The Neela Boutique Hotel Stone Town has recently opened in the heart of Zanzibar’s ancient city. It is an interesting new gastronomic marvel enticing the palates of foreign travellers and African weekenders alike.
In its two outlets, the Breadfruit Restaurant & Café and Views Rooftop Bar & Lounge, hotel developers Steve and Raju Shaulis together with executive chef Lance Louise have created an experience encapsulating the romance and vibrant flavours of the island’s famous cultural hub.
The 14 room Neela Boutique Hotel Stone Town opened to great fanfare in September, providing families with a beautiful location to spend quality time together while enjoying the freshest seasonal food in the natural beauty of Zanzibar.
The signature Breadfruit eatery, arising from the vision of internationally renowned interior designer Nelly Levin, offers visitors a tranquil courtyard setting and the city’s historic architecture where they can enjoy exquisite dining and expertly crafted coffee prepared by world-class baristas.
Among Breadfruit’s standout dishes is Zanzibar classic Zanzicuterie, which comprises cold smoked marlin and tuna, kimchi, cashew nut tapenade, pickled sardines, pickled feta, labneh, mango confit and fermented papaya. A prized large-plate item, particularly among weekenders from the Tanzanian mainland and Kenya, is Swahili Seafood Curry, where the ingredients range from songoro and squid to toasted local spices and coconut milk. Pweza Please, local octopus served with braised chickpeas and white beans, lemon aioli and bok choi, and Bing Bing Baby, a portion of bing bread and truffled honey butter, sesame chilli crunch, smoked eggplant and pinenut with whipped ricotta, are also not to be missed.
Views Rooftop Bar and the Parlour Lounge, meanwhile, are perfect for unwinding with delicious cocktails and access to the full BreadFruit Menu while soaking up the atmosphere that is so unique to Stone Town as a destination. The rooftop setting is a wonderland of contemporary décor. Cool live music and a gentle breeze offer a state of complete relaxation.
Light but out-of-this-world small-plate dishes like Salt and Pepper Squid, noted for its red chili teriyaki seasoning, Prawn Bao Bun (togarashi mayo, pickled onion and furukake) and Popcorn Pweza (slivers of octopus with seaweed mayo and lemon) will tantalise any tastebuds.
Chef Lance brings to The Neela Boutique Hotel Stone Town a remarkable culinary arts background. The 32-year-old South African, who credits his mother and the late pastry master Aaron James Maree for his passion for cooking, has worked for East Africa’s largest property management group overseeing international brands like Kempinski, Hemmingways, Marriott, and Acacia Premier, including the popular Nairobi Street Kitchen.
He also served as executive chef to His Excellency Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, of the Qatari Royal Family, a role that saw him lead kitchens in palatial homes and cater at royal events.
Steve and Raju, who have undertaken major projects across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, are developing another oceanside boutique hotel in Zanzibar scheduled to open in 2024.