Restaurants in Africa
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A
Gianni Sorvetaria
We think the home-made ice cream at the Hotel Polana Tea Room is the best, but this comes close.
reviewed
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B
Mcmoody’s
McMoody’s serves mostly burgers.
reviewed
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C
Rick’s Cafe
‘Here’s looking at you kid!’ Cashing in on the Hollywood hit Casablanca, this beautiful bar, lounge and restaurant is run by a former American diplomat, with furniture and fittings inspired by the film, and serving a taste of home for the nostalgic masses. Lamb chops, chilli, hamburgers and American breakfasts as well as a few excellent French and Moroccan specialities are all on the menu. There’s also an in-house pianist, a Sunday jazz session, wi-fi access and, inevitably, souvenir T-shirts. It’s a stunning setting and a good place for late-night drinks. You can watch the film again and again on the 1st floor.
reviewed
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D
Masala Chaat House
The sheer number of Indians eating here should tell you something about the authentic flavours and affordable prices at this local institution. Located opposite the National Theatre, it serves cheap vegetarian thalis and has stacks more to keep vegetarians smiling for the night.
Meat and fish dishes are also available, as well as a wide selection of tasty masala dosas (a large savoury crepe stuffed with a delicious filling of potatoes cooked with onions and curry leaves) and other southern Indian delights.
reviewed
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E
Lotus Thai
The lotus-themed interior of this Thai restaurant is striking – black enamel walls are etched with white lotus motifs, there are large green-and-white lotus prints on the walls, and the black chairs have lotus-print cushions. In the centre of the restaurant is a large raised circular sushi bar with glass lily pads suspended above it. Outside you can dine in private pagodas. It’s not all about the flash design though; the food is fresh, authentic and delicious.
reviewed
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Mzoli’s
Tourists, TV stars and locals gather at this vibey butchery serving Cape Town’s tastiest grilled meat. It’s all DIY. First buy your meat, and make sure you get them to add their special sauce. Take it to the kitchen to be braaied (barbecued) and then find a table outside – it gets very busy at weekends. Beers and other drinks are available from vendors nearby. Bring plenty of napkins as cutlery is nonexistent.
reviewed
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F
Café Maure
Nestled in the ochre walls of the sqala, an 18th-century fortified bastion, this lovely restaurant is a tranquil escape from the city. Choose to sit in the rustic interior or the lovely garden surrounded by flower-draped trellises and enjoy the wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. The menu favours seafood and salads, although meat dishes are also available, and the exotic fruit juices are simply sublime.
reviewed
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Blue Mango
For a good selection of grub from all over the globe, head to the suburban sanctuary that is the Blue Mango. Big bush furniture, cushions to sink in and flowing African drapes provide the backdrop for a very relaxed meal. The menu includes cheaper bar meals, such as pies with mash and crisp salads, and a more sophisticated range of meat, poultry and fish with a regional accent. On Friday it fills up with the post-work crowd.
reviewed
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G
Tangia
Can a standard chicken tagine with olives and preserved lemons really be worth almost three times what you'd pay in the Djemaa? Tangia will quell any such doubt with aromatic herbed olives, caramelised sauce with a lemony tang but no bitterness, and plump chicken very different from the anorexic variety served elsewhere - and at the next table over, the editors of American and French Vogue also seemed to approve.
reviewed
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H
Restaurant Bar Bozo
While the food is average tourist fare and the service is incompetent (a two-hour wait for your meal to arrive is not unusual), Restaurant Bar Bozo is superbly located at the mouth of Mopti harbour. The passing panorama of Mopti river life could easily occupy an afternoon, so even if you don't eat here, stop by for a drink, preferably at sunset. It's a shame it starts running out of everything by 20:00.
reviewed
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I
Homestead
Arguably Windhoek's best restaurant, Homestead features a range of starters, salads, pasta, vegetarian dishes, fresh fish, beef and chicken dishes, as well as oryx, crocodile, fondues and a hunters' grill featuring zebra. The herbs and vegetables come from the restaurant's own garden and it's all served up in a pleasant outdoor setting. There's also an extensive selection of wines, liqueurs and cigars.
reviewed
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J
Blue Crane
The Blue Crane is part of the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary – the Roberts of the famous bird books. The restaurant overlooks a lake that is the breeding site for the endangered blue crane, South Africa’s national bird. It does Afrikaner potjiekos and the pub is great at sundown. The entrance to the restaurant is off Melk St, which is a right turn off Middle St as you head west.
reviewed
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K
Greek Club
About the only thing that's still Greek about this private club is the bazouki music playing on its outdoor terrace, where cats clamber on a shady pergola. But it's a nice place to have a beer and a light meal; the menu is standard Egyptian, with a few Greek items, such as tzatziki, thrown in. If you can convince the door staff of your Hellenic heritage, you can skip the E£5 cover charge.
reviewed
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L
Melissa’s
You’ll find branches of this distinguished deli and café across town, but we’re fond of this one with a prime view of the Green Point Stadium. It’s R135 per kg for the delicious buffets and you can browse the grocery shelves for picnic fare or gourmet gifts. Other branches are at Newlands, Kloof St and Waterfront.
reviewed
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M
Tripolis Restaurant
Tasteful decorations, good food and uninterrupted views over Tripoli harbour make for a great dining experience on the fringes of the medina, off Souq al-Turk. Like many of the other new restaurants in the old town, the food is less inventive than enjoyable (ie you'll eat couscous or rice with soup and salad but they do it well), but we've no hesitation in recommending it for its ambience.
reviewed
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Shop Café
Most perfect for brunch and lunch any day except Sunday, the Shop Café serves some of the yummiest food in Zimbabwe, from its amazing homemade muesli, yogurt and stewed fruit to vegetable moussakas and fish curries. The food here will put you in the right mood for shopping in the attached shop for hand-printed textiles, hand-painted ceramics and cane and teak furniture - double yum.
reviewed
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N
La Maison Bleue
Reservations are necessary at this elegant riad restaurant. The setting is intimate and romantic, with diners serenaded by an oud player (replaced by livelier Gnawa song and dance at the end of the evening). You’ll be treated to an array of cooked salads, tajines, couscous and bastilla (savoury pastries), plus filo pastry desserts. Top marks for presentation and atmosphere.
reviewed
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Chez André
Housed in a huge villa on the eastern extreme of Chaussée Prince Rwagasore, this is one of many contenders for the best restaurant in the city, with a flamboyant menu that wouldn't look out of place in Brussels or Paris. The wine list and desserts are well worth a closer look. There is also a popular health club here if you feel the belt busting after a major meal.
reviewed
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O
Thami’s
Of the cluster of pavement restaurants leading from Bab Bou Jeloud to Talaa Seghira, this small corner place under a mulberry tree probably ranks as a favourite. The food is good and comes out bubbling hot, with filling kefta (spiced meatball) tajines, fried fish and bowls of stewed beans. Eat, then sit back and watch the medina parade pass before your eyes.
reviewed
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P
Bull & Bush Pub
This long-standing Gaborone institution is deservedly popular with expats, tourists and locals alike. Though there's something on the menu for everyone, the Bull & Bush is renowned for its thick steaks and cold beers. On any given night, the outdoor beer garden is buzzing with activity, and you can bet there's always some sports event worth watching on the tube.
reviewed
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Greenfield
Tucked away off Route de Kpalimé, near Tokoin Hospital, this funky French-owned garden bar-restaurant is decorated with dancing Keith Harring figures and colourful lanterns. It is family-friendly, with a menu for children and teenagers, and films screened for youngsters on Saturdays, in addition to the adult films on Tuesdays and live jazz.
reviewed
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Q
Jamboree Restaurant
A small British-run restaurant, Jamboree serves international fare in its small, rather undistinct dining room or much better, upstairs on a pleasant roof terrace. Lunchtime dishes are limited to good homemade sandwiches and snacks. The menu includes filled jacket potatoes, pastas and the traditional, perhaps not so authentic, Egyptian dishes.
reviewed
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Fasika
Right opposite the crazy Capital Pub in Kabalagala, Fasika is the leading Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala. The menu is a good introduction to Ethiopian eats and includes a tasty Ethiopian answer to a thali (mixed curry selection, including rice and pappadams), with a little bit of everything served on injera (unleavened bread).
reviewed
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Azzurro
The restaurant is located near the lighthouse in the Los Lagos part of town with its shallow pools and scrubby desert setting. At this place overlooking the beach, with a pretty peach-painted interior, the menu includes fish fillet in lemon and basil and a tasty pasta dish with mushrooms and prawns in a nest of parmesan cheese.
reviewed
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R
Salah Ad-Din
This is the best of the Nileside restaurants, with several terraces and a freezing air-conditioned dining room. The menu has Egyptian, Nubian and international dishes, a notch better than most restaurants in Aswan. The service is efficient and the beers are cool (E£12). There is also a terrace to smoke a sheesha.
reviewed