You eat at The Secret Garden inside Emerson Spice Hotel, a walled space planted with tropical greenery that screens the tables from Stone Town’s streets. The kitchen serves an à la carte menu from late afternoon through the evening, with Zanzibari musicians performing live on Wednesday and Friday nights.

The garden is part of Emerson Spice Hotel, a restored merchant’s house turned boutique hotel. Tables are set among the plants, with the hotel’s walls enclosing the space. The menu draws on local seafood and spices, served through the evening without fixed seating times.

On music nights, performers from the Dhow Countries Music Academy play traditional instruments like the ganun, a stringed zither with origins in the Middle East. The garden’s layout keeps the sound contained, so the music reaches the tables without carrying into the surrounding lanes.

The hotel’s rooftop tea house serves a separate seafood tasting menu, but the garden runs its own kitchen with all-day service. You can book for lunch or dinner, with the evening meals continuing until the kitchen closes.