterraneo
Mediterraneo, located in one of Dar es Salaam’s northernmost suburbs and overlooking the Indian Ocean, is arguably the most picturesque restaurant in the entire city. A shaky timber ceiling and a glass wall that faces the lapping ocean are both present. Tall chairs made from old canoes are outside, surrounded by palm trees and string lights, and they overflow onto a private section of beach. Before experiencing some of the best Italian cuisine in Africa, stay for a couple of hours and unwind with a variety of beverages. No matter if it’s in an avocado salad or a spaghetti dish with clams and squid ink, lobster is a staple ingredient, and the accommodating owners are always on hand to provide prompt, courteous service.
3. Mamboz Corner BBQ
Thrilled by the flavor and scent of well-cooked meat? The location for you is Mamboz Corner BBQ. Mamboz, a temporary cluster of tables off the busiest and largest street in Dar es Salaam, is the ideal location to sample Tanzanian street food. The variety of cuts and seasonings is remarkable, and vegetarians are well served with paneer and vegetable sizzling platters. Local favorites, Firigisi (gizzards) and Maini (liver), are also available. If you dare, request the extremely spicy gajjar chicken, but the milder beef and chicken mishkaki (shish kebabs made in the style of Zanzibar) are also as good. The same dishes may be enjoyed in a tranquil Asian-themed restaurant at Mamboz SizGrill in Upanga if you’re enticed by the meat but want a more private lunch.
4. Chef’s Pride
Located just east of the bustling Kariakoo market center in a neighborhood that is primarily Indian, Chef’s Pride has established itself as a popular lunch spot for both residents and visitors. Although a variety of European and Asian meals are offered, the Tanzanian selections are genuine pleasures. Try the ndizi nyama, which are plantains served in a hearty beef stew, along with some matembele (sweet potato leaves) and ugali (a polenta-like dish made from maize). If you’re simply passing through, make sure to pause and try the Maandazi and vitumbua, which are tiny bread-like doughnuts flavored with cardamom and coconut milk. Additionally, K-Tea Room, a popular spot to sample a fruity and spicy chai masala, is where you may order tea.
5. Karambezi Café
At the Karambezi Cafe, operated by the five-star Sea Cliff Hotel, guests looking for a classy evening with sophisticated international cuisine will find lots to savor. It provides an unmatched view of the ocean while perched on a cliff at the beautiful Msasani peninsula’s northernmost point. Share a wonderful seafood platter that is filled with lobster, line-caught fish, crab claws, and a variety of other delicacies while sitting outside under a thatched canopy and enjoying the pleasant sea air. The restaurant just started a takeout service because of how well-known the delicious cakes have become. Come listen to live music from a rotating pair of house bands on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
6. Samaki Samaki
The Swahili word “Samaki,” for fish, is a fitting moniker for this neighborhood chain. Along with other meaty classics, it serves some of the greatest seafood in town, such as grilled octopus, tuna steaks, and prawn chilis. Visit the largest location in Tanzania, located in the contemporary Mlimani City Mall, to eat with a boisterous group of students from the adjacent Ardhi and Dar es Salaam universities. There are drawers that have been turned into tables and kitsch souvenirs of Tanzanian presidents, as well as meeting in-house DJs and an inventive ordering system utilizing electronic tablets. It is an odd fusion of old and new.
7. Sawasdee
Dar es Salaam has access to high-end Southeast Asian cuisine, despite Thailand being about 8,000 kilometers across the Indian Ocean. The best Thai restaurant in town, Sawasdee (which means “welcome” in Thai), is perched on the ninth floor of the modest New Africa Hotel. The dishes of the day include delicately flavored lamb and nutty Malaysian curries, but for something a little heartier, ask for the pig dumplings. There is no greater vantage point from which to look across the vast harbor and into the bustling city, but the surroundings are the real draw. Enjoy the fantastical Azania Front Lutheran Church, which was built by Bavarian missionaries in an oddly Alpine style.
8. Addis in Dar
The Addis restaurant in Dar es Salaam is rumored to have the best Ethiopian food outside of Ethiopia. It is a tiered garden on the eastern end of the colonial-era Regent’s Estate. Gather around a tiny round table and choose your main meals after washing your hands before entering. They are served with flavorful sauces over a sizable injera, a sourdough pancake. The flavorful ek alicha wot (chickpeas sautéed with hot spices) is one of the many vegetable options, and kitfo (raw minced beef and spiced butter) and yebeg alicha wot (slow-cooked lamb) are delicious options for meat aficionados. After that, sip some authentic Ethiopian coffee or a glass of honeyed wine while gazing up at the stars through the lush mango trees.
9. Chappan Bhog
Due to its position as a stopover for spice trade routes and its subsequent inclusion in British East Africa following the First World War, Tanzania has long been affected by Indian culture. As a result, Dar es Salaam is a paradise for traditional Indian food, and one of Dar es Salaam’s most authentic South Indian restaurants is Chappan Bhog, which is located in the colonial neighborhood of Kisutu. The cuisine is totally vegetarian, including favorites like pav bhaji (vegetable curry with buns) and thali (vegetables, rice, and naan with a variety of sauces). It’s also a great location for a mid-morning snack, such as delicious panipuri (stuffed, fried breadballs) or idli (lentil cakes, dosas, or pancakes).
10. George and Dragon
The Masaki and Oyster Bay neighborhoods to the north of the administrative center expanded into suburbs during the period of time that Dar es Salaam served as the capital of a British protectorate, from 1918 to 1963. They continue to be the neighborhoods of choice for people living in Europe today, lined with embassies and opulent apartment buildings. The George & Dragon, an expat haven, is a contemporary take on the classic English pub, serving imported beers and straightforward, hearty meals. Come and speak with the vibrant group of regulars while enjoying steak and chips and a bottle of Safari or Kilimanjaro beer.
11. Rehovot Ethiopian Restaurant
An Ethiopian and Tanzanian couple own Rehovot Ethiopian Restaurant, which is near Twiga Pub off Bagamoyo Road. It is a restaurant that has been totally decorated with Ethiopian-inspired accents and is surrounded by a garden yard. Here, excellent Ethiopian music is played.
12. the Waterfront Sunset Restaurant
Enjoy delicious meals at this restaurant’s sunset seating while taking in the view of the Indian Ocean. Special meals, including seafood, pizzas, and grilled meat, are presented in a beautiful setting with a cold beverage. On the Msasani Peninsula, The Waterfront Sunset Restaurant offers a serene atmosphere with its unassuming surroundings and breathtaking views.
