Zimbabwe Restaurants and Dining
(Zimbabwe, ZW, Southern Africa)
When you are looking for somewhere to dine out in Zimbabwe, there is plenty of choice. Menus on offer include everything from traditional dishes to international cuisine. A British dining influence also pervades some of the dishes served in restaurants here.
Lunch service in Zimbabwe's restaurants tends to run from around 12:30 to 14:30. In the evening, eateries re-open at around 19:00 and finish service by 22:00. Of note, some local dining establishments close on Mondays.
What to Eat
Zimbabwean food can be summed up in two words - 'sadza' and 'stew'. With its polenta-like consistency, 'sadza' is a corn-based staple that appears every day on tables the country over. It is generally topped with some variety of stew, such as 'dovi', which is made with peanut butter. Indeed, peanuts can be found in many local dishes. Sadza may also be served with 'lacto', a sort of curdled milk.
Stews in Zimbabwe are often made of green vegetables, such as spinach, and meat, usually beef, springbok and antelope. Avocados are in plentiful supply, along with cassava, corn, millet, squash and yams.
Where to Eat
Top-end restaurants in Zimbabwe can be found at popular destinations such as Harare, Bulawayo, Nyanga and Victoria Falls. The Livingstone Room at the Victoria Falls Hotel is ideal for special dining occasions, with its white linen tablecloths, candlelit ambience and polished silverware.
More run-of-the-mill fare can also be found in these cities. Among these are family style restaurants that offer good value broad-based cuisine. A small number of speciality eateries also serve international cuisine, which ranges from Italian through to Chinese dishes.
As Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare manages to boast an especially comprehensive selection of eateries and can even offer a taste of home in the form of several pub restaurants. These include the likes of the Maiden Pub, which overlooks a cricket field, and O'Hagan's, where a typical bar pub grub menu awaits potential diners.
If you are not up to full-on dining, then coffee shops and cafes usually serve snacks and light meals, including cakes and pastries.