The House of Spices was one of the most notable houses of Zanzibar Stone Town, belonging to an old family of Spice
Traders. Spices from the Islands of Pemba and Zanzibar were collected here, spreading their fragrant aroma over the
house and the surrounding narrows streets of Stone Town.
Once in the house they were selected, ground and packed before being exported to Europe and to the Americas.
The House of Spices is a typical 18th Century Zanzibar House and it rises up over three floors enclosing a central courtyard.
The rear of the House was the receiving point for deliveries as well as the production area now hos the tearooms and pastry shop, while the front of the house was
for the day to day sales. Tea and coffee are served here.
On the ground floor the main entrance and reception of the house looks out on Kiponda Street, one of the major
thoroughfares crossing the town.
On the first floor there are four bedrooms (all Air-conditioned) , two sitting rooms and three bathrooms.
They can be rented separately or as an apartment, for a group of family and friends. Each room carries the name of a spice.
On the second floor there are two terraces which were used for drying the spices before they were packed.
One now hosts a restaurant serving a wide selection of dishes, gently scented with spices. From the wooden oven come
fragrant tempting pizzas.
The second terrace is now a wine bar offering wines from most known wineries around the world.
From both of these cool and shaded terraces open veranda sides offer rooftop views of the minarets and streets of Stone
Town.