Best Restaurants in Harare: Where to Eat in Zimbabwe's Capital

Harare has a restaurant scene that consistently surprises visitors who arrive expecting a food desert. The city’s substantial middle class, large expat community, and well-travelled locals have driven a genuine dining culture, particularly in the northern suburbs. You can eat well across a range of budgets here — from a sadza and nyama plate at a township chop house to a perfectly cooked rump steak in a Borrowdale garden restaurant.

Amanzi Restaurant

Amanzi is probably Harare’s most praised restaurant, set in a converted colonial home in Borrowdale with a large shaded terrace and an interior that combines exposed brick with contemporary African art. The menu is broad — pan-African in inspiration with Zimbabwean ingredients — running from peri-peri prawns through kudu sirloin to a good selection of vegetarian dishes. Mains approximately USD 18–30 as of 2026.

The wine list is primarily South African (Stellenbosch and Franschhoek appellations), supplemented by a shorter international selection. Reservations recommended for weekends. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Located on Borrowdale Road — GPS coordinates are more reliable than street addresses in this part of Harare.

Gava’s Restaurant

For the closest thing to authentic Zimbabwean home cooking in a restaurant setting, Gava’s is the standard reference. The menu rotates daily based on what is fresh, but reliably includes sadza served with at least three relishes (typically muriwo nehupfu — collard greens cooked with peanut butter — beef stew, and chicken), as well as road runner chicken (slow-roasted free-range birds, noticeably more flavourful than farmed chicken). Meals from approximately USD 5–10 as of 2026. No alcohol licence; soft drinks and maheu (fermented maize drink) available.

Located in Mbare, the prices and setting are firmly local. Go for lunch — the food is prepared in one sitting and runs out by early afternoon. Taking a taxi from the city centre and eating here, then continuing to Mbare Musika market, makes for an excellent half-day.

The Grillhouse

Harare has a strong steak culture and The Grillhouse in Avondale is the flagship. Prime cuts from local Zimbabwean beef operations — the country has a long cattle ranching tradition — are prepared over open coals. The T-bone and rib-eye are the highlights; the sadza chips (maize meal formed and fried like thick chips) are worth ordering as a side. Mains approximately USD 18–28 as of 2026. Open for dinner from 18:00 Tuesday to Sunday, and lunch on weekends.

MamBo’s Restaurant

MamBo’s in the Avondale shopping area is a casual all-day diner popular with Harare’s young professional crowd. The menu covers breakfast (eggs, avocado, fruit plates), lunch (wraps, salads, burgers), and dinner (pasta, grilled chicken, pizza). Nothing complicated, but reliably executed and competitively priced. Mains approximately USD 10–18 as of 2026. Good coffee made with locally grown beans from the Eastern Highlands coffee farms near Chipinge.

The outdoor terrace is pleasant on cool winter mornings (May–July), and the interior is air-conditioned for the hot season.

Harvest Restaurant

Harvest at the Meikles Hotel on Jason Moyo Avenue in the CBD is the best of the downtown hotel restaurants. Meikles has operated since 1915 and the Harvest Restaurant serves its dining room with a menu that mixes continental standards (club sandwiches, beef fillet, line fish) with Zimbabwean specials on a rotating basis. Particularly useful for a business lunch or an arrival/departure meal given the CBD location. Mains approximately USD 18–28 as of 2026. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Meikles Bar is one of Harare’s oldest — an early-evening drink here, surrounded by dark wood and vintage prints, is a pleasant way to start an evening before dinner elsewhere.

The Courtyard Restaurant

The Courtyard Hotel’s restaurant on First Street in the CBD is worth knowing for its fixed-price lunch buffet, which runs Monday to Friday and typically includes a rotating selection of Zimbabwean dishes alongside salads, rice, and a meat option. Pricing approximately USD 12–15 per person for the buffet as of 2026. Popular with CBD office workers, which is always a reasonable quality signal.

Café Nush

Café Nush in Borrowdale is Harare’s best café for working remotely or a slow breakfast. The interior is clean and comfortable; the Wi-Fi is consistently fast by Harare standards; the coffee is made with Eastern Highlands beans. Expect to pay approximately USD 4–8 for a full breakfast plate. Pastries are baked in-house. Also good for lunch — the club sandwich and the avocado salad are popular orders.

Wine and Bars

Harare’s bar scene has revived considerably since 2019. The Best of Zimbabwe (BOZ) craft beer from Delta Beverages and imported South African wines are widely available. Brickworks restaurant and bar in Borrowdale has a solid selection of local and regional craft beers. The Sports Club bar on Fifth Street is a reliable, no-nonsense bar with cold lager and usually cricket or football on the TV.

Mukuyu Winery produces wines near Marondera (about 70 kilometres east of Harare) — their Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage are the most consistent labels and appear on most restaurant wine lists. Worth trying as a piece of genuine Zimbabwean produce.

Street Food Near the CBD

The streets around the First Street Mall pedestrian zone and around the Copacabana bus terminus have a concentration of informal food stalls selling vetkoek (deep-fried dough stuffed with mince), roasted maize, boiled eggs, and sadza plates. Prices are extremely low — USD 1–2 per item. The quality varies and the hygiene standards are informal, but for a quick, cheap, and authentic eat while moving through the city, these stalls fill the gap.

If you want a structured introduction to Harare’s food scene, guided Harare tours sometimes include market visits and restaurant tastings that cover ground more efficiently than going independently. For more on exploring Harare, see our things to do in Harare guide.