Dar Es Salaam - Post Report Question and Answers
What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
The variety here is awesome! Fancy Tanzanian foods have an Indian flare, but daily foods are ugali, beans, greens, veg and fresh salads. Mishkaki (bbq) is common, but mostly viewed as a treat by the locals. International food options are great! Ethiopean, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Thai, American-esque, Indian. - Nov 2022
They have KFC, lots of pizza places, Lebanese, Chinese, Korean, American classic, Mexican. Local food is a French fry omelette (chips mayai), meat on a stick, rice, beans, bbq chicken. You can get all sorts of food in a restaurant or delivered to your door. - Jul 2022
There are many options, most use Piki which will deliver from most restaurants in the area. - Jan 2022
Piki for food delivery. A lot of restaurants with many cuisines. - Oct 2021
There's a food delivery service called Piki that just launched. However, it seems either the delivery drivers either refuse to turn on their data or they can't use GPS. Two O Six - it's a nice Mediterranean & Wine spot - it's the fanciest place on the peninsula. This is where you'd take your spouse on V-day Zuane - great Italian & pizza spot. Has a huge play are for kids. it's quite the spot on Friday nights. Seoul garden - great Japanese place in Oyster Bay, maybe only sushi option on the Peninsula Chengdu - Chinese restaurant that has hot pot, great for a big group. Salt - English themed place right off of Coco beach. I recommend their Sunday Brunch Epi'dor - Cool outdoor restaurant and an amazing bakery. They make great pastries. Sea Cliff Hotel - Karambezi Cafe - amazing views on the tip of Masaki. Food is nothing to write home about though. Slipways - There's several food options all are right on the water. Veranda - wine & tapas bar Slow Leopard - cool laid back bar popular with expats. They have live music on Thursdays and it's packed with expats. Hamu - swanky cocktail bar with decent food. it's one of the only places to eat late. Rhapsody - new rooftop place that overlooks Coco beach. Views are the best in Dar Shooters Grill - rooftop grill themed place, Grill House - great steakhouse, check it out on Burger night Mondays. - May 2020
There are a few dozen restaurants in the expat rotation. Delivery is theoretically possible, though there is no comprehensible address or street sign system in Tanzania, so explaining where one is located can routinely be a challenge which prevents delivery. - Jun 2017
Marybrown has good chicken, hello Tanzania is a online delivery service but I never used it, and DOTS cupcakery is run by an American girl named Kelsey and her cakes and cupcakes are to die for! Zuane has great Italian; there are 2 Thai restaurants, AKEMI is a rotating restaurant that has great views and wine tastings once a month in conjunction with MMI. - Dec 2015
Fast food: Bongo Flava, a new Tanzanian restaurant that is decent; 2 KFC's; 2 Subways (though not as good as American); several local pizza places. There are many restaurants on the peninsula and beyond. Most are OK; none are fabulous. All are about DC prices or maybe a little less. I have not gotten sick anywhere, though people do have issues every now and then. There's a lot of Indian food due to the large Indian population; seafood is particularly good and less expensive. Best restaurants, I think, are: CapeTown FishMarket (South African chain; good food; beautiful sunset), 305 (tucked away in a local neighborhood), Alexander's (in a B&B), Shooter's (South African; up high; nice view), Nawabi Khana (Indian), restaurant on dock at Slipway has great tuna, Epidor has decent middle eastern, Zuane's has decent Italian/pizza. Restaurants seem to come and go so there's always something new to try. Tanzanians love their chips (french fries); onion ring safe also often good. - Jul 2015
KFC is now in Dar, but it's very expensive and there are great restaurants that are not too expensive. To go out to a nice dinner with drinks will probably cost around US$50 for 2 people. - Mar 2014
There is no such thing as fast food in Africa. But there is a good "quicker" Thai place and a couple of delis. There is a Subway that is pretty similar to ours. Lots of restaurants: Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian, and even a couple of Mexican. Prices are from the medium to high range. - Feb 2013
Subway, Mary Browns (chicken, burgers, etc.), as well as a number of fast food Indian and Lebanese restaurants. - Feb 2013
Not so much in the way of fast food. Subway is the only US chain, although Steers and Mary Brown's do the hamburger thing. Lots of good upscale restaurants including French, Ethiopian, Italian, Lebanese, Chinese, Grills, Seafood, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Local food is very bland, but Nyama Choma (grilled Meat) and a Kilimanjaro (beer) always hits the spot. - Aug 2011
There are a few hamburger places, a couple of subways, and lots of Italian, Indian and local restaurants. You'll pay what you would in the US - Jun 2010
