The Bistro If Confucius didn’t actually say it, he certainly was a wise enough bloke to think it: breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  After all, how better could you prepare to face life’s potholes and power-cuts, than with a creamy cappuccino in hand and a healthy, hearty plate before you? The Bistro, set in a pretty garden on the corner of Borrowdale and Kingsmead, seems to have hit the ground running, managing to maintain consistently high reviews for service and food alike.  Having enjoyed a couple of exceedingly delicious evening meals here, I was curious about whether the breakfast experience also made the grade. A muggy Saturday morning found a friend and I happily settled in the open-sided restaurant, humming with relaxed weekend conversations.  The clean decor of pale wood and contemporary styling is refreshing in Harare, where many establishments cling to more traditional looks.  Widely spaced, shaded, tables lie scattered around a small fenced pool, surrounded by lawns.  Although very conveniently located right on the Borrowdale Road, the traffic noise is muted and the restaurant enjoys a peaceful atmosphere. Over a reasonable cappuccino and cool glasses of iced water, we perused the small but tasty range of breakfast options available, and kept one eye on the tasty and heavily laden plates of treats that passed by on their way to other tables.  The surroundings were relaxed and comfortable, without the noise and bustle that renders some other restaurants slightly less so. I love brekkie more than any other meal (in fact I would have breakfast for lunch and supper if it wasn’t slightly weird), but I am not a huge fan of the full English.  My other half is, though, and I can certainly appreciate the appeal of such a substantial feed.  My own leanings are more towards the healthy fruity-oaty-seedy-nutty side of the plate, or failing that, a healthy scrambled or poached egg derivative with a bit of zing, preferably vegetarian.  There was no clear choice on the menu to meet either of these preferences, although the cream and parsley scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and croissant looked very inviting, as did the breakfast ham with poached eggs, toasted croissant and lemon hollandaise...but neither really ticked my healthy box.  I decided to add a couple more k’s to tomorrow’s run and splurge on French toast with bacon and grilled tomatoes instead. My friend is gluten and dairy intolerant and often has a bit of a struggle finding appetising options that cater for her needs.  We decided to ask our waiter to check if the chef could offer anything for her.  Unfortunately the response was that nothing fitted the bill, but the waiter did let us get inventive with our order and brought poached eggs, smoked salmon and a fresh green salad which was perfect, although it did arrive on a croissant.  I duly suffered from plate envy and wished I’d ordered the same...oh well, next time. The pair of us may not necessarily be the most representative clientele in Zimbabwe but I do know that we are members of a growing club: we are foodies and like to dine out but we also seek to make healthy choices.  Since wheat and dairy allergies feature more frequently these days, it would be great to see more local restaurants apply their creativity to vegetarian and healthy breakfast dishes. Our food arrived quickly, despite The Bistro being pretty full.  The plates were simply but nicely presented and we tucked in, finding it all quite yummy.  Poached eggs are often cooked hard enough to kill someone at 5 paces, but these were perfect, and there was no scrimping on the salmon or bacon.  My French toast with bacon was well cooked, and the only improvement I might suggest is the offer of wholemeal or brown bread instead of plain white.   The waiters were attentive without being pushy, and the Manageress came by to check that we were enjoying ourselves, which we appreciated. My overall impression is that The Bistro is a pleasant, fresh location in which to enjoy a good quality, decent value, tasty breakfast.  If you are a fiend of the cooked breakfast (you can even have steak with your eggs if you so wish), and not keeping too much of an eye on the calorie-counter, you’ll be delighted with the choices on offer.  Although the menu is small, all the choices are tasty, well prepared and presented.  In my mind, the menu would benefit from a couple of vegetarian and healthy dishes, as well as some herbal teas.  As a positively obsessive coffee drinker, I’d say The Bistro serves a reasonable cup but should keep an eye on the competition; happily, there are a growing number of baristas with some serious skills.  That said, in terms of quality, service, value, and consistency The Bistro ranks highly and that can only be a good thing.  It is certainly a place where you can enjoy a breakfast to set you up for the day. The Bistro is open for breakfast Tuesday – Sunday from 8.30-11.30am.  For brekkie and a couple of coffees or teas, you’ll be looking at between $10 and $15 per person.