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49 Cork Road
Avondale
Harare
797491/2 011 600 871

 

Café Espresso 2011
Many Coffee Shops close on Sundays which always seems to be an anomaly to me, because that’s when most people are free to go and enjoy a cup of coffee.  So, a couple of Sundays ago, I was delighted to find Café Espresso, in Cork Road, Avondale, open and welcoming.  Our waiter showed us various seating options; either outside in the sunny, water-feature backed garden, or on the verandah.  As winter approaches, the option of sitting inside is also available.  The tables were snugly arranged on the verandah, almost too close for my liking.

Entered as a Deluxe Coffee Shop, Café Espresso definitely fits the description.  It offers a full and varied menu, catering for breakfast, lunch and supper.  The choices on the menu range from pastas and pizza ($8 to $10) to fillet, bream and pork chops ($12 to $15). Starters are available as well, just to make sure you don’t go hungry! Cakes and muffins complement the menu.  

It was mid-morning when we arrived, and all menu choices were available, but it was the breakfast section which caught our fancy.  Dishes include Classic Eggs Benedict, Folded-Over Omelets, Bacon and Banana Flapjacks, and Baguette and Bagel combinations.
Hunger got the better of Rupert, and he headed straight for the Full House Breakfast and a Double Espresso to wake him up. We found the Espresso to be on the expensive side at $4 and it was fairly weak; not the robust early morning call that Rupert expected, and we were unprepared for the price because there was no beverage section on the menu.  Instead, our waiter told us verbally which beverages were on offer.

Rupert’s breakfast included a good serving of mushrooms and bacon, but was a little short on tomatoes.  His fried eggs were ‘well done’ and not the requested ‘medium’.  The breakfast was served with two slices of toast and the tiniest amount of butter; four small squares served lonely and sad on a side plate.  Unfortunately there was no marmalade for his toast.

I liked the sound of the Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs, which I duly ordered.  There was a generous serving of Smoked Salmon on rather dry brown bread and the Scrambled Eggs were a little cold and over-cooked. There is a definite art to cooking Scrambled Eggs and they need to be cooked over a low heat, constantly stirred until that beautiful ‘just cooked’ consistency is achieved.  I loved the Salmon, but was disappointed that only part of the meal was excellent.  One of the standards that I set for a restaurant meal is that it must, by its very nature, be better, more full of flavour and more beautifully presented, than a meal which I can prepare myself! I might add that this is not a hard standard to meet, given that I am not a chef.  My breakfast at Café Espresso, sadly, did not meet this standard.

I was really looking forward to my Cappuccino, but again, I was a little disappointed.  It was gorgeous and fluffy, but the coffee was weak; almost a nursery Cappuccino.  I continue on my quest for full-bodied coffee, and hope that Coffee Shops take note and oblige!

Apart from the negatives noted above, we did nonetheless enjoy our relaxing, late morning start at Café Espresso.  It offers a pleasant place to meet, eat and relax throughout the day and into the evening, with plenty of internal seating capacity.  There was a constant flow of clientèle and it is obviously a popular place to go on a Sunday.
Deluxe Coffee Shop
3 Plates
Expect to spend $8 to $20 per head (depending on light bite to full meal)
49 Cork Road, Avondale, Harare

 

River Cafe Victoria Falls much improved (2010)
We recently had a lovely lunch stop at The River Cafe in Victoria Falls.  The coffee shop is open air and well positioned in the centre of town, but off set from the main road. It is well furnished with either cafe style chairs or a nice comfy sofa corner. The decor is in keeping with the tourist location, and the ambiance is relaxed and pleasant.

A standard traditional style coffee shop menu is offered and there are specials on a blackboard. Our waiter was pleasant and helpful, and mentioned other items available that weren’t on either the board or the menu. The River Cafe offers all day breakfast, so my partner chose a full house omelette. It arrived with all the trimmings of chips and salad, and was generously filled with cheese, ham and mushrooms. The portion was good, the omelette well cooked and the meal flavourful. I was offered a pita bread stuffed with avocado and bacon and topped with cheese, which wasn’t on the menu, but the ingredients were seasonally available. It was just what I felt like and was very tasty and well presented. The avocado was a little on the bitter side, which often happens if they are slightly under ripe. The sandwich was served with a fresh and well presented small salad.

A special listed on the board was a fruit and nut muffin, which we shared. It was moist and light and very tasty, eaten together with our cappuccinos. The cappuccinos were served in generous sized mugs, and the coffee was tasty and hot.

Having previously eaten at The River Cafe I noticed the attention to detail and effort that has gone into the premises recently, which was welcome. There was a greater selection of drinks and more availability of the food listed on the menu. Patrons are less tolerant now of shortages of stock items, so it is necessary to be on top of purchases.  Altogether it was a very pleasant, affordable meal and the management can be commended on their recent improvements.
Coffee Shop
3 Plates
Expect to spend $10 to $20 per head

 

Café Espresso enjoyable, pricey 2009
A full morning of Christmas shopping until after 1.30 had made us all ravenously hungry so we popped into Café Espresso, just down the road from the South African Embassy and just up the road from Kensington Shopping Centre – an establishment which is open from 9 am for breakfast until 9 pm serving a variety of dishes to suit which ever time of day you may drop in.  Although the largest part of the menu was the drinks menu covering soft drinks, a reasonable range of coffees and a larger choice of “wisky” and “corktails”, we decided on a freshly squeezed mango, a very decorative Malawi Shandy sporting a large slice of orange and 2 cucumber sticks and a double thick Chocolate Milkshake which took the edge off our thirst and hunger pangs while we waited for our meal order.

The starters of Chicken Satay and Mushroom en Cruet were served with a small salad and very tasty, and would be adequate as a meal on their own.  There was also a choice of a couple of pasta dishes or toasted sandwiches on the lighter side.  There were four options for full main meals – fillet steak or rump steak with a choice of 6 sauces, Grilled fish or chicken breasts and Mediterranean Chicken which could be accompanied by a Greek or French salad.

Sitting on the verandah amid an eclectic collection of tables and chairs of varying styles, and listening to the water falling over the rather impressive rockery fountain which shielded the café from Cork Road, we were glad of the light breeze as the sun baked through the tin roof.  Still, with the gentle crooning of what sounded like West African music in the back ground, the well tended gardens and very friendly service from our waiter, Masimba, there were plenty of worse places one could be passing a hot summer lunchtime!

The general ambience of Café Espresso is of relaxed chilling out.  While the décor and buildings are in need of re-furbishing, you definitely are experiencing an authentic taste of present day Zimbabwean culture.  While the steaks were not medium rare as ordered and the chicken was covered in an odd sauce I would not ascribe to Mediterranean cuisine, all dishes were tasty, generous portions, served with fresh salads in a tangy dressing. The 2 large balls of chocolate ice-cream served on huge designer dishes and covered with dribbles of toffee sauce and “sprinkles” delighted my daughter and the Cappuccino delighted me – real coffee with a good froth – a good caffeine boost to get through the next stint of Christmas shopping.

There is something that doesn’t quite “gel” at Café Espresso – one can see where they are trying to go but they don’t quite get there, and the result is a slightly chaotic mix of varying looks and styles of furniture, décor and so forth.  Overall coherence is therefore a tad lacking and pricing seems a bit extreme.  You can expect to pay between $25 and $30 per person for lunch – rather a lot considering a number of restaurants are offering lunch time specials at $10 a head.  Did this perhaps account for the fact there were only ourselves and one other couple dining?
Deluxe Coffee Shop
3 Plates
Expect to spend $15 to $30 a head

 

Café Espresso - Good décor, generous portions
2008 Review
Although it’s name would imply that it is ostensibly a coffee shop, Café Espresso serves a number of full meals, and is open until quite late every night of the week.  We therefore chose to have dinner there one Sunday night, and phoned to book.  The lady who answered the phone was unimpressive - an area for easy improvement.  

I wondered if Café Espresso’s meals would be reflective of their Italian name, and expected to find a range of traditional Italian favourites.  On studying the menu, we discovered their offerings to be much broader based and not especially Italian in their focus.

There were various tempting sounding pasta dishes available, such as fettuccini with creamy chicken strips, spaghetti napolitana, chicken salad, greek salad, mushroom soup, citrus salad, roasted tomato mozzarella, Italian mozzarella cheese and garlic pesto amongst many others.  There is plenty on their menu to keep the vegetarians happy. 

Amongst other main dishes, this deluxe coffee shop offers a range of grills such as fillet steak, rump steak - which I ordered - grilled baby chicken, and grilled or pan fried bream fillet.  These can be taken with a wide choice of sauces, such as garlic, mushroom, rosemary and chilli.  My companion ordered the day’s special, which was grilled chicken served with rice and vegetables.  My rump steak came with potato wedges, and though quite juicy and tasty, was not particularly tender, though the toughness was to some extent redeemed by the good flavour, its garlic fragrance pleasantly appetising. 

We both appreciated the crisp, fresh green salad that accompanied our meals, and the generosity of our portions.  Both meals were nicely presented on classy square dinner plates.  My companion’s dish was not particularly noteworthy in flavour, however. 

Although the menu indicates availability of a wide range of imported wines, displays at the bar revealed very limited options, whether imported or local.  The waiter’s lack of knowledge about wines in general or availability at the establishment was poor.  When we asked him which imported wines were available, he scratched his head a little and answered “Smirnoff”! 

Café Espresso must however be highly commended for their wide variety of hot drinks and other soft beverages, amongst them Café Latté, Hot Chocolate and Cappuccino.  The latte is wonderfully creamy!

Café Espresso’s décor combines both a homely feel and the impression of a stylish cosmopolitan coffee shop in one.  The dark wooden floors, well-chosen paintings and ornaments and the big, comfy sofas, lend this restaurant a “home away from home” feel.  The stylish furniture in the main dining area on the verandah, wooden garden chairs on the grass in the restaurant’s garden and sofas indoors, all add up well, to create a warm, inviting and relaxed but still stylish and modern deluxe coffee shop. 

Café Espresso definitely caters for a variety of moods, tastes and needs.  While management could bring about some improvement in their attire and their knowledge, the staff are nevertheless warm and helpful.  Deluxe Coffee Shop
3 plates