One of the
attractions of a weekend away is, from my point of view at least,
not having to worry about preparing food and cooking, unless, of
course, you go ‘self catering’. But our weekend at the Royal
Livingstone was certainly not ‘self-catering’ And between the two
hotels, the Royal Livingstone and the Zambezi Sun, there are a
number of venues at which you can have your meals.
Breakfast is
described as a ‘full English buffet breakfast’, but there is a lot
more to it than an ‘English breakfast’ : various cheese, fish,
fruits, breads, pastries; in short what you would expect from a
buffet breakfast in any half-decent hotel, but the Royal Livingstone
takes this to new heights in terms of variety, presentation and
service.
Breakfast is
also a relaxing, leisurely affair : sitting on the verandah, looking
out over the manicured lawns, with their resident zebras, towards
the Zambezi making its way steadily to the Falls. We could quite
easily have sat there all day.
Lunch
is a very casual affair, served on the verandah (or you can choose
to sit inside) and this is a la carte with a good selection of
dishes to choose from. Having had a late, hearty breakfast (I’m
definitely a breakfast person), we skipped lunch. Plus it was
November, hot and muggy, so neither of us really felt like eating.
But we would certainly be having dinner that evening.
Dinner is a
much more formal affair and you can choose
between dinning indoors under the softly lit chandeliers, or on the
veranda with the cool river breeze. Dress is smart casual
(as it is round the hotel) but if one wanted to ‘dress up’ one would
not be out of place; and in Zambia, with our very casual lifestyle,
it is nice to dress up occasionally.
On the main a
la carte menu is a large array of dishes from land, river and sea.
They
include Baked Zambezi Bream served with eggplant caviar, Chorizo and
Cannelini Bean Relish and sweet potato chips or grain fed beef
fillet on cabbage ragout, oxtail ravioli and roasted zucchini. The
menus change regularly, but all dishes are a blend of delicate
flavours which bring out the best in each and complement one
another. Who would have thought of combining lemon, lime and basil
in a dessert? Lemon and lime, yes, but basil? I am a very plain,
unfancy eater and looking at the menu, was skeptical, but once each
dish arrived and I took the first tentative bite, I was hooked.
Conrad Gallagher, the world-renowned chef, has been working with Sun
International and ensures that the food and beverages served at the
hotel are all to the highest standard. All food is stylishly
presented with the attention to detail which is the trademark of
this hotel. And portions are ‘just right’, neither too much not too
little and one leaves the table feeling comfortable.
Special
dinner parties can be arranged for birthdays, anniversaries and
other special occasions under the African sky. These are usually
held down at the river side, away from the main restaurant, making
it a truly private affair. Needless to say, such dinners need to be
arranged in advance.
Supplies of
foodstuffs are sourced from Zambia wherever possible, but many items
do come in from South Africa, as it is for all of us living here.
The beef is best-Zambian and the quality levels of the vegetables,
also locally produced, are high.
One of the
highlights of being a guest at the Royal Livingstone is being able
to enjoy sundowners on the wooden sundeck/bar-cum lounge situated on
the banks of the Zambezi River. Each evening one can park off on the
sundeck, cocktail in hand, listening to the grunts of the hippos and
the cries of the Fish Eagle, whilst witnessing another one of our
spectacular African sunsets. And if one is very lucky, you might
even see an elephant or two wading across the river, from one bank
to the other.
Another highlight is partaking in the hotel's high tea ritual in the
afternoons, which are held in the perfectly positioned bar and
lounge area under the open-thatch roof. Delicious cakes, pastries
and sandwiches are served on an Edwardian tier at your table or you
could help yourself to as much as you could eat from the table
indoors.
What also pleased me was how friendly and efficient the waiters
are. I was not surprised at the friendliness, As this is Zambia’s
trademark, but the efficiency was very pleasing to see. Amazing what
a bit of training can do.
Yes,
dining at the Royal Zambezi, is a truly decadent pleasure where the
meals are delicious, from the appetisers through to the desserts;
there is plenty of choice to satisfy the most diverse of palates;
they are accompanied by a vast selection of wines; each course is
presented with care and the service is impeccable.
February
2007
Lunch
is a very casual affair, served on the verandah (or you can choose
to sit inside) and this is a la carte with a good selection of
dishes to choose from. Having had a late, hearty breakfast (I’m
definitely a breakfast person), we skipped lunch. Plus it was
November, hot and muggy, so neither of us really felt like eating.
But we would certainly be having dinner that evening.
include Baked Zambezi Bream served with eggplant caviar, Chorizo and
Cannelini Bean Relish and sweet potato chips or grain fed beef
fillet on cabbage ragout, oxtail ravioli and roasted zucchini. The
menus change regularly, but all dishes are a blend of delicate
flavours which bring out the best in each and complement one
another. Who would have thought of combining lemon, lime and basil
in a dessert? Lemon and lime, yes, but basil? I am a very plain,
unfancy eater and looking at the menu, was skeptical, but once each
dish arrived and I took the first tentative bite, I was hooked.
Conrad Gallagher, the world-renowned chef, has been working with Sun
International and ensures that the food and beverages served at the
hotel are all to the highest standard. All food is stylishly
presented with the attention to detail which is the trademark of
this hotel. And portions are ‘just right’, neither too much not too
little and one leaves the table feeling comfortable. 
Special
dinner parties can be arranged for birthdays, anniversaries and
other special occasions under the African sky. These are usually
held down at the river side, away from the main restaurant, making
it a truly private affair. Needless to say, such dinners need to be
arranged in advance.
Yes,
dining at the Royal Zambezi, is a truly decadent pleasure where the
meals are delicious, from the appetisers through to the desserts;
there is plenty of choice to satisfy the most diverse of palates;
they are accompanied by a vast selection of wines; each course is
presented with care and the service is impeccable.