Zim on a Plate Zim in a Glass
Restaurant Reviews
Sponsored by the Cheeseman
with Press Partner The Standard

©All Zimbabwe On A Plate Reviews and Ratings are
copyright to The Cheeseman and may not be
reproduced without permission.

Kingdom Hotel
Victoria Falls
013 41525

Thunder Cloud Spur at The Kingdom in Victoria Falls 2011
As a start of term treat, and as an incentive for future good work, I decided to take my kids to The Spur for a mid week lunch.  I love visiting the Kingdom.  The casino and entertainment area is so grand and inviting.  I just wish that it had more people visiting it.  As usual there was hardly a soul in the place, and it makes it feel a little depressing.

We were warmly welcomed into The Spur, and as we were the only patrons in the place, had quite a choice of seating.  Since my last visit I noticed that the menu has been revamped - in design, though not in content.  It is a very slick publication and gives a great impression.  But I can always tell that the management still doesn’t have complete faith in the country’s stability, as they don’t print the prices on the menu; rather you get a separate list with the prices on.  A quaint Zim precaution against hyperinflation!

Our waitress, Lokadia, brought us bubblegum milkshakes, and we all ordered the Spur specialty, namely ribs. To our great disappointment they didn’t have their trademark dish - ribs!  So we ordered a steak and burger for the kids from the Kids menu and a New York steak for me.  The average price for kid’s menu items is about $ 8 and for a main adult meal about $15.

The New York steak was a sirloin, 200g, with which I ordered the usual heart-clogging but delicious chips and deep fried onion rings.  Not to knock the Spur though, as the menu helpfully advises you to order baked potatoes and salads etc. as a healthy eating option. The steak was delicious and cooked to perfect medium rare as I ordered.

A few other people came in to grab a bite, thank goodness, making us feel a little less self-conscious, all alone in the huge eating area.  I am always amazed how they keep going, but the establishment is very well kept and still has a great family friendly atmosphere.  The Great Enclosure where The Spur is located is cavernous and grandly decorated with kitsch oversized artifacts such as 10 foot high statues.  The casino is sunken in the middle with the restaurants and shops along the side.  I remember well the ‘good old days’ when tourism was booming, when you could not hear yourself think for all the people in the restaurants, and in the central casino.  It really is a place that needs a lot of people to give it any vibe. At least The Spur has survived, the other bars and restaurants have been shuttered up for years.

After much deliberation we decided to order a waffle to share, as we had reached our gastronomic maximum. Alas, poor Lokadia had to deliver the bad news - Sorry, no waffles!  I can only assume the waffle iron was down, as they really are not hard to make and they did have ice cream, which we ordered.  The kids were very excited to read the pamphlets about the in-house children’s club ‘The Secret Tribe.’  But there was no mention of this and indeed no effort at all to make any fuss over the children, which is normally a Spur hallmark and incentive to go there for us parents.  I suppose I shouldn’t blame the staff, it must be hard to maintain an over-the-top friendliness, when there is so little to do.

Overall the meal was good, the service was acceptable and the value fair.  It is not The Spur's fault that there are too few visitors to give the place atmosphere, but we’ll go back, the kids still enjoy it enough, for now.
Family Restaurant
3 Plates
Expect to spend $20 to $40
Kingdom Hotel, Victoria Falls

 

Panarotti's at The Kingdom Vic Falls - kids eat for free!
The odd thing about Panarotti's in Vic Falls is that it is hard to figure out if the restaurant is open or not. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated, spotlessly clean, well lit, but, well… closed!  However the sign says one can eat Panarotti's food in the Spur.  A bit confusing to get ones head around, but I understand it is done out of necessity.  I hope they open the restaurant itself again soon, as it was, in the past, very popular with locals and tourists alike.

With an open mind we sat down at the Spur for a Panarotti's lunch.  The menu looked lovely, with a great variety of dishes to suit all tastes.  But before I got too excited I thought I had better check what was not available.  It was a medium list the waiter ruefully gave me, but included all the nice stuff- avocado, mushrooms, pepperdews.  Anyway, it helped narrow down my selection.

The starters were reasonable, all between $5 and $8, with the inexplicable exception of chicken wings at $11.  I ordered calamari, which was lightly fried and came with chips.  It was actually a small main portion rather than a starter.  Very generous portion indeed. My daughter ordered a ham and pineapple pizza from the kids menu. And a bubblegum flavored milkshake!

I have to admit I am not really a pasta person, and I was tempted to go for a steak, or chicken dish for main course.  But Panarotti's emphasizes pizza and pasta, so I felt I had to try something.  I wasn’t too keen on the lasagna or cannelloni so I ordered the exotic sounding Saltimbocca.  This is fillet medallions, layered with ham and mozzarella served on a bed of fettuccini.  I wish I could say it tasted as good as it sounds but I never got the chance.  The poor waiter had to come and admit that they actually didn’t have a Panarotti's chef, and the Spur guys felt they couldn’t go as far as the almighty Saltimbocca.  Could I order something else?  Something a little… easier?

Well, I eventually decided on the Tuscan.  A pasta dish with crispy bacon, Italian sausage (?), salami, and peppers in a creamy tomato sauce ($13).  Full marks to the Spur chef for giving it a go. It wasn’t exactly what was described on the menu, but the pasta was perfect ‘al dente’ and it tasted great.  Although I wasn’t too keen on the salami and “Italian sausage” substituted with polony!

I was delighted to see the manager come round and ask us how everything was going.  Of all the restaurants I have visited this year in Vic Falls, this was the first time any senior staff member of any restaurant has checked on our dining experience.  He and his staff certainly were trying very hard.
We were too full to have dessert, but the Death by Chocolate sounded tempting.  In fact we had to ask for a doggy bag for our meals.  We asked for the bill and I was surprised to be informed that my daughter’s meal was for free.  Apparently all kids eat for free, with the condition of one kid’s meal per dining adult.  What a great offer!  Unfortunately I was still left with a lingering feeling of confusion.  At the end of the day the only part of our dining experience that was Panarotti's was the label on the menu.  We sat in the Spur, were served by Spur waiter and our food was cooked by a Spur chef.

To the owners of Panarotti's I respectfully and constructively, say this - to keep operating the Vic Falls restaurant like this is damaging to your brand.  And to expect the Spur staff to try and fly the flag under these conditions is unfair.  I appreciate the rationale behind the current operating system, but I think you should either open properly now or close and wait till the time is right to open again.  I certainly hope you choose the former.
3 Plates
Expect to spend $10 to $30 per head

 

A lovely night out at Panarotti’s, Victoria Falls 2009
The efficiency of my booking boded well for a lovely night out at Panarotti’s, which is located in the Kingdom Hotel, Victoria Falls.  The restaurant overlooks the casino, which wasn’t busy, so there was no noisy disturbance.  We were seated in the Spur Restaurant, as with few diners, the restaurants have amalgamated their menus and use the facilities of the Spur.  It is a great idea, as otherwise it would be difficult to create an atmosphere.

We were served by the most lovely waitress, who was polite and efficient.  Sadly, there were many items missing on the menu, but she was well-informed and told us immediately, so we didn’t waste time looking at unavailable items.

Our drinks arrived promptly, and although there was not a great range of beverages, they were well served in chilled glasses. There was a decent choice of wines, however, no wine list, which may make it challenging for people not au fait with South African wines.  I find it interesting to read the description of wines on a list, and I think it helps one in making a choice.  All wines were priced at $15.

Our starters were served promptly and were excellent. I chose snails smothered in garlic and mozzarella cheese and served with thin wafers of brown toast. It was quite delicious. The peri peri chicken wings were excellent, crispy and served with a piquant spicy sauce. Our wine arrived and was served in chilled glasses, which again was a welcome touch in the balmy climes of Victoria Falls.
The T-bone steak was incredibly flavourful and generous in size.

The spare ribs were a little over boiled before grilling. This is often a problem when this method of cooking ribs is used. It really does help to tenderise the meat, however when they are over-cooked in this manner, they become a little mushy.  However, they were still very tasty, and were served with a generous portion of chips.  We had retained the delicious spicy sauce from the starters, which we used on our main course. The mains were not lacking in flavour in any way, but this sauce was just too good not to use liberally!  There was little variety in desserts but we were quite full by this time anyway, so we settled for a well brewed cup of coffee.

All in all it was a really good night out. We had real value for money, fantastic service in a lovely attentive, but relaxing atmosphere.  Children are very welcome and there are facilities for smokers and non smokers.  I would highly recommend Panarotti’s for a family or casual meal.
Speciality Restaurant
4 Plates
Expect to spend $20 to $45 per head