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With its long stretch of coastline it's no surprise that seafood takes front and center in Mozambique. Whether served in a hearty stew with rice, delicately seasoned with aromatic spices, dried or smoked, the fresh bounty of the sea is central to the national diet. European influences are everywhere, especially in the port city of Maputo, where you'll find Portuguese butter tarts and red and white Vinho Verde (young wine). A melting pot of Indian, Arab, and Chinese influences abound. You’ll quickly become addicted to fresh pao—traditional Portuguese bread rolls baked several times a day. And you’ll certainly enjoy Mozambique's abundant tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, pineapple, and more. Service is mostly very relaxed and can be quite slow. There are very few chain restaurants outside of Maputo. A local cocktail, Tipo Tinto—rum usually mixed with raspberry juice—can be quite strong. Drink it with caution.
An affordable, cheerful, often very busy place (especially on weekends), Pemba Dolphin has a great ocean view at Wimbe beach. Although very touristy, it also has a good local feel, especially when there's live music on the weekend. Try the fresh seafood or pizza with a cold local beer, or a house cocktail as the sun sets.
This friendly restaurant bar (more like shack on the beach) has some of the best sea views in Beira, and although the food is okay (everything from pasta and seafood to traditional Portuguese and steaks), you really go to Biques for the atmosphere. It's got a bit of a frontier feel with locals and ex-pats mixing happily together as they down cold beers on the wooden terrace above the beach or in the gaily painted bar decorated with caps from all over the world dangling from the wooden beams.
The style may be retro-seafood shack, but that's just another sign that this pleasant beachfront restaurant has its priorities in the right place: the food. Just ask the exuberant group of locals and visitors who flock here to relax on the beachside terrace and consume gargantuan seafood platters, jumbo shrimp, juicy fried scallops, squid, and seafood kebabs all washed down with an ice-cold beer or crisp Portuguese wine. Kid-friendly menus and yummy desserts are a nice bonus.
Casbah Beach Bar is the quintessential beach shack. At high tide, you'll sit with feet in the sand with the waves lapping less than a meter away. If the Indian Ocean breezes are too strong, head inside under the thatch roof. Informal hardly describes it: wear your flip-flops and shorts at any time of day, and mix with the local ex-pats who make this their favorite hangout. Line fish of the day is one of the best choices, or a seafood platter, but a good steak is available if you're craving meat. Wash it all down with local beer or Vinho Verde (Portuguese young wine).
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