A foodies' fantasy island

A foodies' fantasy island

Surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Rock restaurant is one of Zanzibar’s most iconic sights

The Rock restaurant is so magical it doesn’t seem real. How could this sevenmetre-high rock stand alone in the crystal-clear shallows of Zanzibar’s Michanwi Pingwe beach and how could it provide the platform for the restaurant’s beautiful palmthatched huts and landscaped gardens? Surely some CGI trickery has been involved here? It looks like something conjured up in Peter Jackson’s design studios for ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films.

But the former fishing post, now a 14-table restaurant, is very real, offering one of the most iconic and exclusive dining experiences in the world. It can be found on Zanzibar’s relaxed, sparsely populated south-east coast, where small coastal fishing villages are the extent of development. On an island famed for its dreamlike fringes of golden coast, this area has arguably the best of its beaches and you’ll most likely just be sharing them with ladies collecting seashells or seaweed or kids playing football. Among them is the palm-lined Michanwi Pingwe, with its powder-fine sand, aquamarine waters and The Rock.

Depending on the tide, getting from the beach to the restaurant will involve a short walk across the sands, a paddle or a swim. There’s also a water taxi laid on by the hotel if you’ve dressed up for the occasion and don’t fancy getting wet.

Panoramic ocean views

Once you climb the wooden staircase to the restaurant, you can take in the wondrous views of the Indian Ocean afforded by its unique setting. There’s an outdoor terrace where guests can enjoy drinks before or after their meal. Sunsets are special around here and taking them in while sipping a cocktail or two from The Rock’s bar is hard to beat.

As for the food, frankly, The Rock’s setting is so splendid that a cheese sandwich eaten here would feel like a wonderful meal. However, the menu, inspired by Zanzibar’s natural resources, genuinely lives up to its location.

Fresh flavours

Ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible, including seafood harvested from the reefs around the restaurant. Game fish is caught daily by local fishermen and vegetables are grown locally. Try the screamingly fresh octopus salad or The Rock Special, which piles your plate with grilled lobster, cigal, king prawns, octopus and calamari. Chef and part-owner Nigel Firman also makes fine use of the Spice Island’s rich selection of flavourings such as clove, cinnamon, cumin, saffron, ginger, red curry and cardamom. There’s an avalanche of flavour in the fish carpaccio, seasoned with lime, coconut and fresh chilli pepper, while the squid tandoori is a creamy delight in a coconut milk and spinach sauce.

Firman blends these Zanzibari touches with classic Italian cuisine – his coconut tiramisu is extremely popular – and the menu offers a range of pasta and gnocchi dishes such as spaghetti with crab and fresh tomato sauce and home-made tagliolini with fried aubergines.

The Rock is one of Zanzibar’s more expensive restaurants – main courses range in price from US$ 20 for the home-made potato gnocchi with prawns and Zanzibar vanilla to US$ 63 for The Rock Special – but the quality of the cuisine is excellent and it’s hard to put a price on the unique setting. Certainly, many people think so, with tables in high demand. The Rock only has room for a maximum of 45 guests, so it’s essential to book ahead.

Such a packed reservation timetable has fallen foul of some of the less exacting unlicensed taxi services on the island. The remote restaurant is a 10-minute drive from Paje, 45 minutes from Stone Town and an hour and a half from Nungwi, on the northernmost tip, and late arrivals can play havoc with bookings. As a solution, the restaurant has set up Zanzicar, a reliable and reasonably priced taxi service that picks you up from your hotel, takes you to the restaurant and will be waiting when you want to return. The taxi can be booked online when you make your meal booking.

Protecting the environment

Another option is to stay at one of the nearby hotels, Kichanga Lodge and Dongwe Ocean View, which flank The Rock along the Michamvi coast.

The Rock and the two hotels actively support the Kichanga Foundation, set up in 2005 to preserve the environment of Michanwi and its people. Its projects have included teaching local community members how to swim and improving methods of collecting, sorting and recycling waste.

The Rock has been leased from the residents of Michamvi and such projects are its way of saying thank-you for its amazing, but very real, location.

More restaurants in unique locations in East Africa

Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant, Diani Beach, Kenya

This fine-dining restaurant at Diani Beach is situated 10 metres below ground within a naturally formed coral cave. The cave is open to the sky, so evening meals are wonderfully romantic, lit by a roof of stars. The speciality here is seafood, but there’s also a vegetarian menu. The restaurant offers free pick-up and drop-off at hotels along Diani Beach. Visit www.alibarbours.co

Akemi Restaurant, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

The unique selling point of this restaurant, located in the tallest building in Tanzania’s commercial capital, is that it revolves, giving diners a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. The food is international with an Oriental and Indian flavour. Breakfast, lunch and evening meals are offered and every Friday there is a live band in the bar area. Visit akemidining.com

The Pearl of Africa Restaurant and Champagne Bar, Kampala, Uganda

This fine-dining experience in the Serena Hotel in Kampala offers the ultimate in opulence. Guests can choose from carefully crafted international, national and regional cuisine, but it’s the unashamedly grand ambience that truly impresses. There’s an outdoor fountain-filled, an exclusive private dining room (to seat 12) and a central dining room with a raised piano dais, where a resident pianist plays each night. Visit www.serenahotels.com

The Rock, Zanzibar

For reservations, visit: www.therockrestaurantzanzibar.com, call +255 776591360 or email booking@therockrestaurantzanzibar.com