The Rock restaurant is accessed by boat at full tide and on foot over a narrow coral embankment when the tide is out. The setting of this picturesque shack perched on a rocky outcrop off the Michamwi Pingwe coast of Zanzibar, justifies its inclusion in many top restaurant lists
And our 90 minute taxi ride from Stone Town!
Sipping on a chilled mango and pineapple cooler on the sunny terrace at the rear lulled me into such a dreamy stupor, that all I have to show for our fabulously fresh seafood lunch of crisp fried mixed seafood, queen prawns marinated with garlic and olive oil, and a shared pasta served with crispy prawns spiced with Zanzibari vanilla, is a pile of prawn heads on R’s plate. I recovered in time for my dessert of pineapple flambé with cinnamon and coconut ice cream, but I clearly have no career in food blogging!
A young couple, soaking up the sun on the terrace long after lunch, asked us if this was one of the most beautiful restaurants we had eaten in. It was. I only wished we could have waited for the tide to turn.
Know before you Go:
Prior reservations are recommended through their website.
Dress code is smart casual (for lunch at least.)
Remember to check tide timings before you make a booking. You can do it here.
Don’t wear fancy shoes that won’t stand getting wet. You ‘ll need to take off your shoes to walk across even if you go during low tide or when you get into the boat during high tide.
The Urge To Wander 
Oh my gosh .. that’s a restaurant out on that rock … and a wonderful experience, too! Cheers to your find!!!
Yes it is! And the food was surprisingly good.
Even better!!!!
🙂
Wow so jealous. Looks an awesome place. 🙂 I want to visit Tanzania one day, but its not in the horizon atm. Did you do any safari as well as Stone Town and the beach?
Zanzibar was our last stop at the end of a strenuous eight day safari across Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, so we didn’t do much there. This was the farthest we ventured from stone town.
Wow, this is so gorgeous!
Isn’t it? I half expected it to disappoint, but it didn’t! 🙂
Marvelous, and dreamy, indeed.
Very Sally. I have never seen waters that saturated turquoise before.
One of those unique experiences, Madhu. Those views are dreamy and worth the trip there. Any wading involved? We never made it out out of Stone Town.
This was our only trip out of Stone Town as well Lynne. We didn’t need to wade in, but I suspect getting in or out when the water is too shallow for a boat to come right up to the beach might involve a bit of wading 🙂
Wow what a gorgeous place!
The setting is indeed stunning Norma.
A gorgeous location! Great photos 🙂
Thank you very much for your visit and comment Cath 🙂
You are very welcome!
What a stunning place to build a restaurant! When the owner started building the shack some might think he was crazy, but others, I believe, thought he was such a genius. Your photos make me dream of a pristine beach, Madhu. 🙂
Bama, I think it might have started out as a simple shack. I found pictures online from 2011 that has open sides and log furniture. Whoever thought up the full fledged restaurant concept is indeed a genius 🙂 Zanzibar is a beach lovers paradise. There is no dearth of pristine beaches here or fancy resorts. Right up our children and grandchildren’s alley.
What a perfect dream location! Gorgeous pictures!
Thanks Sandhya. It is an amazing setting.
beautiful and DREAMY!
Glad you agree Clay! Thank you for reading and have a great day 🙂
What a unique and beautiful restaurant.
Indeed Maralee! The link above leads to a list of more restaurants in even more unique settings!
Wow! What an experience to eat there Madhu. So unusual.
Yes, one of the most uunusual and beautiful restaurants we have dined in Colline.
What a beautiful setting – that water colour is almost unreal!
I had never seen water of that shade of turquoise before Lucy.
Drooling Madhu, and that’s without the food shots!
Ha, ha, you are too kind Patti☺️ But thank you ver much!
Captures which really rocks… 😀
Looks absolutly worth visting, Madhu… 🙂
Thank you Drake……absolutely worth visiting😊
Wow, that’s amazing. I’d love to live in a little cabin on a rock like that, surrounded by the water. The pictures look like paradise.
A cabin on a rock like that would be dreamier still David! This comes closest to my idea of paradise 🙂
Wow! Now that’s a dreamy restaurant!
Isn’t it just?😊
What an amazing restaurant, and right there in the middle of paradise. 🙂 Even your photo of the remnants of R’s prawns, has made my mouth water. Your dessert looks like the perfect ending to a meal.
Thank you Sylvia. You are so much better at recording every minute detail of experiences like this😀
Dreamy indeed. I don’t know how you managed to tear yourselves away after lunch … those daybeds on the terrace look so inviting I’d have been stretched out, and immovable till pre-dinner drinks …. A great find, Madhu 🙂
The restaurant is on many ‘must do’ lists Meredith, so not exactly my find. On hindsight we should have got dinner reservations as well😄
Absolutely stunning!
Without a doubt Cindy! I just had to aim and shoot😄
How beautiful! And Zanzibar had some of the best food we’ve ever had on our travels too!! 🙂
Thanks Shelley. We had some lovely meals there as well.
dreamy – and cool – and just great! 🙂
Thank you Yvette😊
There are some really nice places we have eaten on tours in Indonesia but this tranquil spot would have to trump those. Must be famous because I’ve seen a picture on one of the many forwards I’ve seen in the past.
Trumps anywhere else I have eaten at Ian. I think it was featured on an Antony Bourdain show as well.
Sounds like paradise Madhu. Especially as I’m sitting passenger in London morning rush hour traffic. If I could transport myself right now it would be into that little boat on those clearest, bluest of seas.
We still dream of our afternoon at this gorgeous restaurant Suzanne. Spoils one for ‘special’ spots in the future 🙂
I’d still be dreaming, Madhu! And I don’t care about the food. I would be happy just to sit and gaze- forever! 🙂
Looks absolutely gorgeous!
Oh my word what an unbelievable setting Madhu 🙂
Wow, that looks like an amazing place! Great photos.
I am dying to visit Zanzibar, everyone tells me great thing about this place, and the pictures already speak for themselves. I can only imagine how beautiful it is to dive there! Your pictures are amazing, and Im guessing you had a wonderful time there! I hope to make it there someday 😀 ❤
What an awesome and dreamy place, Madhu! I’m a little green with envy, but am very happy you were able to have this experience. 🙂 Your cooler and lunch sounds delicious, too!
We loved Zanzibar (we were there back in 2008 or 2009, I guess..) but the pictures aren’t in this wordpress blog, unfortunatelly. I loved everything down there, but not the airport officials 😦 they all wanted to take money from you… threatening to spill the contents of the suitcases in the ground to see if there were shells or other artifacts prohibited… We loved specially the Masai guards in the several resorts on the beaches…
A restaurant on a rock? Awesome!
The Rock & it’s fare look amazing……and oh, the beauteous blues of the sea & sky, perfectly encapsulated through your camera lens. I’m looking forward to the sequels to your safari………….I could almost inhale the sea & spices of Zanzibar…..!
ok. game’s over. you win hands down. that is surely the most unique and lovelly spot to dine on the entire planet! so glad that you were there — you deserve all things great!
Aww, belated but heartfelt thanks Lisa 😘
What a gorgeous setting! Often, food tends to be a distant second in restaurants with fantastic locations/ views… but the Rock sounds really promising, Madhu. Thanks for sharing… bookmarking this for future reference 🙂
Oh what an exotic dream locale. And great to know it foes really exist. Many thanks Madhu for presenting this treat to us.
🙂
Any other restaurant must pale in comparison. A dream, Madhu. I never remember to take photos of my food. When were you there?
What a unique find and wonderful photos Madhu!
That meal would have been exceptional under any circumstances. But that remote, exotic location is just divine. Thanks for sharing, Madhu. 😉
I’m all for unique dining experience. Cool one, Madhu.
So cool!
what a gorgeous place 🙂
I do not think I would have budged from that rear patio. Great place!
How to find all of the cool places, Madhu?
It’s a dreamy place indeed 🙂