Abdi’s Place - Best Restaurant in Zanzibar

Thanks to previous reviews we gave this restaurant a shot and I am very glad that we did.

The food cooked and served by Abdi is very tasty and fresh. Also, it is very reasonably priced.

It is the best we ate in Zanzibar.

The place is very easy to be missed because it doesn’t have any board but if you follow Google Maps and compare it to my picture, you will find it.

Despite the humble appearance, the food is amazing and the portions are really generous.

We were there two times during our stay and had calamari, octopus and rock lobster. All of them were delicious and I’m sure that the other dishes on the menu are tasty as well.

The wait can be a bit long but understanble since it is a very small place with limited staff. Just enjoy the view on the deck while you wait for the food.

I wish Abdi all the best and thank you for the surprisingly good food!

Pleasantly surprise about the presentation of the food was amazing and delicious 😋. Don't let the appearance of the place put you off. The owner/ chef 👨‍🍳 cook's very good food, and the presentation is amazing 👏. Highly recommend.

Great food and place! Abdi’s food is very delicious. It is the best alternative if you are in a neighbouring hotel with overpriced menus. It is accessible from the beach although there is no sign for the restaurant. Highly recommended!

The Food is amazing fresh and tasty !! The portions are big and the view is beyond beautiful.. Will definitely come back again

Food was amazing! The best seafood we ate in our life. Abdi is amazing person with really big heart and experience. We ate in Abdi’s Place 3 days in a row. Place can sometimes seems to be closed, but nothing could be further from the truth. Just go in, ask someone and wait. Really worth. Thank you Abdi! Paulina & Darek

Amazingly fresh seafood. The spices used are incredible, spicy but packed with flavor. Its a small shack on the beach with breathtaking views. Hands down the best seafood we have had. Another gem on the menu is the refreshing Avocado Mango salad and the creamy spicy garlic sauce that comes with the seafood to dunk it in.

The service is warm, friendly and nothing is too much to ask for.

We had the rock lobster, prawns and whole fish witj fries and rice.

We came back twice! Loved it.

The BEST FOOD OF THE ISLAND!we had octopus and calamari and it was incredible, he has different sauces and also the marinated of the sea food gives a different flavor than the other restaurants! You MUST try! We loved!

Visited because of a number of good reviews. None of them was incorrect. We had a fresh mango juice, mango and avocado salad, octopus and a lobster. Everything was just perfect. The octopus was the best I had in my llife. If you are around, make sure not to miss this place.

We had found this restaurant by following their good-looking Google review ratings.

Despite restaurant not being near the village or not looking really attractive from the outside beach, the food was amazing!

We have ordered grilled calamari and grilled fish, including a portion of avocado-mango salad, which was very delicious and big.

They also have the cheapest fruit juices in Paje (3000 TSH), while maintaining a decent quality, 100% fruit juice without water being additionally added.

Really good spot on the beach with a picturesque view. We had fish and calamari both were excellent. Great service too.

This hidden treasure has really delicious and authentic food and offers great value, especially considering the very fair pricing. We kept coming back for more! Highly recommend the avocado/mango salad starter and Octopus for main. The menu follows an easy concept where you choose main ingredient, side and a curry and while it would be nice with more options the food is fresh, well cooked and deliciously authentic.

The drink selection is limited to cola, sprite and water and it would be nice with additional options, but not really a big deal.

It’s nice that it’s quite unknown so you can actually be able to eat at this place, but it would help the atmosphere a lot with some more people. It’s anonymous but really located just where it says on the map. If you struggle, find Panorama Ocean View hotel and just go towards beach.

P.S. be there before sunset to enjoy great views 😊
P.S.2 ask for the special sauce

The food at Abdi’s Place is simply amazing, fresh and flavourful. Enjoy the view and the amazing service. We came twice during our short stay and looking forward to coming back one day. Don’t miss out on the amazing avocado mango salad!

Don't get frightened by a simple Hut next to the beach, poorly furnitured on hot sand. This place serves best sea food you ever had (unless you're a very lucky person). I highly recommend trying seafood mix first, which will give you a good idea of the entire menu. Portions are big, so feel free to skip the soups and starters, and just followup your marinated octopus with a deep sip of kilimanjaro lager ;)

Really nice place, right on the sea. The food is great with generous portions. The service is veeery kind (as usual on the island).
Would definitely recommend to anyone who would like to eat good seafood or meat with an astonishing view on the ocean.

The best food we had in Zanzibar. Everything was just amazing. We had fish soup and octopus curry and it was perfect. The best fish soup I ever tried and the best octopus. The ambience and Abdi was perfect and very welcoming. Thank you

Finding the place via Google maps was a little bit tough because there is no road that you can drive on to take you right to the restaurant. From the main road, we turned down a road that had sign for Amani Boutique Hotel. We parked and just walked a couple hundred feet to the restaurant. It’s right on the beach so you can’t really miss it.

The staff was very nice and friendly. They let us know what the fresh catches of the day were. I ordered the lobster in coconut sauce which may be the best seasoned lobster I have had. Zanzibar is known for it’s different spices and the chef definitely used them when he made the sauce for the dish. The rice w/ vegetables and curry complimented the lobster perfectly. I’m not sure if another place in Zanzibar does lobster quite like Abdi’s place.

Being right on the beach means that an additional plus to the great food is the great view/sounds of the ocean which is only a few steps away.

Must try!
Great food, always fresh. The place does not look to inviting, but don’t let that scare you off.
No sign outside and you have walk up the stairs.
Food is delicious and very tasty. Owner always friendly and smiling.
Location right on the beach.

Huge portions, very good price, fresh seafood .. honestly THE BEST OCTOPUS YOU HAVE EVER! 5 stars, definetly going to visit again before vacations ends!
The only bad thing is the toilet... unfortunately

No wonder Abdi’s is the best reviewed restaurant in Zanzibar!

My partner and I dined here for seven consecutive nights (sometimes twice in one day) in August, and you must visit them too!

The restaurant itself has a very simplistic and authentic style but you should not be put off by this. It is located right on the beach and you have a lovely view whilst you dine. The location is in between Jambiani and Paje but it is well worth the walk if you are staying in either place. If you are accessing from the main road, look out for Amani hotel and walk down the path to the beach.

The food is fantastic and they have a large selection on offer. Our go-to meals were the burger, king prawns, chicken and pasta but everything is fantastic and fresh. They are the best prawns my partner has ever had. Portion sizes are great and the food is very affordable. Also, food is served quickly, and you can enjoy a cold beer or drink whilst you wait.

The staff who work at Abdi’s are one of the main reasons we kept on returning. Abdi, Lazaro and Sadi catered for us expertly and nothing was too much of a problem. We greatly appreciated everything they gave us (especially on our last night).

When we return to Zanzibar, we will 100% visit again. I highly recommend this place to all who visit Zanzibar.

The best meal I've had in a long time. The place can be hard to find but is well worth the trek! The guys are incredibly friendly and the food is unreal. The avocado mango salad is an absolute must (very filling so can easily share). Definitely check it out if you're in Paje!