6 Best Restaurants in Zimbabwe

A trip to Victoria Falls isn't complete without high tea (3 pm–6 pm) on the Victoria Falls Hotel's terrace---Don't have a big lunch beforehand. A multilayered cake stand filled with an array of delicious treats, including cakes, tarts, and sandwiches, is served with a pot of tea or coffee. The hotel is very grand, and although some of the furnishings are a little tired, the view out over the gorge and onto the bridge and falls is unforgettable. Also at the hotel is the more formal Livingstone Room Restaurant where you can make a reservation for their seven-course degustation meal.

Perched on the edge of Batoka Gorge, the popular open-air Lookout Cafe offers spectacular sweeping views of the rapids below and the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge. Open for breakfast, lunch and monthly full moon dinners, it serves up an eclectic and innovative menu with a strong emphasis on fresh local ingredients. Lookout Cafe is also just a short walk from the main entrance to the Falls, so it's the perfect spot for a leisurely refuel after your visit.

Perched above a game-rich waterhole at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, a spectacular view awaits diners at this memorable dining spot. On offer at breakfast is a combination of both cold and hot dishes; lunch ranges from great salads to huge gourmet burgers; dinnertime guests are treated to local a cappella performers. The à la carte supper menu has quality local and international fare with dishes such as grilled fresh bream (recommended) and, if you aren't too squeamish, crocodile simmered in red curry. Service can be a bit brisk, but it's friendly and the bar is well-stocked. Though it's a bit of a drive from the town center, you would do well to find a better location anywhere on this side of the Falls.

This is a good local food experience as the menu offers typical Zimbabwean dishes along with other African food and the atmosphere is colorful and celebratory. Tuesday and Friday nights are "Africa Nights" with a buffet dinner and live music from the local jazz band; it's best to make a reservation for these nights. There's usually some kind of live music every night of the week except Monday. There's a good selection of vegetarian and meat dishes, too; the Mama Africa Hot Pots are especially popular. All dishes are accompanied by either sadza (cooked cornmeal, a Zimbabwean staple) or rice. The chef prepares several dishes with peanuts, so if you have a severe allergy, it might be best to just enjoy the music and the atmosphere.

With tables flowing out onto the deep veranda of Ilala Lodge, the Cassia has old-world grandeur with delicious modern cuisine. The lunch menu mixes light Mediterranean-style dishes with popular pub favorites such as burgers and fish-and-chips. Dinner is a more formal affair with familiar and exotic dishes, including a variety of game meat options. There's a good selection of South African wines and artisan gins. From the outside tables, you can see and hear the tumbling waters of the Falls.

Since its inception in 2018, this artisanal brewery, the first of its kind in town, has become a veritable Victoria Falls institution. The brewery's laid-back bar-restaurant is characterized by vaulted ceilings, long wooden tables, exposed brick walls, and a range of craft beers brewed from pure Zambezi water and the finest German hops, as well as a hearty pub-style food menu. There are regular live music events and a pleasantly boisterous atmosphere that can often last long into the night on weekends.