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.

Shop 10 and 11
Kensington Kensington Shopping Centre
Harare
731222

Taverna Athena – go there really hungry and do this great food justice! 2011
The official presentation of Taverna Athena is “a great Family Restaurant offering Authentic Greek Cuisine and a Steak House”.  Well, this description covered all taste preferences in my family, so off we went to test the potential of this eatery.   Kensington Shopping Centre, only a stone’s throw away from the bustle of Avondale Shops, is the location of Taverna Athena, open for lunch Monday to Fridays, dinner Mondays to Saturdays and lunch on Sunday.  Secure parking without the hassle of street kids and vendors adds to the appeal.

Well, the main advice I can give you about our dining experience at Taverna Athena is don’t eat too much of the bread!!  We arrived starving and having been seated at our table, drinks ordered and promptly delivered, we then tucked into the plate of pita and sesame seed loaf and butter with gusto.  Our starters arrived – chicken livers in their own specialty sauce, steamed fresh mussels in their own creamy sauce and souvlakia - delicious steak kebabs.  Of course we had to mop up all the sauce with, you guessed it, more bread.  By now I was, if being honest with myself, feeling comfortably replete but naturally we’d ordered a main course each – Kalamari, Garlic fillet and Greek Meze.  While we sat there waiting for these dishes to arrive I overheard a gentleman at the next table saying “I’m absolutely shattered – I can’t believe I ate all of that.  I’ll probably wake up with palpitations at 2am!”  We had a giggle at that, but our faces must have been quite a laugh in themselves, when our orders started arriving!  First, a plate with 4 Greek dips – “The Meze” according to our waiter.

“Oh I see you have finished your bread!” He looked a bit startled but quickly came back with another basket of pita and sesame seed loaf slices.  Of course we all had to have a try of these new dips which were delicious – skordalia, tsatsiki, humus and taramasalata. 

By now I was decidedly full, but then a salad arrived!  “We didn’t order a salad” I exclaimed.  “Comes with the Meze” was the reply.  By now I had had to surreptitiously undo the top button of my trousers so I could manage to nibble on some of the olives and blocks of feta cheese which decorated the top of the salad!  The garlic fillet arrived, a huge piece liberally covered with chopped garlic, and the kalamari, large rings deep fried with chips, creamed butternut and green beans and a third plate full of an array of different foods. “What is this?” I asked. “The Meze!”  Our table was now so over-crowded with dishes, all full of food; we could only burst out laughing.  

My goodness, talk about feeling shattered!  Nothing daunted, my companions cleared their plates while I ordered a doggie bag!  My eyes were certainly bigger than my stomach and I didn’t feel like risking palpitations at 2am!  The garlic fillet was succulent and cooked to perfection.  The kalamari was tender and came with a delicious sauce and the Meze warmed up very satisfactorily the next day!  Puddings were a bit of a letdown after these tasty main dishes – a choice of ice-cream and a piece of baklava which was a little heavy.  The cappuccino arrived with a very impressive froth but was rather weak in flavour.

Certainly the portions were generous and the menu covered a wide selection of authentic Greek dishes as well as a number of chicken, pork and beef dishes.  Vegetarians are not specifically catered for but there is a choice of six salads and a number of the starters are meat free. Children are not specifically catered for but I’m sure the management would oblige with smaller servings.  Three people could eat from a single order of Greek Meze, but if you do not want to share, for goodness sake, give yourself a chance and don’t touch the bread!
Speciality Restaurant (Greek)
4 Plates
Expect to spend $20 to $30 per head
Kensington Shopping Centre, Harare

 

Taverna Athena disappoints 2010
The Taverna Athena is located at the Kensington Centre shops which has had a bit of a facelift lately.  We managed to park right outside the restaurant.  Just as well as it was a cold night.  As I closed the car door behind me, a security guard doing a very good impression of a Michelin man, jumped out and saluted us!  I reassured my pounding heart that he wasn’t trying to mug us, he just wanted to say hello!  Following hot on the heels of two other diners, now seated by the door, we ventured further inside to be sure of a warm place.  Our waiter ushered us to a suitable table and immediately enquired if we would like a drink.  We asked about white wine, and as he didn’t know their names, some bottles were bought to the table.  We picked out a South African Obikwa Chardonnay at $10 a bottle but noted they also had an average Chenin Blanc and two Sauvignon Blancs to choose from.  A large television was tucked in the corner by the oversized bar, which Leonard our waiter informed me wasn’t currently working.  I took a quick look at my watch and calculated we would have enough time to dine and get home before the semi-final started. 

We sipped our perfectly chilled wine as we chose our starters.  Both my partner and I love Greek food.  We opted for Halloumi cheese and Afelia (grilled cubes of spiced pork) as we wanted something hot to eat this chilly evening.  The specials were mushrooms with garlic and bacon, mushroom soup and lamb kleftiko - at a whopping $18.  I nearly fell off my chair.  I’d eaten half a lobster overseas recently for that price!  I added the mushrooms to our starters order and meatballs and chicken kebabs for our mains.

The menu was well laid-out and the specialities of the region appeared in a section on their own. All the usual Greek favourites were there and I wondered if I should’ve gone for the fish instead of the meatballs.  We munched on bread and margarine (butter being a rarity in Zim at the moment) as we waited.  The Taverna Athena is a speciality Greek restaurant, and it crossed my mind why they hadn’t offered pitta bread, which would have been most fitting.  As our starters found their way to our table, I couldn’t help but notice the rather limp looking piece of lettuce dangling from the plates.  Leonard was almost falling over himself to put them down.  I tried to help him by making more space but I almost singed myself into the bargain.  All the plates were incredibly hot.  The lettuce, I realised, hadn’t stood a chance!  Suddenly a flashback from Fawlty Towers struck me as Leonard, in his haste, half threw-half dropped the plate containing the halloumi cheese onto the table.  The accompanying sauce had almost defied gravity but the heat had facilitated a near chemical reaction and a thin crust appeared around its edges. 

The Afelia had been surrounded by slices of badly cut lemon, making the scant attempt at presentation almost funny.  The pieces of pork were inconsistent in size and sadly lacking in flavour, so the condiments on the table came in handy.  The halloumi was coated and fried.  Disappointment struck again as I had been expecting nice white slices with char grilled streaks on them. The grated garlic in the bacon and garlic sauce on the breaded mushrooms was uncooked, giving the dish a bit of a kick.  I made a mental note to pick some parsley from the herb garden on my way into the house when I got back home!

The main courses arrived and to my dismay, the feta cheese in the salad had welded itself to the plate.  I requested that the salad should be put in a bowl, preferably a cold one.  I watched the (presumably) manager, firmly ensconced behind the till as Leonard passed him with the plate, en route back to the kitchen, seeming too focussed on greenbacks to notice a glowing salad passing him by.  The meatballs returned, this time, with an added attraction of grated cheese on top.  The salad was now everything I hoped it would be, fresh, crisp and with two types of olives. 

Too many herbs made the meatballs taste slightly bitter, but the spiced rice that accompanied the chicken kebabs was delicious.  Both dishes however, were generally lacking in proficient seasoning.

Leonard asked if we would like another bottle of wine, at which point I noticed my glass, which had been filled right up to the brim.  Did I pick up the glass and risk spilling the wine or, did I dip down and take a sneaky sip?  It dawned on me, looking at the four eager waiters lined up attentively, that they may not have received much training.  I looked again at the manager, still engrossed counting cash.  He had scarcely acknowledged anyone else to be in the restaurant. Would he come out and enquire if we were happy with our meal, I wondered?  

The baklava had so much cinnamon in it that it rendered itself inedible and at $5, was a Greek tragedy.  The fresh fruit salad was very fresh but was basically chunks of apples and oranges in a bowl.  The medium sweet Turkish coffee was hot and strong and perhaps if served with a small cube of Turkish Delight, may have saved the evening.  But the final straw was the bill which, to add insult to injury, had been rounded up.  We gave Leonard a well earned tip, and went home to watch the match.
Speciality Restaurant (Greek)
2 Plates
Expect to spend $18 to $30 per head

Taverna Athena disappoints 09
Many if not most of us will recall the original Taverna Athena days on Kwame Nkruma Avenue opposite Holiday Inn. The décor, layout and overall ambience of that establishment were superb and indeed the food lived up to all expectations and led one into remaining there for long extended lunches with friends and business associates.  For reasons we have never personally known, the restaurant closed and moved to the old Mateo’s Restaurant premises in the Kensington shopping centre.  Incidentally, we know not why Mateo’s closed down either.  Now outside the old Taverna premises, currently occupied by a well-known stockbroker, stand two huge metal raging bulls, symbolising the way we investors would like to see both the local and international markets perform sooner rather than later!

We have to admit that since the relocation of Taverna Athena, we have not dined there, for no apparent reason.  However a review was called for and we eagerly stepped up to the plate so to speak!  We eagerly looked forward to a return to the fine fare so well remembered from the old times.

Sadly, our report may disappoint some who also recall the original set up. The premises leave much to be desired. The old pizza oven from the Mateos days is still in the far right corner and somewhat detracts from the “Greek” theme.  Some Grecian pillars have been added where the bar is, but they somehow look like an afterthought and out of place.  Indeed the theme overall seems somewhat half-hearted and confusing.  Greek music plays at a reasonable volume but does not really add much to one’s hoping to feel as if one is somewhere Greek.  

We were served by an excellent waiter who knew everything he needed to and was most efficient, friendly and attentive throughout our visit.  We perused the menu and were happy with the fare on offer and the presentation, except for the font size which is rather too small, we thought!  As with most Greek styled establishments, the starters always look tempting and choices are hard to make, so we chose 3 between the two of us; Skordalia, Fried Halloumi Cheese and Lunza Pork Loin.

The prompt delivery was overshadowed by the disappointing taste of all three starters which was not a good start at all.  For mains, I chose the Special – a trio of beef which consisted of three very small pieces of fillet each with its own sauce (pepper, mustard and mushroom). The fillet was tough and of poor consistency, each piece differing and certainly not from the same cut.  My wife chose Kingclip.  Unfortunately this was also a poor choice, overcooked and unappetising.  Things were not going well.  For desserts we had Cappuccino flavoured ice cream and Ebony and Ivory Mousse.  Yet again, both were not what we expected and we did not finish.  That was enough and we decided to pass on the coffees. The bill was ordered.  It was quickly and accurately prepared. The price of the Special was more expensive than the majority of main courses on the menu which I did think unusual.  The waiter however had certainly earned his gratuity (and a lot of points in the Service section of our score sheet, to counteract some of those lost in other areas).

All in all we left feeling deflated and somewhat disheartened at the experience to which we had been so looking forward.  What has happened to one of the finer restaurants we once knew?  We noted that Taverna Athena has also done very well so far in the Zim on a Plate competition, so let us hope for a return to the old ways and former glory in 2010.
Speciality Restaurant
3 Plates
Expect to spend $25 - $35 per person

Taverna Athena good value Greek food 2008
My salivary glands were working overtime in anticipation of a wonderful meal as my partner and I headed towards Harare’s suburb of Kensington on a cool night in April.  We had planned to spend a few pleasant hours in the Taverna Athena restaurant sampling its Greek cuisine and whiling away the chilly evening hours.

On arrival we were welcomed by not one, but two parking attendants who were there to watch diners’ vehicles.  Inside, we were given a choice of tables by the manager who also took our drinks order and brought us menus.  As usual, my partner’s gin couldn’t be teamed with tonic, but a very tasty passion fruit made it a refreshing drink.  My ice-cold beer helped to calm the rumbling in my stomach as we perused the menu.   There was a good choice of meats, and, although quite a proportion was English, we were pleased to note the Greek sections.  I ordered Afelia (pork cubes) as a starter, followed by Pastitsio or beef mince and macaroni to the uninitiated.  My partner started with beef kebabs – Souvlakia – and ordered the Dolmathes (spinach wrapped mince fingers) as the main course.

The drinks were quickly delivered and while waiting for the food, we spent time admiring the interesting décor. Dining tables were set on two levels, a large mural of buildings on a Greek island decorated one wall, and the background sounds were definitely and very pleasantly Greek music sounds.  The chairs looked hard and uncomfortable, but were surprisingly relaxing.  The diner’s restrooms were quite a walk from the main part of the restaurant, which – according to my partner – was a good point.  We noticed the bar for the first time and commented that it would have been a pleasant start to have our first drinks there.  Meanwhile, a basket of fresh bread and a dish of butter arrived to take the edge off our ravenous appetites.

Our attentive waiter produced a wine list, which had an ample quantity of imported wines, but sadly no local wines listed.  Our chosen white wine was delivered promptly, just before the starters, which were quite delicious.  More glasses of our cold wine preceded the arrival of platefuls of our main course.  We had been warned that the portions were so large that many took away ‘doggy bags’ of their food.  The Dolmathes was as delicious as its name and the Pastitsio reminded me of a very succulent Italian lasagne.  The restaurant’s management checked that everything was all right and we wholeheartedly confirmed that it was.

It took a while and a few more glasses of wine, but we both finished our main courses without the need for ‘doggy bags’.  Menus for the dessert arrived and we waited in great anticipation for the waiter to bring us Ebony and Ivory Chocolate Mousse.  The waiting was in vain as there were only two desserts available, neither being chocolate mousse nor of Greek origin.  It would appear that the majority of diners do not order desserts.  However, while I finished the imported wine, my partner enjoyed a foamy cup of Cappuccino coffee – isn’t that Italian?

While we waited for the bill, we reflected on a very pleasant evening, and it finally occurred to us that this was THE Taverna Athena that used to be situated behind the Holiday Inn in Harare.  Now we realised why we had enjoyed the food and our evening.  Taverna Athena may have changed venues, but it still offers excellent value for money.
Speciality Restaurant
4 Plates