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Meikles Hotel
Cnr Jason Moyo Ave and 3rd St
Harare
707721

 

The Lounge at Meikles – The Best Seat in Town 2012

As a first time visitor to the Meikles Hotel, I was pleasantly surprised.  I guess I was expecting to find it slightly down-at-heel with an air of faded glory, but it was fresh and well kept, with smartly uniformed staff.  The Lounge is located in the lobby area on the ground floor and provides a convenient area for hotel guests and visitors to convene.  During busy times it might be a bit of a thoroughfare and less tranquil than you might wish.

Stepping up to the raised Lounge, I was tickled by the unusual carpet which appears as though a large mammal of indeterminate species has wondered drunkenly across it, leaving pug marks in beige and cream in its wake.  The African theme persists in the faintly leopardy upholstery of the exceptionally comfortable little armchairs.  These are worth a special mention as some restaurants seem to have employed a wily strategy of making people comfortable enough only for the duration of a meal, whereupon their backsides go numb and they are forced to vacate their table.  At Meikles, you can settle in for serial coffee consumption in total comfort.
The Lounge was quiet, with only a couple of tables occupied, and we were greeted with a friendly smile from Timothy, and shown to a quiet table.  Timothy having been dispatched to ferret out a cappuccino and a latte, we took a stroll through the menu.  The Lounge clearly caters for all hours of the day, and tastes both sweet and savoury.  There was everything from muffins and scones to a range of toasted sandwiches, light meals such as spinach and feta quiche or steak baguettes and a platter of assorted bitings to share.  You can also have the high tea, which promises to be a feast of cakes and sandwiches.  Timothy asked us whether we would like “something to chew” and we gave our order.

While waiting a little while for our drinks, we took in the atmosphere (quiet and deliberately low-lit) and the surroundings.  Amid the trappings of a contemporary African hotel, there are clues to the heritage of the place and framed black-and-white pictures on the wall show the dining room of Meikles in the 1920s and the streets of early Harare from a time when the mail was delivered by coach and horse and gentlemen wore sizeable moustaches and severe side partings.

Our coffees arrived and proved to be well made.   Close on their heels came a basket of assorted mini-pastries and a toasted sandwich.  The pastries were delicious: soft, fresh and still warm from the oven, served with clotted cream and jam.  The sandwich was fresh and made with brown bread baked in-house, and Timothy, who clearly is not devoid of humour, tried to persuade us that the eggs were also laid by Meikles’ own flock of chooks.  A fresh, spritely looking little salad garnished the plate (how often do you get a scrap of depressed lettuce and a wedge of tomato that looks as though it’s been lurking around all week?).  Although simple, our food could not have been better prepared or presented.

The Meikles Lounge is a comfortable, convenient spot for a quick bite if you’re in town or looking for somewhere pleasant to meet.  It’s worth noting that there is no WiFi here though.  There is enough on the menu for most to find something that appeals, and perhaps the only (and very minor) criticism one might level is that it is not the most wildly imaginative.  Another little whinge might be that some of the menu items seemed pricey for what they are (a simple toasted sarnie for $8 and coffees for $3), although others are pretty good value.  That said, you are guaranteed a friendly welcome, solid service, good quality, tasty fare and that is not to be sniffed at.  And not to forget the most comfortable chairs in Harare.
You can enjoy pastries and a coffee for around $8 per person and a light meal from $10-14 per person.
Coffee Shop
4 Plates
Meikles Hotel, Harare
Expect to spend $8 - $15 per head

Never mind Breakfast at Tiffany’s, try Teatime at The Meikles Lounge! 2011
Just the other day I was reading the Epilogue in a certain travel magazine; the writer of this article struck a chord that certainly resonated with me, namely the unfair treatment in this current, Coffee Shop-driven world we inhabit, of the humble tea drinker.  Whether the Coffee imbiber is a coffee gourmet who sips only Colombian filter coffee or the morning Ricoffy swiller, in every menu they are lavishly presented with a lyrical abundance of cappuccino, mocca, espresso, latte, American, straight, decaffeinated, hot milk, cold milk, cream, froth, bottomless, sprinkles of cocoa on top, a morsel of chocolate nestling in the spoon beside. A tea drinker gets offered simply - tea.  If he’s lucky, Rooibos tea as well.  So plebeian, my dear, and said tea usually arrives as a bland nameless teabag drowned in not so hot water.  No titillation, no excitement, no delight.  BUT, good news!  Help is close at hand. The Lounge at Meikles Hotel is the tea drinker’s oasis!

Actually, they don’t just serve tea there; they do serve all those delectable coffees as well. And some delightful food!  I cannot or will not remember the last time I stepped past the iconic Meikles lions into this famous hotel but here I was again, after a long interval. The lions were quiet, the door open, the doorman friendly.  The hotel reception was a constant bustle, but The Lounge, separated by just a few steps was serene and peaceful.  The chairs were comfortable; the pink roses in the silver vase on the table were fresh and sweet.  The pianist, arriving with a quick step from his day job, sat down to calm his nerves and soothe his soul - and ours - with the flow of music from under his fingers.  Our waiter, Langton, was one of the finest I have encountered for an equally long time; attentive, courteous, clear and knowledgeable on all the contents of the menu.  Truly up to the International standard that the Meikles claims to achieve.

The menu was swiftly presented for our perusal, and as I said the Selection of Teas was an epiphany.  Ranging from Tanganda, of our own proud heritage, with hot milk or cold, and yes, Rooibos, but rolling on to Earl Grey, Green, Camomile and yet more, finally to end with Four Red Fruits Tea.  So tantalizing.  Twinings of course my dear, and absolutely delicious; I savoured every last drop I could wring from my little teapot.  And how about ordering a High Tea?  Tea for two, with a tier brimming with cakes, scones and cream, sandwiches. Could anything sound more delightful?  Indeed the surprisingly extensive selection of edibles was in itself a pleasant surprise.  A generous spread of cakes, sandwiches and scones, to accompany those teas, next a number of tremazines, quiches, right up to steak.  However, our appetites were not prepared for this, and our choices ranged from quiche – a mouth watering multi-cheese ‘n tomato creation delicately offered in phyllo pastry, to the decadent chocolate mousse Cake of the Day.

An hour flew happily and swiftly by and reluctantly it was time to call for the car and head out of town.  This wouldn’t be the place I would take a family including small children for a Saturday morning treat, but I would most confidently meet a friend or two or business colleague here for excellent service and a really good cup of tea, in style, elegance and comfort.  So never mind Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I certainly felt like Audrey Hepburn as I happily sipped my tea!
Coffee Shop
5 Plates
Meikles Hotel, Harare
Expect to spend $8 - $15 per head

 

Meikles Lounge – wake the lions 2010
Since 1912, the two Meikles Hotel lions created by Italian Sculptor, Jotto, have been inviting guests to the hotel and its restaurants.  Legend has it they have always overlooked the busiest street of the hotel, roaring invitingly to beautiful women who passed by.  In turn, the beautiful ladies would be delighted to have their beauty acknowledged by the Kings and would not turn down the Royal invitation to the Meikles Hotel.  Many notables and Royalty have been invited by the roaring Kings and have dined at the Meikles since its inception.  Initially, the Lions roared facing East (Third Street). Today, they roar while gazing upon Africa Unity Square, marvelling at the grown jacarandas oblivious of the happenings across the square. The roar is no longer for the beauties only, but for all those who love the little yester-year pleasures such as traditional Sunday Roasts and Afternoon Teas served at the Meikles Lounge.

On arrival after depositing our car safely into the Meikles car park, we were welcomed by the smartly dressed guard at the door with the two butlers smiling politely at us.  Entering Meikles Hotel gives a welcome relief from the mangy, littered and dusty, pot-holed streets that have become an untamed jungle of traffic and hustlers. The Lounge Menu is displayed at the Lounge entry on a brass and glass podium. A waiter welcomed us and was quick to show us to a table with comfortable lounge chairs. Table cloths were crispy white, beautifully contrasting with the dark, cosy carpet with the Kings’ foot prints.  Fresh flowers in elaborate arrangements in conservative vases could not be ignored. The silent Grand Piano produced an air of grandeur for the small group of diners in the lounge over lunchtime. The Meikles Lounge is a magnificent venue that has maintained its feel and look as a jewel in the central business district of Harare.

The Lounge opens at 7.00 am and closes at 10.00 pm, and we discovered that sweet treats, light meals, full meals and beverages are served throughout.  Having arrived for what we expected would be the famous and traditional Meikles High Tea experience, we found the menu to be actually very diverse, ranging from a full lunch menu through to the various teas, coffees and cakes. There is a cold menu of salads and cold meats and a sandwich menu that offers many different options including the special Meikles Club Sandwich. There are Lounge favourites; pies of all sorts as well as burgers, bagels and pizzas.  The beverages list is broad and includes three teas, filter coffee, Cappuccino, various Juices, Hot Chocolate and Iced Coffee.  

Being Sunday lunch time, we were put into a quandary.  Having expected a tea, coffee and cakes venue only, we decided that to test the diverse service offered at Meikles Lounge properly, we should split our visit into a lunch experience and a High Tea experience later in the afternoon.  I ordered a Sunday Lounge Special – which is a Sunday Beef Roast with roast potato and Yorkshire pudding and horseradish sauce.  My partner ordered the Prime Beef Burger. For drinks we ordered a cappuccino and a local tea, which beverages took 15 minutes to be served.  The cappuccino was quite ordinary, lacking in richness and form.  However the Tanganda tea was well brewed and pleasant.  Though nicely presented with average creativity, the food was served 30 minutes later, and cold, and on cold plates.  The flavour was bland and average, rather than tasty and impressive.  The lunch experience at the Meikles Lounge, was, we thought, run of the mill, in need of some fervour to awake the palate.  We passed on the dessert, ice cream and either caramel or chocolate sauce.  We wondered if the fanfare of the Meikles Lounge experience might instead sound for the historic Meikles High Tea?  Perhaps, instead of hotel piped music, there would even be a maestro on the piano.  We duly returned at 4 pm.

It is believed that Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford (1788 -1861) was the inventor of and great enthusiast for the event ‘Afternoon Tea’.  Victorian tradition was that the two main meals of the day would be a late breakfast and a late 8 or 9 o‘clock dinner. To avoid a terrible pang of hunger and lack of energy before dinner, the Duchess would invite her High Society friends to join her for tea at about 5 pm.  Included in this spread would be such delights as thin crust-less cucumber sandwiches, shrimp or fish paté, toasted breads with jams and preserves, pastries, scones and crumpets. This practice spread quickly throughout England and the Commonwealth, becoming a traditional delight.  Soon, tea services of silver, doilies, fine china, cake stands and tea caddies become an elegant practice throughout the world.  Afternoon Tea is synonymous with dainty sandwiches, generally made with delicately thin, buttered bread, thinly sliced and peeled cucumber, as well as egg and salmon.  Fresh cut scones are lightly buttered and served with rich Devonshire cream with raspberry, strawberry or apricot jam.  To complete the tray, a generous spread of muffins, crumpets, cakes (such as carrot, fruit, vanilla, chocolate, lemon), as well as pavlova, meringues, biscuits, gingerbread, tarts and pastries, all on silver platters beautifully lined with doilies. In some cases the tray is an exquisitely woven basket but is very often a tiered silver tray that is part of a polished silver service.

Most important is the Tea itself and, more latterly, of course, Coffee.  Tea from the black, green and red tea varieties may be available, but certainly English, and our own world class varieties of teas should be a perfect choice.  Coffee may be nothing but a good fresh, strong, aromatic cup of ground coffee.  Both Tea and Coffee need to be superior, in order to acknowledge the fine spread!  Tea and Coffee are offered with cold and hot milk, respectively.  Since Afternoon Tea is generally a social event, it is fittingly served in a social room such as a verandah or a lounge, with armchairs where the guests may sit comfortably.  Starched white napkins, a plate, fork and knife in the same theme, would complete the whole and perfect presentation of an enjoyable traditional Afternoon Tea, for which the Lounge in the five-star Meikles Hotel is the perfect setting. 

On Sunday at 4 pm, the Lounge was certainly busy, with a mixed cosmopolitan crowd mostly taking Afternoon Tea. The baby grand piano was again silent so we contented with the piped background hotel music.  We ordered Earl Grey Tea and Filter Coffee.  Again, the beverages took a full 15 minutes to arrive.  The Earl Grey was good and well brewed, but the coffee was weak, lacking in zest and taste and did not make a lasting impression on a coffee enthusiast, nor enliven the senses.  The layered silver tea tray arrived a long 30 minutes later and was an unexciting presentation of two slices of vanilla sponge cake with rich butter cream icing, two chocolate éclairs, two scones which fell apart when cut, and some lonely salmon sandwiches which we had ordered in place of chicken mayonnaise.  On the side, a serving of Devonshire cream and strawberry jam for the scones.  Crispy clean white napkins were availed with plate, fork and knife as part of the silver service, but there were no doilies on the plates, a desirable addition to the presentation of Afternoon Tea to complement the silver service.

Whilst our lunch waiter was smart, polite and friendly, out teatime waiter was slow, not so friendly and untidy, his shirt hanging out. Generally amongst the waiting staff there appeared an air of boredom and a lack of urgency, inspiration and energy which one does not normally associate with a hotel of this high calibre.  
More speed and creativity would be beneficial for the Lounge, especially at Afternoon Tea, with more energy and enthusiasm from waiters ensuring swifter, more personal service. The Lounge is centrally located in one of the country’s historic buildings and is the first impression one has when walking into this hotel.  Our overall impression after our consecutive testings of Meikles Lounge was it was time to get those lions roaring.
3 Plates
Expect to spend $5 - $12 per person

 

Meikles Lounge – sanctuary for survivors of the urban gauntlet
2009 Review
How easy it was in days of old to saunter through the streets of down town Harare, no matter where one had to get to.  Those days have gone.  Sadly now one has to tackle a maze of one way streets, dysfunctional traffic lights, “awol” drivers and quasi-suicidal pedestrians.  On arrival outside the prestigious and historic Meikles I almost become obliterated by one of the said city centre truck-drivers; then was informed that the underground parking was full, so had to opt for the open air affair instead.  The resident security guard then insisted on a self-initiated park’n’pay scheme, so $4 later I was parked and headed inside for a much needed boost of caffeine.

Walking into the foyer of the Meikles you could really be anywhere in one of the best of Southern African hotels.  Not only in terms of décor, but also the general bustle and hive of activity there: people arriving from international destinations, people departing en route for the airport, and numerous people there with a more commercial and business agenda.  Appropriately named, The Lounge was my sanctuary having survived the urban gauntlet.

My location within was critical as my laptop needed power, this was no trouble for the waitress who positioned my table so that I had reach to a nearby point.  She efficiently took my order of a filter coffee and a toasted bacon and tomato sandwich.  The menu is pretty limited, though there are several other restaurants in the hotel where one can pursue more gastronomical intentions. The Lounge is open from 7am to 10pm, offering hot beverages, soft drinks and a range of snack-type meals.  It is an ideal meeting place and there is enough space between the comfortable chairs and tables for adequate privacy during one’s rendezvous or impromptu board meeting. There is wireless internet which is a great draw card too.

The coffee was served hot but was pretty weak for filter coffee and I must say I do like it strong. However I still managed two cups together with my breakfast sandwich. There was nothing amazing about the latter, not that I was expecting a Nigella Lawson work of art!  It served it’s purpose and was wholesome as well as tasty.  Certainly next time I decide to brave our “CBD”, I will return to the Meikles, this time to sample the Pavillion or even the exquisite Deluxe Restaurant, La Fontaine.   The Lounge, meantime, is a useful and clearly very cosmopolitan meeting place, a positive hive of comings and goings, with good service and great hours.
Coffee Shop
4 Plates
Expect to spend $7 to $14

Meikles Lounge needs renewed zeal and care to return to former glory
2008 Review
Meikles Hotel is a sprightly 93 years old this year, and is considered by the regular guest or casual customer to be the grand lady of Harare’s leading hotels.  An icon in the history of our hospitality industry, its multi-faceted dining facilities have always been a benchmark for other hotels to attempt to emulate – from sumptuous five course meals, down to the humble coffee.  This Review is of the Lounge, which is categorised as a Coffee Shop.  Situated adjacent to the ground floor Reception area, access is via the imposing main entrance flanked by the famous Meikles lions.

In former days, High Tea at Meikles was as famous a tradition for us locals as that of well-known counterparts in London, such as the Ritz.  Tobacco sales and trips to “town” always culminated with tea at Meikles, though I suspect fathers left their wives, children and friends to have tea, whilst they slipped off for a restorative and much needed cold beer before the long drive back to their farms (particularly if the tobacco sale prices had not been good that day!!)

Afternoon tea at Meikles had an elegant, restrained atmosphere, particularly after we children had been released from our chairs in the Lounge and allowed to go off and explore the mysterious corridors and walled garden that gave the old Meikles so much history and character.

But then was then, and now is now. To categorise the current Lounge as simply a “coffee shop”, makes any review very difficult, as the Lounge now means different things to different people.  On the one hand, it is a place where hotel guests can relax outside their rooms, or meet business clients or friends, and on the other the general public is welcomed. 

The elegance, comfort and tranquility is still without question.  But it is “Meikles style”.  So if you are looking for the kind of “buzz” and fashion décor offered by the recent explosion of Zimbabwean coffee shops, then Meikles is perhaps not for you.

Meikles was always more than a good hotel – across the whole range of its diverse facilities.  It had “class”, and still does, and built its enviable reputation on the old fashioned values of quality and service.  On the day of our visit to the Lounge, the trademark service and quality were rather sadly lacking.  In the words of Bob Dylan, it seems that, “The times they are a-changing”. 

We chose a nice corner seat, so we could “people-watch” the interesting comings and goings of the Lobby.  Despite there being only a handful of occupied tables, no-one came near us after we sat down.  We were not in a hurry, so decided to sit it out and see what happened rather than wave our hands in the air as if to be rescued.

For over 15 minutes the impasse continued.  From across the room, the black-suited Head Waiter looked at us occasionally, and we reciprocated.  Clearly he did not consider that to “Wait” was one of his functions.  The solitary white-uniformed junior waiter also kept away.  We wondered if by some strange science fiction scenario we had become invisible.  Perhaps they both thought we were simply sitting there waiting for a taxi.

After nearly 20 minutes, they cracked first and came over to see what we wanted.  The Lounge menu is limited but perfectly adequate.  And includes, of course, Meikles’ famous “High Tea”.  We ordered a strawberry milkshake and an iced coffee, deciding to sup these before ordering food. A mistake, given that we saw neither our drinks nor waiter for another 15 minutes.  But the drinks were delicious when they finally arrived.

The menu had a number of “typos”, which can be amusing whilst on holiday in foreign lands but irksome in a high class establishment.  My partner chose a Cornish Pastry (sic), which is a famous pie (called a pasty) containing meat and vegetables.  Covered in gravy, with a little side garnish of coleslaw, it was inedible, with tough stringy meat, soggy top and sides and a concrete base.  The dreaded microwave I’m sure.

But the high spot, the High Tea for 2, was still to come, and suddenly it was there. The beautiful and traditional three-tiered cake stand, which I remembered well from my last visit 10 years ago.  But where were the dainty crustless sandwiches, smoked salmon on brown bread, tiny pieces of lemon garnish, gossamer slices of cucumber enclosed in the softest, freshest white bread, that I remembered? 

In their place, on the bottom tier, was a wall of luke-warm toasted sandwiches - cheese and tomato, and chicken mayonnaise.  No delicate quarters, just cut in diagonal halves with the crusts still on.  Before they got even colder, we tackled them first. All stodgy, the cheese was tasteless, it could have been gouda or cheddar but there was no way that we could tell, but the chicken was tasty. The experience was more like a fast food outlet than part of High Tea at Meikles.

On the middle tier were the scones, jam and cream, no butter offered or included. They were delicious. Light and freshly baked.  The top tier had four slices of cake, 2 vanilla and 2 chocolate sponge. Adequate would be the best description, the standard of baking and lightness of the sponge would be a good effort by a domestic cook. The tea served in Meikles traditional pots was hot, the milk fresh, but no option offered to the Tanganda that was served.

The Head Waiter later informed us that we could have had our sandwiches non-toasted, had we asked, and also said that there were other variables. Perhaps when we ordered would have been a better time to tell us.  Our bill arrived promptly, but there was a further 10 minute wait whilst change was found.

The Lounge is generally beautifully cared for and maintained, so we were surprised that the waiter’s white jacket had grubby and frayed cuffs, and to see large scuff marks on both pillars where we were sitting.  It would seem that perhaps the grand old lady needs a bit of tweaking to see her gracefully return to her former five plate position for this particular entrant in Zim on a Plate amongst the several.
Coffee Shop
2 Plates