The Rock Restaurant in Pingwe, Michamvi Beach | Zanzibar
Discovering The Rock Restaurant – A Hidden Gem in the Ocean
The ROCK Restaurant is in Pingwe, Michamvi Beach. Which is situated on the east coast of Zanzibar. To get here it was a 30 minutes drive by taxi from our hotel ‘The reef and beach hotel’ in Jambiani.
My first impression was like finding an enchanted cottage in the middle of the ocean, sat upon a rock. While the waves were lapping at my feet on the beach, it felt like I had stepped into a fairytale and now wanted to explore my new discovery.
The Journey – Arriving in Style
The small wooden boat pulled up near the shore and we waded out to the kind captain who helped us climb aboard. We sailed closer to the restaurant it seemed surreal, this was only ever on my bucket list. As we pulled up at the bottom of the small wooden steps we made our way up to the entrance of the restaurant, it was bigger inside than what you would have imagined but very in character with a high thatched ceiling and old wooden floor boards and wooden tables with chairs to match.
Dining with a View
We were shown to our table which was on the outside seating area which had breathtaking views. If you sat inside the restaurant you would miss out on this experience unless you had a window seat, my husband decided to order the South African Ribeye steak and I ordered Chicken Skewers Swahili style. It was a good standard of food and excellent service.
A Special Encounter – Meeting the Manager
After finishing our meal we decided to take our glass of wine onto the sun terrace at the back of the restaurant to finish our drinks overlooking the sea, my husband was just settling the bill and a lovely Italian gentlemen asked if we had enjoyed our meal at the rock. We told him we throughly enjoyed it and complimented him on the food and explained we were here to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary.
I asked him if he was the owner and he told us that he was not the owner but he was the manager and introduced himself as Reddy.
I told Reddy about my Travel blog I was starting and asked if I could write a post on his restaurant. He was more than happy for me to do so and I even had a photo with him. He then told us how he became the manager through a mutual friend who he was in business with when he lived in Italy before he moved to Zanzibar.
Reddy was a very approachable, charming gentleman. He made time to speak to us and he was genuinely interested in our visit to Zanzibar, and how our visit was to his restaurant.
A Magical Farewell
After a while we said our goodbyes and it was now time to sail back, the sun was setting between the tall palm trees and reflecting off the beach. I wanted to capture this image in my memory forever, on such a special occasion.
If your planning on visiting The Rock restaurant, I recommend that you go at high tide as this gives the best views, if you go at low tide you can simply walk out to the restaurant but you miss the sea surrounding the rock.
Tips for Visiting The Rock Restaurant
- Visit at high tide for the best views, as the sea surrounds the rock, making it a more magical experience. At low tide, you can walk to the restaurant, but you’ll miss the stunning ocean setting.
- Book well in advance—this restaurant is extremely popular, attracting visitors from all over the world.
- Request an outdoor seat for the best views while dining.
You can book directly here: https://www.therockrestaurantzanzibar.com/reservations/
