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The Epicurean
Sometimes a change of address does not work out for a dining venue, and we have over the years seen a great many failures when busy restaurants have moved home. Not so for Harare’s delightful Spring Fever, which last year relocated from Milton Park to the Chisi Walk retail complex in Chisipite.

Its new location is busy and buzzy, and a great many people tell me how much they enjoy this charming daytime restaurant, with its emphasis on home-style cooking and affordable prices. That’s in stark contrast with so many dining venues, where prices just seem to spiral upwards on a continuous basis.

Spring Fever actually pre-dates Milton Park, having been started by Elsie and Pieter Oosthuizen when they farmed in the Karoi area. It was a delightful and popular stop-off point for many northbound or southbound travellers between Harare and Kariba, Mana Pools or Chirundu. Once they lost the farm, they took their trade — and staff — into town and created a super spot that was a daytime dining and socialising venue, with an especially good name for great Sunday lunches.

They moved to Chisi Walk after many years in Milton Park and had a formal opening night on June 30, almost a year ago. Chisi Walk is in Chisipite, a few minutes’ walk from the Chisipite shopping centre. It was created by Mike and Les O’Riordan and now hosts a selection of small retail operations — everything from wine to lingerie, and from baby clothes to jewellery — as well as their Casa Kadiki guest lodge.

Well known restaurateur Elise Oosthuizen serves up a delicious dessert

The restaurant operates from within the original house and has veranda seating, as well as a new terrace under roof cover created over the old swimming pool, still with views over the lovely gardens. It remains a daytime venue, starting early morning and ending with the working day, and Sunday lunches remain a major draw card for diners. When we had lunch this last Monday it was fairly busy with an interesting mix of people of all ages and backgrounds, and as always the welcome was warm and sincere.

My guest had a beef potjie, very generously portioned and flavoursome ($10), while I had a ham, cheese and tomato quiche with salad ($8). Both were tasty and enjoyable. I had a milk tart for dessert – absolutely wonderful ($5) — and then ended with a strong coffee. The menu is fairly extensive and offers breakfasts from $5 to $12. Brunches and lunches include burgers, burgers with chips, fish and chips (choice of hake and tilapia), surf and turf, pasta dishes, quiches, lasagne, tortilla wraps, salads and t-bone steak with egg and chips (ranging from $4 to $15). Desserts are offered on the day, while teatime offerings include muffins, waffles and pannekoek – the latter either sweet or savoury. There’s a good selection of hot and cold beverages, though no bar licence; however, Danai wines is situated right next door and folks can buy their own wine there and open up right away during their meal if they wish, with no corkage, of course.

Sundays see a four-course buffet, including roasts of the day, and is priced at $25 per person, with discounts for the oldies and young children. Tomorrow being Mothers’ Day, Spring Fever is hosting a lunchtime special and on Africa Day, Friday May 25, there will be a buffet breakfast special at $12 per person. The royal wedding on May 19 will also have a special: giant screen and live broadcast of the wedding, plus high tea for $10 per person. Each month Elise sets up a series of ‘this month’s offers’ and in May this is made up of Friday pie day, when chicken or steak pie and chips with salad is a very competitive $8. Soup of the day is all year round at $3 per person.

Elise also retails pre-cooked frozen meals and various other eat treats, which are very popular. She also likes catering for functions and celebratory occasions and I know she caters for many special events. Staff are just superb, especially the much-lauded Smart Saluti, possibly one of Harare best head waiters. The venue is attractive and comfortable, and the food really is great home-style cooking with portions no-one can complain about. A suggestion from me: more of the retailers on site should open on Sunday, so that the regularly large crowd can get into their shops and buy things! I have been many times on a Sunday and have been disappointed not to be able to look around at the retail operations.

Fever (15 Shortheath Road, Chisipite) opens from 7.30am to 4.30pm between Monday and Friday, and closes at mid-afternoon on Saturdays. On Sundays, they close when the last lunchtime guests move off. I would strongly recommend advance booking for Sunday lunch and possibly on Friday lunchtimes. Call 0772 711985 or 0772 687344 for enquiries and reservations.

 The Epicurean welcomes feedback and comments: e-mail [email protected].