During the day Forodhani Gardens is a relaxing place to sit and enjoy the views while giving your feet a rest from wandering Zanzibar’s Stone Town. At night, the gardens transform into an amazing open-air food market not to be missed! Vendors will set up beautiful arrangements of local produce which they will cook up for you on portable grills powered by propane tanks, which they bring out every day at sunset.

Located along Stone Town’s main sea walk just near the House of Wonders and the Old Fort, Zanzibar’s Forodhani is made for seafood lovers. We saw barracuda, squid, and octopus with gigantic (and delicious) tentacles, crab, shrimp, the biggest lobsters I have ever seen, prawns, and lots of sea creatures I didn’t even recognize and was a little afraid to taste (but of course did!).

We visited the market three times during our three days in Zanzibar city, and I was mostly just sad that I didn’t have space to sample everything. It is also a great way to have dinner if you are traveling on a budget.

Along with the seafood, there are other Zanzibar specialties to try including amazing chicken shawarma, chapati breads, kebabs, samosas, cassava and sweet potatoes, and Zanzibar style pizza. More like a filled crepe than pizza, they offer both sweet and savory varieties. I tried the mango peanut butter with chocolate spread and was not disappointed.

Following our first visit where we just went with our noses and tasted what smelled good, on our second trip we tried to look out for stalls which had the most locals in the queue, assuming that this is where the best food would be. This is how we found Urojo, a thick mango, and tamarind soup served with chickpea fritters, boiled potatoes, cassava flakes, chutney and hot sauce. If you want to indulge in the best local Zanzibar cuisine, this is a must.

I always finished my meal with some sugar cane juice. As a note, alcohol is forbidden in the Forodhani Gardens and not possible to buy. They use noisy machines to press the juice out of the sugar cane, producing a tasty green juice which isn’t too sweet. If they offer to add lime, say yes!

Exploring the food market is also a cultural experience, and I am not just talking about the people watching while you eat. Vendors will try and attract you to their stand, following you for a surprising distance around the market. A firm no is all it really takes to get them to leave you alone, but it must be firm and clear. Also, I just tried to remember that this kind of way of attracting business is just part of the culture and not to be taken too seriously.

Bartering on the price is also part of the culture, and don’t be afraid to participate – the vendor won’t be offended, they expect it. However, do make sure that you negotiate the cost while you are ordering your food, rather than waiting until the end, or you can end up overpaying.

Forodhani definitely offers a taste of Zanzibar’s cuisine and culture, and if you visit once, I am sure that you will want to return and try more.