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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Mentioned in

  • Unique Restaurants Every Traveler MUST Visit | TripAdvisor Blogtripadvisor.com
About
The Rock Restaurant, in Michamvi Pingwe on Zanzibar Island, is an extraordinary restaurant, located in a unique position, on a rock in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The contrast of the unspoiled natural setting, down played decor and design vs the international standard food preparation and presentation is as novel and rewarding as its location. Serving up to 14 tables, all facing a wonderful terrace on the Ocean, the restaurant is connected to the mainland by boat, within high tide, and reachable by foot within low tide. It is also easy reachable by sea if coming by boat from an excursion. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two, or for a memorable evening with friends or family, it is open
PRICE RANGE
$10 - $40
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night
CUISINES
African, Seafood, Mediterranean, European
FEATURES
Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Waterfront, Beach
Reviews (4,908)
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2,463 results
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1,180
617
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171
127
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveler rating
1,180
617
368
171
127
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All reviews lobster tiramisu tempura pineapple ice cream low tide unique experience once in a lifetime boat ride stunning location small boat visiting zanzibar unique restaurant indian ocean enjoy the view amazing views the east coast
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Reviewed 2 days ago

So great place to be! Great food, great people, great amazing place! We will definitely visit again!

Date of visit: May 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 1 week ago via mobile

I loved every minute of the 2 hours we were there. Had reservation for noon and we walked up to the building as there was no water around it. By the time we got out had to get on a boat to get back to...the shore. I was amazed by the whole experience of low tide and high tide. The view from the restaurant is gorgeous. Enjoyed the meal while overlooking the turquoise water. Ordered the rock special and there was so much food for 2 people. It was my first time eating octopus and it's definitely not going to be my last. Ordered the coconut tiramisu based on previous reviews and it lived up to expectations. That was an afternoon well spentMore

Date of visit: May 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 1 week ago

Visiting The Rock and eating in the restaurant was an amazing experience from every aspect. For the really innovative but in the meantime very delicious and classy food, for the incredible location that reserves various view of the beauty of the sea and for the...fantastic company of Reddy, who has transmitted to us his passion of the "cuisine" and of living in Zanzibar. You really cannot miss it, if you are in Zanzibar.....:o)More

Date of visit: March 2023
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Exceptional location, no doubt! Friendly manager. No running water in the bathroom to wash hands. I understand this was probably an unfortunate temporary situation but there were about 40-50 guests and the only one toilet was not flushing! The managers should come up with an...alternative solution. My guess is that water outage could be a recurring situation at the restaurant and telling the guests going to the bathroom “yeah we have water problem” was not really helping.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Ok food, but nothing special, extremely large portions (quantity over quality). Fast service but no personal touch or relaxed feel. Busy and enclosed so didn't feel like we had the opportunity to walk around and appreciate the setting sipping a cocktail as we had expected....Lovely idea but not somewhere I would go again or recommend to go out of your way for.More

Date of visit: September 2022
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago

We went when the tide was out and were able to walk right up to the restaurant. It’s really a sight. They greeted us and had us seated quickly. It was a very sunny day but for a place with no air conditioning it was...pretty chilly inside. The food was GREAT but the portions were small. Our food came out quickly. We were really in and out lol. It’s a little tight in the dining area as you can imagine to maximize guests. They have a seating area in the back that’s got some sunlight and a gift shop up front. I would go back especially when the tides in just to see the difference. The only thing I didn’t like was the flies they were uninvited guests and annoying. But you are essentially eating outside so …More

Date of visit: January 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed April 25, 2023 via mobile

Amazing food and especially the coconut tiramisu is to die for. The owner was super welcoming and friendly. During my trip I came back here 3 times and every time was super pleased with the service and quality of food

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed April 24, 2023

Nice ambiance. Great entrees. Exceptional customer. Expensive birthday cake. We walked in and road the boat back.

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed April 11, 2023 via mobile

The best family dinner ever! Sunset with table outside with amazing view. Everyone super enjoyed all the dishes and our kids couldn't stopped eating and wanted our food as well. A memory for life, thank you Reddy with staff!More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience at our establishment! We're thrilled to hear that you and your family had a fantastic time and enjoyed the beautiful sunset view from your table. It's always great to hear that our customers enjoyed our food, and we're...More

Reviewed April 11, 2023

Michelin stars quality food paradise. An outstanding dreamy location in Zanzibar to experience in full the magic of Indian Ocean semi-diurnal tides - I was happily surprised myself by plenty of crabs all around at the base of the restaurant! The very best lunch of...my life with friends and family. Special thanks to Reddy and all the lovely crew for their top class service. Highly recommended!More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at our restaurant! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the Michelin-star quality food and found our location to be dreamy and magical. It's great to hear that you were pleasantly surprised by the abundance...More

Reviewed April 9, 2023

Very nice location and the view is excellent. The food was very very nice. Best tuna stake ever. Worths all the money spent.More

Date of visit: May 2022
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our restaurant's location and excellent views. We're also delighted to hear that you found our food to be very nice and that the tuna steak was...More

Reviewed April 9, 2023

That was one of our best moments in Tanzania. It was an amazing experience, with very professional and friendly staff who played and entertained my children during our lunch, and most importantly, the view and food are terrific!!! I really don't understand how there can...be recent reviews saying bad things or that the value doesn't match the service/food. the only justification I can find is that these comments actually belong to people who didn't have lunch or dinner and went there just for pictures or to take one drink :) We were lucky because we arrived at low tide but after lunch we took the nice rowing boat, very typical and funny to end the experience. The atmosphere is incredible, the view is great, we stayed outside which made our lunch perfect and we ate a lot and even repeated dishes, which says a lot about the quality ehehehhehe. At the end, I even spoke with the general manager (I guess...) who showed that he really puts a lot of effort and his heart to keep this place and special location for all of us! That being said... please trust me! GO THERE and enjoy! :)More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Hi Serrini, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a glowing review of our restaurant! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing experience and that our staff were able to entertain your children during your lunch. We take great...More

Reviewed April 8, 2023

e you are in Zanzibar, or even close, you have to go here. It's just an amazing experience and the food is terrific. I love the small row boat they use to ferry customers to and from - unique and fun. It's hard for me...to find fault with this restaurant. The ambience is amazing, the view is terrific, the staff are great, and the amount of lobster you get is astounding. Plain and simple.... just go here. Trust us.More

Date of visit: February 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Thank you for your amazing review and recommendation! We're thrilled that you enjoyed our unique experience.We hope to see you again soon! The Rock Team

Reviewed April 7, 2023 via mobile

As a group of 6 we booked into The Rock for a meal on our last day in Zanzibar. We arrived at the lovely white sand beach early, so we decided to go to one of the close by bars for a drink beforehand. Once...it was close to our 4pm booking we walked down to get the boat across as the tide had come in. The setting and location really is something else… We all had the fish fingers for starters and then we had a tomahawk steak between each couple. The food was excellent as was the service. When paying we managed to have a good chat with the owner, who is a really nice guy… he’s Italian & his wife is Scottish. An excellent experience, we will be back when in Zanzibar ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Hi Stuart, Thank you for choosing to dine with us and for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your dining experience with us and found our food and service to be excellent. We're delighted that...More

Reviewed April 6, 2023 via mobile

The location is obviously exceptional and the food, even though on the more expensive side, was excellent (especially the fish carpaccio and desserts). My only issue was the service. Everything felt so rushed and a waiter showed up each time I was chewing my last...bite or drinking my last sip. And if I wasn't eating or ordering more food or drinks, I was asked 3,000 times if I wanted more, even though I said I was fine. I felt like I couldn't enjoy my lunchtime and I ended up shortening my stay there, which was such a shame. So in the end, it did feel like a tourist trap/money-making machine, hence the 3 stars... I'd still recommend it but I wish they could have less customer turnover so we can enjoy the view and vibe of the place with no rush and no constant bugging.More

Date of visit: April 2023
Helpful?
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nigel Firman, Owner at The Rock, responded to this reviewResponded April 19, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience at our restaurant. We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the exceptional location and excellent food, particularly the fish carpaccio and desserts. However, we are sorry to hear that the service did not meet...More

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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
MODO73
September 24, 2022|
AnswerShow all 5 answers
Response from Laura H | Reviewed this property |
I would say about $50 US however I'd make sure you know the type of car you are getting... The roads are rough and the comfort of your ride is directly linked to a vehicle with good shocks. If it's significantly less the... More
1
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globtrottreuse
December 19, 2021|
Answer
Response from saramN3151IU | Reviewed this property |
They have several tables on both sides of the restaurent, but you need to book your table in advance. So, I wouldn’t recommend going there without a reservation.
0
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O M
November 10, 2020|
AnswerShow all 6 answers
Response from OlgaExplorer | Reviewed this property |
If the tide is low you can walk, if it is high there is a small boat, don’t worry about the tide. If you go for dinner you need a reservation usually, unless it’s not busy due to COVID.
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THE ROCK, Pingwe - Michanwi Pingwe Bch - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Rock

Yes, The Rock is taking precautions against COVID-19. A full list is available within the "safety precautions" section of this page.

The Rock is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 3.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5