A new restaurant in Zanzibar with a distinct Greek influence; you’ll want to lick your fingers clean!

17 November, 2020

Index

Let us tell you the delicious story of how the new restaurant “IA” in Hotel Riu Palace Zanzibar came to be, a restaurant specializing in fish and seafood and clearly influenced by Greek and Mediterranean cuisine.

After the refurbishment in autumn 2019, the Riu Palace Zanzibar now has some completely renovated areas which are outstanding on account of their elegance, size and comfort. In addition to the cool design in which white plays a major part, the hotel commands some marvellous views thanks to its location on Nungwi Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand and crystal clear water.

And you may be wondering what this story has to do with the “IA” restaurant?

The first Greek restaurant in the RIU chain

Well, the idea of creating the first Greek restaurant in the RIU chain came about due to a number of factors: the unique fact that the hotel enjoys a stunning location near a small cliff with a gentle slope down to the sea and its white paintwork which brings to mind a Mediterranean building and contrasts against the deep blue of the sky and the light blue of the water. All of these influences inspired our team to create the first Greek restaurant in the chain.

Riu Palace Zanzibar.

The Mediterranean influence is evident in the decor of the restaurant, with open spaces and white as the central colour, and with its dishes our palate can appreciate the influence of Greek cuisine. The signature dish, and it could not be anything else in Zanzibar, is fish. But the way in which it is cooked and presented gives a clear nod to Greece and its gastronomy.

The products of both sea and earth are the main elements of this new restaurant at the RIU in Zanzibar

The new “IA” restaurant, unique in the chain, has a very Mediterranean menu inspired by the fish and seafood restaurants of the Greek islands. A menu which features produce from the sea and the vegetable garden. For starters, the menu features a selection of Greek appetisers. The starters include: Greek salad, hot shellfish salad, a pasta with seafood dish and crab soup. For your main course you can choose between: Mediterranean-style octopus, grouper fillet with cream of leeks and mint with toasted almonds, grilled tuna steak with a tomato and basil puree and a selection of fried fish and shellfish with three dressings.