Essence Restaurant

Essence Restaurant at Bravo Kendwa Beach Resort offers a warm and welcoming experience from the moment you step through the door until the moment you leave. The staff, whether it's security, bartenders, waitresses, or housekeepers, greet you with genuine hospitality and friendliness, making you feel right at home.

The restaurant boasts an impressive selection of alcoholic beverages, and when it comes to the food, it's nothing short of delightful. We started with bread rolls and sticks accompanied by garlic sauce and cucumber salad, which were absolutely delicious. For the main course, we savored grilled chicken breast with mashed potatoes in Slovakian style and Kadai chicken with butter naan. Executive Chef Ali's magical touch and aura were evident in every bite, making it one of the best Indian cuisine experiences I've had in Zanzibar over the past two years.

To top off our meal, we indulged in some dessert, including chocolate ice cream and Indian Kulfi, which were both outstanding and left us completely satisfied.
In addition, I must commend Executive Chef Ali for his exceptional attention to detail and dedication to ensuring a memorable dining experience for all guests. Throughout our meal, I observed Chef Ali interacting with other guests, taking the time to personally engage with them and discuss the cuisines being served.

What truly stood out was when Chef Ali made his way to our table, introducing himself and providing insights into the dishes we were enjoying. This personalized touch, going above and beyond to connect with diners and share his passion for food, was truly out of the box and greatly appreciated. Chef Ali's commitment to guest satisfaction is truly commendable and adds an extra layer of warmth and hospitality to the dining experience at Essence Restaurant.

Kudos to Team Bravo for their excellent work and delicious offerings.

Essence Restaurant: A Culinary Oasis in Kendwa, Zanzibar

Nestled in the heart of Kendwa Beaches, Zanzibar, Essence Restaurant is a true gem that offers not only exceptional cuisine but also a warm and inviting atmosphere that feels like home.

From the moment we stepped foot into Essence, we were greeted with smiles and hospitality that instantly put us at ease. The staff, with their genuine warmth and attentiveness, made us feel like honored guests from the moment we arrived until the moment we left.

But it wasn't just the impeccable service that made our experience memorable; it was the food itself. Each dish we sampled was a culinary masterpiece, bursting with flavor and expertly prepared with the freshest ingredients. Whether we were indulging in local delicacies or savoring international favorites, every bite was a delight for the senses.

What truly sets Essence apart, however, is the way it makes you feel. Dining here isn't just about enjoying a meal; it's about creating lasting memories in a space that feels like a home away from home. Whether you're sharing a romantic dinner for two or gathering with friends and family, Essence provides the perfect backdrop for unforgettable moments.

In summary, Essence Restaurant is a must-visit destination for anyone seeking an exceptional dining experience in Kendwa, Zanzibar. With its delicious cuisine, welcoming atmosphere, and attentive staff, it truly embodies the essence of hospitality. We can't wait to return and indulge in another unforgettable meal at Essence.

Absolutely perfect. Really love the friendly stuff and the food is superb. I highly recommend it.

I can't say a bad thing about the place.
Since we discovered the place we never went to another place for lunch an diner.

The staff is so welcoming, always with a smile on their face, the chef is flexible and very friendly.

The food is amazing for the price. And the priceing is absolutely spot on.

Had a really amazing dining experience!

The ambiance at dinner here is just too soothing and calm. The decor along with the faint music is just perfect.

The staff was very efficient and helpful. Ms. Rebecca was an excellent waitress, professional and friendly.

The food was perfect and delicious. Has a wide variety of soft and hot drinks to choose from as well.

Prices seem reasonable for the standards maintained. Accepts payments via card in USD and in cash.

Overall a very good experience.

OMG you must try the sea food. The place is shining with food and exceptional service of the staff!

It’s a very nice place. The food is great - big plates, quick arrival, tasty food and the place is so cozy that I will for sure come again.

Recommend it.

Great spot for a meal! Wonderful service, very tasty food! Highly recommended!
Note to tourists: We walked down to this restaurant from Nungwi Beach and had to take a “water taxi” for part to get around rock as it was high tide. We booked direct with a boat driver that was waiting. Despite agreeing to a price before getting in, the boat driver insisted we pay a lot more for the ride when we were ready to get out. We paid the crook as we didn’t want any problems, not knowing who he might have waiting for us. Avoid booking outside a hotel or somewhere with accountability, to avoid our mistake!
Nonetheless, The beach walk and restaurant were still totally worth it!

This restaurant is reason for us to come back. Better to say the STAFF in this restaurant.:) Team is very profesional, well organised, extremely polite and friendly. Thanks to them we have unforgettable memories. The was how the serve, philosophy of the preparing food is really TOP lovel. Big THANK YOU to everybody in this restaurant, but special thanks (who served to us) for Leah, Tusekile, Rebecca, Winifreda, Astelia, Christine, Elezier, Bibek, Chef Ali- we love you all, you really touched our hearts with your kidness and cannot wait to come back to see you again! These people are responsible for our wonderfull memories. :)

The best restaurant in Kendwa is Essence!✨❤🌸
The restaurant is very clean, tastefully furnished. There is plenty of food and drink to choose from - everything is always available! The food is very tasty, high quality, always fresh, big portion and professional! ⭐🙏🏻🌸
The waiters are very nice, friendly, always in a good mood. ⭐🙏🏻🌸
And the best at the end - a huge thank you to lovely chef Ali! Always in a good mood, friendly, he is interested in the opinion of whether the food is tasty, he will comply with any desired request if you want to leave something out of the meal. ⭐🙏🏻🌸
We look forward to our next visit and recommend everyone to come and eat here! A real food experience! For us, this restaurant has ten stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING 🙏🏻❤🌸

Delicious food. Nice service
Highly recommend😊

If you are in Kendwa, you must not miss this place! It is not cheap, but the food quality, and amazing service definitely make it worth it! Thanks Cristina and chef Ali for enlightening my stay in Kendwa!

This place is so beautiful, amazing and so refreshing. I would definitely go back there if I ever find myself in Zanzibar again.
Their food is always fresh and tasty, my favourite was their big lobster. Omg🙉 they serve the biggest, tasty and we'll done lobster. When I say well done I mean it's perfectly done, yummy and worth anything.

The staff is so friendly and helpful. Not forgetting the smiling waiters and waitresses always asking if all is ok or is you need anything. I must confess my experience with essence was the best on my trip to Zanzibar

And oh, I loved ❤ their desert you guys. It was super lovely

Pass through and prove me wrong but I am sure you will also fall in love with Essence Restaurant

A very good restaurant, excellent food and perfect service. The prices are fair and after a walk on the bwautiful beach of Kendwa we were looking on trip advisor for a decent place to eat in the area (which is not easy to find) we arrived here. Had a very pleasant time and will sure come back in the evening which will probably be more full here. We took the snapper fish and kalamari rings.

A fantastic place to eat. The staff was suuuper friendly, it is super cosy( I went at night) food was delicious and this is the only place in Tanzania where they prepared and gave my food the way I asked.
In other places they always forgot something.

We ate Lobster Linguine, Zanzibar Seafood Coconut Curry n Tandoori Chicken, all of them was so delicios. Especially Znz Seafood Coconut Curry should be tasted.

Really good Indian food - we had the Rogan Josh and the Butter Chicken, the Butter Chicken in particular was bangin 👌Great service (Asante Boniface!) and a lovely atmosphere at night on the beach by candlelight. There was plenty of other types of food on offer too, but we only had Indian. Great night, thanks all!

Very nice place with good icecream (other restaurants offer just 3 tiny scoops for same price) and good food. Cocktails 3$ on happy hour. Great view on the beach from their cocktail bar. Very friendly staff.
Food is a bit more expensive but not too much (big plate of fish & lobster as seen in image for 23$).

Quality and amount of food is way better here, than other places we tried in the near. Not comparable with the cheaper restaurant in the area. We can recommend that place for anyone visiting kendwa Beach. It feels more upper class but prices are fairly low for that service.

Wow on our day 3 in Kendwa we finally found a really amazing food. Way way better than any other place we’ve tried so far. Walked in without any reservation, ordered a few different items (much more than we needed of course 😅) and every single one of them was absolutely delicious. The staff is super nice too, prices are surprisingly reasonable for this level of restaurant. They also packed whatever we didn’t finish in a nice takeaway. Will definitely go back again

Fantastic dining experience! Khan, the chef, has his whole crew in the kitchen doing an incredible job. The butter chicken isn’t to be missed. The chicken chili is exceptional. The ambiance is fantastic and everything about this place makes it a great stop along the beach. We stayed at another hotel but it was fantastic to get out to this place! Fantastic!

The food and staff 10+.The reviews are true. Best food in Kendwa🤩Chef Ali is the best. He is coming to ask how is the food🤪. Unreal