Lusaka
Forget the name, this Indian restaurant is authentic as they come. There's a good choice of tandoori and North Indian creamy curries, and paneer dishes…
Must-see restaurants in Zambia, Malawi & Mozambique
Lusaka
A popular cafe with a small, stylish dining room and pleasant outdoor seating. There's an impressive selection of Western-style creations such as pastrami…
Northern Mozambique
You're practically guaranteed to meet a fellow traveller or expat at this shady post-colonial watering hole next to the ethnography museum. Some just come…
Lilongwe
In the attractive setting of Woodlands Lilongwe, the lodge restaurant serves international dishes from pepper steak to chicken in a basket, but its Indian…
Lusaka
Run by a couple of friendly Zimbabwean expats, this lovely little garden cafe is a great spot to grab a well-made Zambian coffee, a quality breakfast and…
Malawi
Like a slice of '50s Shanghai, Hong Kong is an atmospheric pagoda-style building with a red wooden ceiling festooned with lanterns, and walls enlivened by…
Livingstone
A smart, Western-style cafe located in the shopping strip along the main road, this place is popular for excellent breakfasts, real Zambian coffee and…
Pemba
The default expat hang-out, the good ole naval club enjoys a prime waterside setting just off the western curve of Wimbi Beach. Sundowners are practically…
Zambia
Easily the best place for a meal in town, this Indian restaurant is set within an open-air thatched structure in an attractive garden at the rear of the…
Northern Mozambique
You could easily miss the entrance to this hotel-restaurant, which doesn't promise much from outside. Inside it's a different story, at least when your…
Northern Mozambique
A couple of homes in the bairro known as Rituto offer meals if organised in advance (enquire at Cinco Portas). A local will pick you up and take you to…
Lilongwe
This tin-roofed, woodcarving-lined poolside affair is a sanctuary rich in plants and atmosphere. Despite the menu's unimpressive presentation, the Asian…
Livingstone
Culture Cafe is a wonderful spot to sample traditional Zambian food. It's a basic, yet colourful little eatery, where you can take your pick from charcoal…
Why Not Esplanada & Restaurant
Mozambique
It's a little out of the centre in a residential area – and finding it might entail asking directions in Portuguese more than once – but other than that…
Lusaka
Housed in the colonial-era Lusaka Club with decor that probably hasn't been touched since the '60s, this wood-panelled favourite serves some of the best…
Northern Mozambique
Inhabiting a reed house in the square opposite the hospital, Sara's is a confirmed local favourite – small and scruffy, but salt-of-the-earth – where you…
Malawi
This garden cafe has plenty of shaded seating, a menu of rolls, salads, wraps, burgers and burritos, and daily specials such as noodle stir-fry and masala…
Zambia
Long regarded as one of Ndola's best restaurants, this Italian cafe-terrace under a designer awning does thin-crust pizzas, pastas and Western mains…
Mozambique
Head to this old-world street-side cafe for caffeine Portuguese style and a bolo (cake) as you watch the passing Beira scene – both the pretty and the…
Mozambique
Set in one of the more dilapidated sections of the baixa, Pic-Nic defies its name and location, with waitstaff dressed in starched white shirts…
Maputo
A Maputo classic dating from 1938, this beachside place – now under new management – draws the crowds on weekend afternoons. There’s seating on the large…
Lilongwe
At this stylish and traditional steakhouse, you can sit in the old-world restaurant with a relaxing sports bar attached, or outside beside an ornamental…
Northern Mozambique
This lovely cafe evokes the faded charm of colonial Mozambique, with old black-and-white prints adorning the walls and hefty tomes on the tables. There's…
Zambia
Providing a welcome break from the road, the Fig Tree Cafe, set in manicured gardens, has breezy outdoor benches or comfy indoor seating. It does burgers,…
Lilongwe
Soundtracked by a gurgling fountain, Blue Ginger serves some of Lilongwe's best Indian food (as well as Chinese), attracting local movers and shakers. Its…
Maputo
This is a Maputo institution, where you can mix and mingle with the crowds as you wander amid dozens of small bars and restaurants set inside a large,…
Green Turtle Restaurant & Beach Bar
Southern Mozambique
This is the closest to gourmet dining that you'll find in the area, with tasty French cuisine – the seafood dishes and desserts are particularly notable –…
Northern Mozambique
This modern restaurant in the small Monica shopping centre offers well-prepared Mozambican-Portuguese fusion food on a pretty terrace or in an air…
Malawi
Underneath Mulanje Infocentre, the former Pizzeria Basilico (and country cousin of Blantyre's Jungle Pepper) serves an excellent selection of wood-fired…
Lusaka
This artisan deli is worth a stop for its range of gourmet biltong, baked breads, pastries and preserves made by local producers in the area. You can grab…
Lusaka
It can take a while to get used to fine dining Zambian-style – in a shopping centre with a nice view of the parking lot. But don’t let that bother you, as…
Zambia
From its authentic menu and wafting aromas to Bollywood films on the telly, Danny's genuinely feels like India. There's excellent vegetarian options as…
Lusaka
With its all-Thai chef team, this popular restaurant does an extensive menu of authentic, aromatic Thai salads, curries and stir-fries. The crispy 'angry…
Northern Mozambique
This popular if unexciting spot does all the local standards, including seafood, hot chicken, prawn or goat curries, and matapa (cooked cassava leaves…
Lusaka
The new location for this successful Italian-owned pizzeria is a little bit out of town, but worth it for one of the city's best thin-crust wood-fire…
Zambia
Living up to its name, this bar is plonked directly on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The food menu is limited to grilled meats on the braai, but a full…
Pemba
A good old South African–style steakhouse, 556 sits on the hill overlooking the port and bay. It serves up barbecued meats, plus chicken grills, pizzas,…
Malawi
This restaurant attached to the hostel of the same name serves noodle and kimchi dishes, as well as Western choices such as chicken burger and steak and…
Lusaka
A lovely little garden oasis within the Showgrounds that's a nice to spot to relax with a filter coffee, an Aussie lamington, sandwich, or heartier meat…
Maputo
Popular with locals and expats, this place has sidewalk seating, plus reasonably priced Portuguese-style pastries, sandwiches, burgers, grilled chicken…
