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The Victoria Falls Hotel
2 Mallet Drive
Victoria Falls
013 44751

Stanley's Terrace at Vic Falls Hotel perfect for relaxed lunch 2011
Lunch in Victoria Falls town is often a problem.  Mostly visitors are staying on a bed and breakfast basis at their hotels, so the first meal of the day is usually covered.  People also normally have a definite plan for dinner - usually booked at one of the theme restaurants or higher end dinner restaurants in town.  That leaves one wondering where to get a bite for lunch. The Stanley's Terrace at The Victoria Falls Hotel fits this bill perfectly. It is easy to find, being the main terrace of the hotel itself.

There can be fewer better places to relax over a light lunch than at the Stanley's Terrace.  Whether you are staying at the Hotel or not, all are welcome.  The setting is simply world class. The view over the gardens to the mighty Falls themselves is hard to beat.  At this time of year the spray billows up into the sky and the beautiful old bridge drifts in and out of the mist like an old ship on a foggy morning.

My wife and I settled into the suitably colonial white wicker chairs that complement the overall old world theme of the hotel and studied the expansive menu.  As it was a work day we didn’t feel like a proper drink and concentrated on the list of ‘mocktails’.  We ordered the house specialty which was delicious homemade iced lemonade with mint, which was just the thing for a hot day.  It was $4 but big enough to last the whole meal, served in a huge glass.

I ordered the Loch Duart smoked salmon bruschetta, which was served with tomato salsa and crème fraîche ($19).   My wife ordered a Chicken Caesar Salad with parmesan shavings. ($14).   The meals took a fair while to be delivered, but you are warned on the menu to be patient as all meals are prepared fresh.  The portions were generous and beautifully plated but just the right size for a lunch meal.  I always get a pang of regret once I have ordered, as you always look at everybody else’s meals going past and wonder if you have made the right choice!  The menu caters for all tastes and pockets, with a good representation of vegetarian dishes.  The staff are very professional and our waitress had the delightful name of Happiness!  They were very attentive and their demeanour adds to the quality of the location.

If you have time on your hands then this would be a great place to relax for a few hours. Selections of the daily papers are provided and of course the view can take time to take in.  In fact I have often seen people enjoying the lounge, just relaxing and reading their own books. Exploring the huge volume of memorabilia and historical pictures along the corridors, could take up an absorbing few hours alone.  I would recommend a visit to the Larry Norton Gallery in the Hotel to see his amazing work, which also adorns the wall in the main lounge.

Next time you are visiting Victoria Falls, I recommend you block out a few hours to visit the grand old Dame that is the Victoria Falls Hotel, absorb yourself in the corridors looking at the history on display and have a meal with one of the best hotel views in the world.   You will not be disappointed.
Deluxe Coffee Shop
5 Plates
Expect to spend $12 - $20 per head
Victoria Falls Hotel

 

Plenty of choice, great view, on Stanley’s Terrace 2010
A mid-week break from daily grind was the occasion that took us to Stanley’s Terrace at the venerable Victoria Falls Hotel.  I hoped that the stunning hotel and its old world charm and service would be a great salve for mid-October heat induced irritations!

The view from the Stanley’s Terrace is of course the main reason why one would eat there.  Just walking through the Hotel, with its historic decorations, is a wonderful experience.  Walking down the corridors and studying the pictures and old photographs could absorb most of a morning.  And the view as you step onto the terrace is world famous.  Your eye is drawn over the beautiful lawn to the gorge beyond, and in the background is the spray of the Victoria Falls and the beautiful Victoria Falls Railway Bridge.

We arrived a bit early for lunch, and were told we could not order until 12.00.  Surprisingly it seemed that from close of breakfast till noon when the kitchen opened, it was not possible to order any food at the Hotel. Nevertheless we settled into the appropriately white wicker chairs and took the time to study what was on offer.  The menu was a journey itself, with names that evoke first class travel all over the world. The cocktail list was impressive and offered a variety of classics such as the Singapore Sling, from Raffles Hotel. There were a number of ‘house’ cocktails, including non-alcoholic, but they all looked rather sweet.  I was surprised to see a classic martini offered, so with much anticipation I asked the waitress as to which Vermouth they used.  I felt somewhat let down when she looked at me blankly for a moment and then said “Ah.. it comes with vodka..”  No James Bond moment for me then!  Fingers crossed, we decided to try something simple, so we ordered Gin and Tonics.  Great choice as it turned out - we were offered a variety, and chose Bombay Sapphire, which was served with lots of ice and, I’m glad to report, proper Schweppes Tonic. Although at $8 each, I couldn’t see us having too many!

On to food. The menu offered a great selection of the type of food I personally like to have for lunch - light, tasty and can be eaten with fingers if desired!  Two of us ordered a steak roll and chips, and the other meal was a Caesar salad.  Judging by the alluring sight of other meals being delivered, we would have been satisfied with a number of the menu options.  I felt that the delivery of our meals was a bit slow, considering that we were the first to arrive, but it was worth the wait.  The steak roll was deliciously tender, and the chips light and crispy.  The Caesar salad was very generous and my partner declared it wonderful.

The wine list was the most impressive section of the menu, with an enormous array of varieties from all over the world.  Most bottles ranged between $20-$30 each.  I would have loved to have ordered a bottle of Bollinger Champagne , but at $240, I decided to stick to the Gin! The Stanley’s Terrace is not a cheap round, but not overly expensive. Really worth visiting if you are not staying at the Hotel, and want to experience some of the flavour of this magnificent place.  The whole experience was lovely; however the level of service does not quite match the expectation delivered by the menu and overall ambience of the Hotel.

After a few Gins and a lovely lunch, I was starting to feel really resentful of the other diners, who unlike us , would be retiring to their rooms for a well-earned rest, before returning to the terrace later for High Tea! Alas, we lesser mortals had to return to the task of earning school fees, so with reluctance, we settled our bill and went back to reality!
Deluxe Coffee Shop
4 Plates
Expect to spend $15 - $25 per head