AHLAN RESTAURANT TZ

@ahlan.tz

Note to selfie: this is the restaurant to head for if you fancy yourself a ‘Gram gourmet

New Dar diner Ahlan Restaurant TZ has become an Instagram hot spot with influencers vying for a selfie by its flower wall. Diners are also finding its food and drink are just as eyecatching.

That the Ahlan Restaurant has become one of Dar es Salaam’s prime dining destinations since opening just a matter of months ago is a triumph of communication as much as cuisine.

The restaurant on the ground floor of the Staywell Building in bustling Masaki has clocked on to the publicity potential of photo sharing app Instagram and is drawing in Dar diners with its selfie heaven rose petal décor that is almost as tempting as the sophisticated, Europeaninfluenced food.

Feature wall

Ahlan’s feature wall of imitation red, white and pink roses has become one of the most striking and sought-after backdrops for Instagram snap shots among the city’s cool crowd.

No surprise then that for the restaurant’s launch event in January the cream of Dar’s photogenic online influencers were invited. Among those on the guest list were Tanzanian models Flaviana Matata, Jihan Dimachk and Nelly Kamwelu. More recent visitors have included Style and beauty blogger Nelshah Kanji and model Miriam Odemba.

Their combined online following is in the millions so word soon got around of Ahlan’s arrival. The restaurant now has more than 10,000 Instagram followers.

The man behind the savvy modern marketing is Abbas Devjani, a digital marketing specialist. His elder brother, Mohammad, an entrepreneur and restaurateur with a portfolio of ventures across East Africa. founded Ahlan Restaurant TZ and Abbas joined him.

Ahlan has always been a favourite spot for Tanzanian bloggers and supermodels,” Abbas tells me. “We have also been visited by Kenyan blogger Nancie Mwai [founder of fashion label New Level]. It brings us a lot of attention from the public. We are one of the most followed and fastest-growing restaurants on social media.

Of course, all the interest generated by the photogenic décor would soon wane if the food on offer did not match up, but Ahlan Restaurant has plenty to offer whether you are after a hearty meal, a light snack, a sweet treat or just to kick back over drinks with friends.

Food revolution – the burger wheel

The eclectic menu globe-trots from US-style burgers, fried chicken and shakes through Indian tandoori dishes, European patisserie, Tanzanian classics and a host of drink choices, including fresh-brewed coffee, iced teas, frappés and mocktails.

As you’d expect from such an Instagram-friendly place, the food is also worth sharing. All the dishes are prettily plated and the menu serves up a couple of options that make for quite an event when they are brought to your table. The Burger Wheel resembles a miniature fairground wheel with a selection of bite-sized burgers, fries and condiments in each ‘gondola’. It’s an ideal choice if you can’t decide between the tasty burgers on offer and great to share with friends. A range of mocktail mojitos are also memorably served in a floral swing and there is a full-size version on the restaurant’s terrace – where the pink palette for tables and chairs continues – if you truly want to truly sip back and relax.

Parisian style in Dar

For Abbas there is plenty of substance behind all this snappable style. He says the vision behind the restaurant has always been to bring the “European experience in the heart of Tanzania” by emulating the café society of Paris and Rome where the city’s bright young things gather to entertain each other, share ideas and enjoy life.

“We want to attract Tanzanians who are after the high-end restaurant experience,”he says. “We have a terrace in front of the restaurant with outside seating similar to the popular Parisian cafes. I think we also appeal to expats, diplomats and ambassadors from different countries all residing in Tanzania and are missing these kinds of experiences from home.”

Certainly, Ahlan Restaurant has captured the imaginations of many people in Dar who come to see and be seen in this stylish venue. Beloved of the tastemakers and those that just enjoy tasty food, the restaurant looks set to keep building on its instant success with Abbas revealing he and his brother have received a number of requests from neighbouring countries to open more branches of the restaurant beyond Tanzania’s borders.

As a business model, it couldn’t be more picture perfect.

Pretty in pink. The stars who love a photo opportunity at Ahlan Restaurant Tz

@ahlan.tz

Style and beauty blogger Nelshah Kanji.

International model and former Miss Tanzania Jihan Dimachk.