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Epicurean
Good service is, for me, the key factor when deciding on whether or not I liked the venue at which I have just had a meal. I can forgive less than perfect food or surroundings that may need a little sprucing up, but there is no forgiving or accepting service that isn’t efficient, friendly and helpful. At a recent lunch at Harare’s Harvest Garden restaurant I had experience of remarkably good service from the restaurant manager, Peter Nyagato, and his efficiency, friendliness and helpfulness were of exemplary levels. If every dining venue had this kind of attentiveness given to diners, very few people would have problems on their culinary outings.

We arrived early for lunch, as hotel buffet restaurants are often the dining venue for people on conferences, and it is advisable to settle in ahead of what can sometimes be long lines queuing for their meals. Nyagato’s welcome was warm and genuine and that set the pace for the entire duration of our stay, and it was pleasing and satisfying.

Harvest Garden is a long-standing restaurant within Rainbow Towers hotel, with views out to the pooldeck on the south side of the hotel. It had been a long time since I had dined there and I was pleased with new décor all set around a modernist African theme, with a focus on butterflies in the artwork.

It stands alongside Kombahari restaurant, which I have reviewed several times in recent years, and the visit to Harvest Garden was not designed to compare the two but to highlight what different offerings come from the latter.

Soup was brought to our table, a tasty duet of mushroom and sweetcorn, with lovely crisp croutons.

We then headed to one of the buffet stations where an attractive display backed an extensive selection of salads, highlights for me there being really enjoyable fish mousse, chicken terrine and fresh cheeses.

Mains came from a separate station, with that day’s excellent choices including lamb curry, roast beef, chicken, hake, beef stew, rice, potatoes, sadza, rapoko and a good selection of vegetables.

For the curry there was an accompanying set of sambals to choose from. I selected some lamb curry, rice and sambals, while my guest had a little of each of the beef stew, hake and chicken, along with various vegetables.

It was tasty and satisfying and it was then that the conference folk arrived, so we were pleased to have been first in.

The dessert selection included fruit salad, ice cream and velvet cake, so we had a little of each and ended with a double espresso.

We had a chance to meet head chef Chiswa and Chef Oswald, but executive chef Takaruzva was not there that day, but it is always pleasing to find out some new from the kitchen team, who also like some direct feedback from guests, of course.

Harvest Garden is a venue for in-house guests of the hotel and conference delegates, as well as casual diners from outside. It serves breakfast from 6am to 10.30am, lunch from 12.30pm to 3pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

It is especially appealing to family groups, of course. At weekends a braai station is run just outside the restaurant and diners can select meats prepared there.

We enjoyed chatting to Peter very much, and I discovered having first met him when he worked at the Rhodes Nyanga Hotel between Juliasdale and Nyanga back in the mid-1990s, he has been in the hospitality industry 21 years and followed Rhodes Nyanga with stints at Innscor, the Montclair Casino Hotel at Juliasdale and the Monomotapa Hotel in Harare.

He has been with Rainbow Tourism Group for 10 years and is determined to give meaning to the group’s ‘refreshing’ motto by making sure guests get a mix of good food and good service.

Harvest Garden is a bright and fresh restaurant, well managed and with a colourful and extensive selection of buffet offerings. I hope all diners get a chance to meet and interact with Nyagato! I also recommend advance booking as a good idea and this can be done by calling (024) 2772633-9.

Epicurean likes feedback and news of other people’s experiences, especially what they like and dislike about Zimbabwe’s restaurants and other dining venues. E-mail [email protected]