Garden Bob Swahili Restaurant

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88 reviews

#4 of 32 Restaurants in Matemwe$$ - $$$, African, Arabic, Vegetarian friendly

+255 779 909 393+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Mon

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Tue

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Wed

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Thu

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Fri

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Sat

12:00 am - 11:59 pm

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

88 reviews

#4 of 32 Restaurants in Matemwe

RATINGS

Food

Service

Details

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CUISINES

African, Arabic

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

features

Location and contact

Kizimiani,matemwe, Matemwe 1995 Tanzania

+255 779 909 393

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Does this restaurant have a full bar?

Yes

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Details

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CUISINES

African, Arabic

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly

Meals

Lunch, Dinner

FEATURES

Seating, Serves Alcohol, Table Service

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4.5

88 reviews

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Shags64tracey

Bury St. Edmunds104 contributions

A local restaurant you do NOT want to miss

Jan 2020 • none

Just a short walk from our hotel, Garden Bob’s restaurant is a large open fronted, sand for the floor, high ceiling shack..nothing very wow until you meet him and taste his food! Garden Bob offers freshly cooked, delicious soups and main meals at VERY reasonable prices, unlike most of the more glamous hotels on the beach front. We got talking with Garden Bob and told him we were fishing the next morning. He offered to cook a fish if we caught one and true to his word we dropped off a 5 lb tuna after the trip the next morning..we agreed to return at 6 pm that night. There was a little delay before the food was brought to us but the meal that Bob and his staff had prepared for us was absolutely the BEST meal we had in the 12 days we were on the island..the tuna was cooked, presented with Swahili curry and lemon and ginger sauce. We had chips and rice as side dishes...it was amazing flavours. We ate one side completely and sadly just could not attempt the other side as we were so full. It didn’t go to waste I know as we gave it back to Bob. He didn’t want any money for the meal as we had provided the fish but we insisted on paying for our drinks. A wonderful young man who is going to be big news in Matemwe if not the whole of Zanzibar in the future. We wish him well.

Written 6 February 2020

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.

Sudipta T

Tema11 contributions

A taste of delicious local cuisine

Oct 2019 • none

A great place to sample fresh seafood cooked in a traditional manner. They offer a deliciously refreshing local fruit drink that rejuvenates you after a day's dive. Service is personalized and you end up making friends with the staff.

Written 30 June 2020

anne

Zanzibar Island8 contributions

Good food, nice place to chill a bit

Feb 2021 • couples

We arrived at this restaurant by accident. We just went for a walk outside the beach area and away from the resorts. Me and my boyfriend were very happy to find a place that offered an African experience, not like the resorts that can be very stiff. It was extremely nice to have a chat with the local waiter. He was very receptive and answered to all my inquisitive questions. The food was also very very good. My first order was octopus pilipili with ugali. Simply delicious. My boyfriend also enjoyed his food, though I don't remember what he ordered (but surely seafood). After the first meal we returned three more times and every time the food was good. We ordered seafood every time. I can't say that the waiting time was too long. We waited a bit, but the idea is to enjoy the moment. The portions are pretty big and you can choose between rice, ugali or chips as side dish with a bit of salad. My recommendation if you know that you don't need a lot to fill your belly is to tell them not to bring the side dish and the salad portion will be bigger. :) It's a way to reduce food waist. Regarding the prices, they are smaller than those from resorts or beach front restaurants. All in all,this place is not only about the food. It is a great experience with local people, an experience that can't be obtained if you don't move away from resorts.

Written 2 February 2021

johntwilker

Denver23 contributions

I had high hopes

Feb 2020 • none

We were staying nearby and had seen this in our searches for dinner. The reviews were overall pretty good (We already knew about "Africa Time" as locals had explained it, so were prepped for slow service. The place is cool, I'll give it that. Very "beach" despite not being on the water. Well, we weren't disappointed on the slow part but were on the food. I wanted to try the Beef Masala (Partly because I love chipati wanted to try his and they were the side for this meal). "No beef" well damn, there goes a large part of the menu. We asked if we could swap fries for chipati, he'd have to see if he had any (So even if I'd ordered the beef, I might not have gotten chipati...) Bob was super nice. Very awesome guy, and 100% kudos on opening and running your own business, especially a restaurant. I suspect part of our issue was his waiter, who didn't speak great English, which created a barrier, and I'm not sure math was his strong suit either. We asked for the bill, he said Bob would be out. Bob never came and we were ready for bed (it was now past the 2.5 hour mark on our dining experience). He comes over with his tally of what we ordered, minus several things. We did the math on his bill (paying un USD) paid. No real idea if he charged us the right amount (almost certainly not, and in our favor). Now the food... The fish was overcooked. The calamari... overcooked. We left pretty full, good sized portions, but not really thrilled about what we ate.

Written 17 February 2020

David S

4 contributions

Dinner

Nov 2022 • family

Great little restaurant with nice food. Friendly staff and well cooked food. Today's catch is usually recommended as the fish will be freshest. Missing tablecloths but they used duvetcovers instead.

Written 10 November 2022

Christine O

Dornbirn72 contributions

Very delicious food

Feb 2022 • friends

Very delicious food. We have been here two evenings in row and everything we tried was very delicious! Prices are very fair, comparing to europe very cheap. You only have to be patient, as it takes more than an hour until you get your food. But that‘s part of being in Tanzania. Pole pole

Written 16 February 2022

Christophe V

La Chapelle-Saint-Ursin76 contributions

To do.

Oct 2024 • friends

It doesn't pay for a mine, but once you're inside, you're transported to the local atmosphere. Peefer the room upstairs, it's well ventilated. The dishes offered are simple but effective. The drinks are cold, the waiter pleasant. The service may be a little long, but Akuna Matata, Pole Pole. To do.

Automatically translated

Written 16 October 2024

Fanny

2 contributions

Amazing!

Jul 2021 • couples

My boyfriend and I went for a diner at Bob's garden and we strongly recommend. The food is excellent with a lot of Swahili plats, and the service is really nice. If you stop by matemwe you should definitely try this address! :) Fanny

Written 5 July 2021

Ella M

2 contributions

Sensational Swahili Supper

Jul 2024 • couples

This spot is a fantastic place to experience local Swahili food. The staff were friendly and service was excellent. They even prepared complimentary sweet potato crisps to go with our juices. Best restaurant experience in our 9 days in Zanzibar.

Written 3 August 2024

Sami D

1 contribution

History& Diner

Feb 2022 • family

Very nice local&sea food, the dishes are very good&tasty, good value for money and we had the right to a history lesson about the island such an awesome diner..

Written 28 February 2022

Vanessa

Ulm5 contributions

The best place for good food and nice people

Sept 2021 • couples

We really love this place! Bob is such a nice guy and the food is really good. You can get really good fish, meat and for Zanzibar many vegetarian options. I absolutely recommend! And it’s a really good place for meeting people, we loved spending the evenings (we’ve been there several times) with really nice people from Nepal, Greece, Algeria and so on :)

Written 16 September 2021

Andrei D

Arad8 contributions

Great experience at local restaurant

Sept 2021 • couples

We're glad we stopped by. The price are very good. Food was so delicious and the staff are very kind! Thanks them!!!!!!!!

Written 15 September 2021

V Sommer

9 contributions

Authentic and fresh swahili food

May 2021 • none

If you want to eat delicious and fresh swahili food and dine in an authentic atmosphere this is the perfect place to go.

Written 8 June 2021

Helena V

Budapest22 contributions

Nice place to have a authentic dinner

Apr 2021 • none

Such a lovely place. Great atmosphere and friendly service. My vegetarian dish was excellent. Would definitely stay here again to try out the other dishes as well.

Written 3 April 2021