OKALA Restaurant — Restaurant in Unguja

A. M. A. Z. I. N. G.

This place is great, 1 minute walking from the beach, nice and quiet, with little coral pot lanterns (photo). It happened to be that we were the only people having dinner, but we loved it as the owner, Chum, sat with us and explained our dishes and talked about him as well, very nice and educated guy speaking English and learning Spanish.

I don't know if you need to book in advance but I think it's the best. We went for a walk in the afternoon and asked him if it was ok to have dinner, we asked for a platter of seafood and he told us what we would have.

Our surprise was at dinner, when he brought sweet potato and bread fruit homemade fries, curried vegetables with spiced (not spicy) rice and chapati to start with, which was delicious!

And then the seafood platter with curried octopus tentacles, coconut octopus, coconut squid, rabbit fish and stone lobster.

At first it seemed to much food for two but we devoured all. The fish was super good.

I'm not a big fan of spices like cinnamon in curries or rice as makes it sweet but here it was perfectly balanced, maybe because they use their local cinnamon. Same with coconut, not a big fan, but the way the cooked the squid and octopus was delightful!

This place is a must if you are in...

At first, you might find this a humble place. But the food is outstanding good, all based on freshly made local ingrediens. At first we where 5 People, making an arrengment with Mr. Okala in the morning to have dinner in the evening. We ordered various seafood : octopus, squid, Rock Lobster. Crispy Bread fruit, Kasava, salad with tomatoes, chilly dip and more. All of it was different spiced, and combined together it was extremely delicious. None of the dishes had Any "sticky taste" of grease. We then decided to ask Mr. Okala to come to our hotel and prepare a great Christmas dinner for the whole group of 23 people. It was like the dinner mentioned above, added with some spinach in a gravy, and grilled fish. There was so different dishes, that everyone found something to like....

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Okala in Jambiani, Zanzibar, and it was truly a memorable experience. The seafood was absolutely fresh and prepared to perfection, offering a true taste of the ocean. The service was impeccable, with the staff being attentive and welcoming. What really sets Okala apart, though, is the owner—such a friendly and engaging individual! He goes out of his way to make sure every guest feels at home.

Beyond the restaurant, the owner also runs a guide and tour agency, and he's a guide himself! His local knowledge and passion for the area make him the perfect person to show you the beauty of Zanzibar. If you're in Jambiani, don't miss the chance to dine at Okala and explore the island with this incredible guide. Highly...