Kid-friendly Restaurants in Dar Es Salaam With Playgrounds

While waiting for some of our children’s immigration documents, we spent almost 3 weeks in Dar Es Salaam in October 2019. Since we were staying in Airbnb’s in the Upanga area, our kids (ages 4 & 5) needed places where they could run, jump, climb, and get their energy out. Therefore, we usually went to one restaurant a day with a playground. Often during our trips to Dar, I wished that there was a good list of restaurants with playgrounds. Since I never did find a list like that, I decided to make one for other parents. Here are our recommendations for playgrounds in Dar Es Salaam. Be sure to check hours for each restaurant because several of them close for the afternoon and reopen for the evening.

• Central Park Cafe—A lovely atmosphere with an indoor and outdoor play areas. This was close to where we were staying in Upanga and was one of our favorite places to eat. The outdoor playground is free with a food or drink order. The indoor play area costs 10,000TSH per kid. It is not open on Mondays.
• Gaming Zone, City Mall 3rd floor— Indoor play area which is great for rainy days. Under 3 years old costs 5,000TSH and 4+ years old costs 10,000TSH. You can order food at the Red Onion next door and have them inform you when it is ready. Be sure to tell them if you don’t want the food spicy. There are also other restaurants on that floor of the mall, including a gelato shop.
• Flames—Wonderful Indian food. This was one of our favorite outdoor playgrounds, because they have playground attendants to help keep kids safe. This meant that our kids could go play while we enjoyed a mini-date.
• Zuane—Delicious Italian food with an outdoor playground and fenced area for kicking balls around. It is closed on Sundays.
• Bella Napoli—Another delicious Italian restaurant with a small outdoor playground that is perfect for little kids. They also have playground attendants and an indoor room off to the right with books and toys. It is closed on Tuesdays.
• Marrybrown—This is a fast-food restaurant (similar to McDonalds) with a covered outdoor playground.
• Epi d’or— A wonderful Mediterranean/Lebanese cafe and bakery with an outdoor playground. They have lots of options on the menu.
• Slipway— There are many pricey but delicious restaurants at Slipway, including Thai food, seafood, and a gelato place. In the evenings they open the outdoor playground and have playground attendants. The playground costs 5,000TSH per child.

If you ever want to order-in food, the Jumia Food app is wonderful. It provides a list of available restaurants in the area and a driver will pick it up and deliver your order for a very small fee.

If you are looking for a family-friendly AirBnB around Upanga, here are some we have tried in the past few years and enjoyed.
• My home your home @United Nations Rd
• Elegant Condo
• Stunning penthouse with Sea view (You can also get a single room in this apartment for cheaper. The room sleeps 2 adults and one child, but we brought a cot for our other child to save on costs).

If you are looking for a safe and reliable taxi driver, Felix (+255 774 333 309) is wonderful. If he ever can’t pick you up, he will arrange for his friend Jovin to drive you. Jovin is also a great driver.