By Le Connoisseur On a mild winter’s evening my partner and I decided on a meal at New Orleans. The restaurant is attached to Banff Lodge, along Banff Road on the way to Hillside Dams. Parking is on site, complete with security guard. We were welcomed and ushered to our table, positioned under a sign reading St James Street, French Quarter. The head waitress immediately explained that there was no power, so there were a few items on the menu that were unavailable.
It is always well-appreciated by patrons when this is pointed out right from the outset. Although I knew that there was a power cut, as we were on the same power circuit and had just left home in the dark, I was very impressed with how quiet their generator was. We could just hear it in the car park, but could not hear it at all in the restaurant. If we had not been told, we would not have known they were on generator.
From the menu we selected the mussels and chicken strips for starters, followed by salmon pasta and the beef and bacon pie. Neither my partner nor I are vegetarians but we noted, as we must, being reviewers, that a large side salad is all that appears available for the non-carnivore, on the menu.
However, we established that vegetarians are easily catered for on request. Perhaps stating this fact on the menu would be good, or simply adding one or two veggie options on the menu itself.
Having asked what wines were on offer, I was happy to be presented with a decent wine menu, as so many establishments seem to think that a display of wine bottles in a corner is a suitable alternative! A nice du Toitskloof was selected to accompany our meal.
I have always enjoyed the vibrant décor of this restaurant, which follows a carnival theme from the French Quarter in New Orleans. Colourful paintings, carnival adverts and feathered masks adorn the walls. The tables had little intricate wire models of baobab trees sitting at the top of tea light candles, which looked interesting, if possibly a little out of place in the overall general theme.
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The starters arrived and were suitably enjoyed, then the main courses came. The beef and bacon pie was steaming hot, and appreciated on this cool night. I am sure that a vegetarian would have enjoyed the salad on the side as much as I did. A large helping of pasta was consumed with satisfaction, so much so that my partner could not finish the mousse which was ordered for dessert! I was a bit disappointed with my apple crumble desert, though, which tasted fine, but had not been heated sufficiently, so was hot on the outside but cold in the middle.
The service and presentation lacked a certain flair and pizzazz, experienced in the past there, which would have made the whole dining experience a little more memorable. However, the food was indeed enjoyable, as was the general atmosphere, and this is just the right sort of venue where you can go for a lovely, quiet evening with your partner, or to discuss a business proposal.
Deluxe Restaurant 4 Plates Expect to spend US$15 to US$30 per head 35 Leander Avenue, Hillside, Bulawayo
