Located on the pristine south eastern coast of Zanzibar, where the white sand beaches meet the crystal clear ocean waters, this restaurant offers one of the most interesting dining experiences in the world: The Rock restaurant is literally positioned on top of a rock in the middle of the ocean. If you want to scratch the best ocean view in the world from a dinner table off your bucket list, you need to make a reservation here.
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Guests Can Either Swim or Take a Boat to This Restaurant in the Middle of the Ocean
@visit Lunch break in Zanzibar😎🏝 Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean off Zanzibar in Tanzania, The Rock Restaurant is a popular floating gourmet restaurant that provides one of the most unique dining experiences. During low tide, guests can walk through shallow waters to get there, but when the tide is high, swimming or riding a canoe is needed to get back and forth between the mainland and the small island-like rock. 🌊 Would you love to dine here? 🇹🇿 📍 The Rock Restaurant, Tanzania Ig: @joaocajuda
The Rock restaurant had to overcome logistical challenges in order to open – consider how tricky it must be to dispose of waste and keep the lights in the middle of the ocean – but the result is one of the most extreme dining experiences in the world. Here’s what to expect when you get there.
How to get to The Rock restaurant
Despite its unusual location, The Rock restaurant is actually easy to get to. Located on Pingwe beach in the small fishing village of Michamvi, the restaurant doesn’t require booking a boat or water taxi to get there.
Though it might look like it’s floating from a distance, the restaurant is actually built on top of a rock, just a few feet from shore. At low tide, diners can easily walk to the restaurant right from the beach.
This is the best time to arrive for your reservation, otherwise you might be stuck wading out to the wooden staircase that leads to the dining room (and sitting in wet clothes for the duration of the meal). In order to avoid any soaking wet customers, the restaurant uses a small canoe to transport groups from the beach to the restaurant steps.
If you want to wade through the warm, turquoise waters of Pingwe beach, plan for your meal to be over at high tide. That way you can forgo the boat altogether and take a refreshing dip in the ocean on your way back to the mainland.
What to eat at The Rock restaurant
Unsurprisingly, The Rock restaurant Zanzibar specializes in seafood. When you’re at a restaurant surrounded by plentiful ocean waters, that’s what you’d expect. Dishes include grilled octopus, coconut milk carpaccio (thinly sliced raw fish), grilled lobster, prawns – and of course a fresh catch of the day. The dessert menu focuses on tropical flavors like pineapple, passion fruit, and coconut.
The restaurant can accommodate couples and big groups (this is a great restaurant for a life changing dinner on a big family vacation, or a more intimate evening out). The outdoor terrace is especially romantic in the evenings, when you can gaze up at the unobstructed stars.
The Rock restaurant requires reservations before arriving, so if you’re planning a trip to Zanzibar’s paradise-like coast, make sure it includes dinner here. 
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